Written by 
Arwin Hidayat, a Deep Crash into Bali… a conversation on art, life and the creative nurturing power of Bali.
Arwin Hidayat, a Deep Crash into Bali…Earlier in December, we had the exciting opening of ‘Tabrak‘. An art exhibition combining the raw and intense works of artists Arwin Hidayat and Made Kaek at the prestigious ARMA Museum, Ubud Bali. I had the good fortune of being asked to write for the exhibition catalogue by Curator Alexander Goetz. Through this collaboration, I enjoyed being thoroughly absorbed in the surprises that resulted from the ‘crashing’ of these two artists’ works. Made Kaek is an artist whose work I have been familiar with and admired for some time. Whilst Arwin Hidayat is a new introduction, by way of this collaboration, have quickly become familiar.
On his visit here to Bali, Arwin made time to visit us in our studio. Sitting together on a very rainy day (as it is the rainy season), with mutual enjoyment of our cups of coffee, around the table with Wayan Suastama, ManButur, and I was the first time we had a more relaxed time to talk. This was part of our conversation that day.
Coffee and a chat on a rainy day…
I asked Arwin about his visit here to Bali, naturally about the exhibition and his experience here.
“I am from Yogya. If we put Bali and Yogyakarta together side by side, it would not be so different from an artist’s perspective. The roots of culture are power, a strength in our creative process for our arts. The spirit of art is strong in Yogya and Bali. I haven’t found it elsewhere. In Bandung and Jakarta, for example, the contemporary scene is very dominant. Bali has similarities that are familiar to me, like Yogya. But, when I cross over to Bali, I am entering something that feels also unique. I see everything in Bali is artistic. I don’t know what it means, but it is an artistic experience for me..”
“When I am on a motorbike, for example, or going to a friend’s place, there are artistic visual experiences. Perhaps there is a different power here. You may say it is a mystical energy that connects our inner universal energy. In Bali, I am not a tourist. On my visits here, it feels as though I am getting recharged.”
Perhaps an artist is always.. becoming. Thrown by the emotions of a private romance that they have with their inner creative journey. And I get the sense that in Bali, Arwin Hidayat is captured again by this wonderful love. The joy of being an artist.
Arwin’s Bali Journal
“I bring paper and paint wherever I can. I am not a writer, so I paint wherever I can because I don’t want the moments to pass. The magic in Bali, the energy here, moves me to create. And the work I create here,.. feels different. My testament, my journal. Not for the satisfaction of the eyes, not for entertainment. It is a real contentment when I can create in Sanur or Ubud. I feel that I am an artist when I paint in Ubud and sign my name there when I paint in Sanur and sign my name there. This resonates with something in me.
Bali draws me to the point that I am thinking of moving here. My spirit is built in Yogya, but Bali is truly connected to that spirit. It is strange, but it is also very magnetic. When I meet Balinese artists, it is like I find new energy. Like meeting Made Kaek and Putu Bonuz at Batu 8, a few friends at Arma Museum, and my friends from Yogya who are living in Bali, they all say how different the energy is here.
The Fruits of Artisanship
Aside from sharing his experience here in Bali, I was interested in finding out more about Arwin’s journey to becoming the artist we know today. He has a broad spectrum of disciplines and interprets his visual language well in different media.
“My world is the world of art, and all that is creative. I am sure some may not like my work.. but I believe what makes an artist is their attitude and actions. I worked as an artisan for a long time in the workroom of other artists in Yogya.“
There, I am an artisan, a worker. I do as instructed by that artist; it’s a job. This experience helped me realise something very significant. I came to love the potential of myself.. if I am to work as an artisan. I realised there has to be a time limit.
The Process of Becoming
“I decided to stand on my own, not tied to anyone. Calling myself an artist because I know the difference. What it is to work as an artisan with somebody who I call my boss. I learned a lot from my time there as well. I value my skills to be able to make wayang and batik. It would be a shame not to use those skills to develop myself. This awareness came after realising that none of this can come about quickly. It takes time and effort. It seems that I have to cultivate my potential even though I am already an artist. Even when I was working for others, I knew I was an artist.”
“I am from fine arts.. as well as textile design (I am attracted to this very much. When I learn how to make batik. I appreciate the knowledge that I have to acquire to achieve that… In my paintings, if I look at the roots of my work, My strength is from the roots of handicraft.. which is purified into fine art.“
Art Without Borders
Towards the late afternoon, I discovered another thing that we had in common. Arwin expressed that he cannot identify himself as a painter. Because he also does graphics, textiles and ceramics. Creative energy, I have often felt, does not know how to be confined to the tidy categories we like to put it in. When you let loose creativity, it simply is and will connect. It responds and reaches out and joins and that reaction is something that you cannot plan for. You can simply trust it and go along for the ride. It seems that Arwin has a similar feeling.
“My studio is a recreational space.. if you ask me what paint I use, I don’t know. I make my version of things. It’s good to mix them up. Art has to have experimentation. Art is a surprise. You have to flow. When I do my work, a big part of that is the process of surprising myself.“
For that essential curiosity, Bali is a place that inspires me to continually create. It is an experience that is full of emotion and meaning for me.
Studying Arwin Hidayat’s work to write for the ‘Tabrak’ Exhibition brought us closer to understanding the essence of his creative language. However, the afternoon spent together in conversation here simply affirmed the comfortable familiarity of like minds. This is perhaps a testament to that universal river of energy that we all drink from. When in thirst, it is the source that we long to return to. Meeting Arwin Hidayat is meeting an old friend on this riverbank.
Tabrak, a Crashing of Two Creative Worlds
Explore Related Articles
Discover more from Sawidji Art
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.