Sekala Niskala refers to the intrinsic connection between the seen and unseen. “For the Balinese, the seen and the unseen are inseparable, a belief strongly intertwined in their way of life,” says curator Mara Sison, whose new exhibition at Footscray Community Arts asks five contemporary Balinese artists to respond to the theme.
Agus Saputra, Kuncir Sathya Viku, Ni Luh Pangestu Widya Sari, Satya Cipta and Septa Adi bring a modern perspective to traditional Indonesian art practices, merging Batuan painting, Rerajahan drawings and Kamasan styles with satire, pop surrealism, comic books references and collage-like compositions.
The show also features programs encouraging audience engagement and artmaking, including line drawing and linocut workshops taught by the exhibiting artists, that impart classical Balinese techniques like Sigar Mangsi.
Kuncir Sathya Viku, Garden of Edan, 2023, acrylic, in on Kamasan canvas, 86 x 106 cm.
Agus Saputra, A Kiss, When All is Told, What is it, 2023, oil on canvas, 180 x 180 cm.
Agus Saputra, As Within, So Without, 2023, oil on canvas, 180 x 150 cm.
Septa Adi, Pengendalian Diri #2, 2022, Linocut print, acrylic hand-colouring on canvas, 120 x 100 cm. Edition 1 of 2.
Septa Adi, Pertempuran Dengan Raksasa, 2022, Linocut print, acrylic hand-colouring on canvas, 120 x 100 cm. Edition 1 of 2.
Sekala Niskala
Footscray Community Arts
18 April—25 June
65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art is an extraordinary account of the unique art of this continent, published alongside a landmark exhibition at the Potter Museum of Art. Necessary and urgent, it tells the story of Indigenous Australian art; a new art history unlike anything we’ve seen. For Jane O’Sullivan, it’s a remarkable and must-read book.
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