The Young Face of Balinese Art - I Gusti Agung Bagus Ari Maruta

By the end of the XX Century, the tiny town of Ubud on Bali’s green hills, with its surrounding villages, was considered the heart of Balinese art. And it was in those years that new varieties of art began to evolve away from the traditional sacred painting which focused on depicting religious subjects. And it was in Ubud, once again, today, vivacious cultural centre of the island that, in 1991, one of the most emblematic figures of the new generation of Balinese artists was born - I Gusti Agung Bagus Ari Maruta. Coming from a family of artists, in 2009, Bagus moved to Java to study at the Indonesian Art Institute, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2014 and then going on to a further two years of graduate studies. The faculty of fine arts of ISI awarded him Best Painting of 2009 and, in 2019, he was chosen to exhibit as part of the UOB Painting of the Year at the Museum Nasional in Jakarta. Bagus has always sought out his own personal and original artistic style to differentiate himself from the community of his origins and his family. In his vivaciously colourful paintings, numerous influences come together, derived from the wealth of highly diverse encounters which mark his artistic studies and career, stimulating his curious nature which has compelled him to travel and visit artist’s studios and art galleries all over Indonesia. Furthermore, the digital revolution, with its various platforms, transformed the world of art, making works visible and available to all, attracting both national and international buyers wishing to snatch up the paintings of Bagus.