The Magic Twins

_{Joo Peter continues to explore the not-so-well-travelled paths of Bali’s rich creative community. Today we have his wonderful discovery in the Banjar of Kutuh. The Magic Twins.}

Just recently I discovered a painting resonating with special memories at the Art Fair in Denpasar inspired by the rare style of Nyoman Pasek from 20 years ago. I met this Balinese Hieronymus Bosch, one of the most inspiring artists of Bali living a secret life, avoiding any kind of publicity. It appears that there is an artist who was also inspired by his work, despite his reclusivity.

An Unexpected Surprise

Who is this artist following this forgotten master? This question began a search and it turns out he lives in Ubud’s banjar Kutuh, where Pasek comes from. I jumped on my bike to Kutuh. After finding my way with the help of the local villagers, I found the artist. And a wonderful surprise awaited me as if by magic. I found the artist I was looking for in two incarnations! as twins.

Kelapa Muda (Young Coconut)

Below are a series of close-ups specifically of the painting Kelapa Muda by Wayan Mandiyasa. This painting is a good example of how their specific individual styles emerge fluidly in both traditional and modern forms.

A Time of Change

They were born in 1982, a critical time in Balinese history, the very last years before mass tourism started. There still was no phone in Ubud and electricity had just arrived. The twins still have deep roots in Balinese culture. They have clear childhood memories of a farmer’s family life, like that of following their father into the rice fields and learning from Wayang Kulit theatre.

Search For Identity

However, on the other hand, their environment rapidly changed. Many of these drastic changes happened whilst they were growing up. They are in between the old and the young generation, between tradition and modernity. Mass tourism started in Bali in the 90s and was pushing for transformation, which needed a more modern response in art. Becoming adults at the turn of the millennium, they are on the search for a new identity and this search is their identity.

The cosmos on the canvas with countless spirits is necessary to tell their complex story and the twin brothers manage to balance the chaos with an extraordinary instinct for composition. Still working with bamboo pens in many projects, they can create a depth of field and perspective, a point of focus in this energy field of transition for complex narrations.

They explore traditional styles in new forms. For example, in an autobiographical childhood story, which Wayan created (shown here below a small detail of the painting).

Ketut discovered in the local master Nyoman Pasek, the potential of the surreal and grotesque.

Historical Influences

They started to merge the styles and work with the contrasts of traditional and modern life. Just right now, Wayan started to work on a large canvas telling the history of Ubud, which needs to encompass all these contrasts of the city’s history.

There is already the seed for all this in the art history of Ubud in Lempad. Elements like satiric humour, playfulness, surrealism and grotesque and the versatility to work in different genres and styles. This even goes back to the Wayang Kulit traditions of storytelling, with a surprisingly liberating power in its influence until today.

The Search is the Identity

All these influences as mentioned above; from Lempad, and Nyoman Pasek to the history of Ubud and contemporary social changes are present in the painting Kelapa Muda. Emerging here in their own very special individual way.

The Art of the Magic Twins