Nyoman Suyadnya

Nyoman Suyadnya comes from a peaceful village in the district of Sangeh. As a young artist, he focuses his concerns on nature. His biggest fear is when Mother Nature stops protecting people, and thus, his works mostly cover the ‘pessimism’ he has about nature’s future.
Tell us about your art journey.
It started off when I attended the High School of Arts in Batubulan. For three years, I studied and gained so much from there. Right after finishing my studies in 2005, I tried to work, but it didn’t last long. After a year working, I finally decided to continue my studies at the Institute of Arts Indonesia in Denpasar. For five years, I pursued fine arts with painting as the major.
How did you get into art in the first place?
It’s the talent for sure. During elementary school, I represented my school in several painting competitions. Moreover, my parents were also very supportive. They knew that I had the talent. They introduced me to my high school where I honed this talent.
Where do you find inspiration?
Inspirations come from nature. To find inspiration, I see the condition of our nature which has been worsening. It is also due to human interference which doesn’t leave things natural. What appears the most in my works is the life of a tree. For instance, the wildfire in Sumatra. If we are those trees, what could we do? This idea is what triggers me when I do my works. It’s the anxiety about our nature which is not like it used to be.
Your color choice is very distinctive. Do you have specific philosophies on these colors?
The dominant colors I often use are white, red and black. Back onto the topic of nature, it teaches us about colors. For me, the morning is portrayed by white, afternoon is red and evening is black. Meanwhile, there are other colors like green and blue. These colors are also parts of nature, and they portray a life.
The colors of white, red and black often appear in Balinese philosophy. Is it related to that?
I’m not sure whether I’m influenced by that or not. But as a Balinese person, it might stimulate my idea on colors. I’m often involved in many religious ceremonies. Indirectly, it might influence my unconsciousness.