Sawidji supports traditional and contemporary artists whilst inspiring innovative adaptations. Knowledge sharing and appropriate product designs to have a balanced division between art and commerciality.
For artists without economic independence, the creation of their art is not free. Its purity is compromised by the very real need to make a living and make concessions to cater to a market.
Dewi Dian
Sawidji’s Triangle
Fine Arts
Sawidji is about nurturing artists to continue the practice and development of their talents. Artists in a traditional community with limited exposure desperately need this support.
Product Designs
How we do this is by utilising different platforms and digital tools to share our artworks and forging appropriate commercial projects inspired by our art and culture that everyone can enjoy.
Knowledge Sharing
Everyday, our practice of art continues to teach us something. Just as important is sharing our knowledge. That our community and others may find the same joy, that Art may be the bridge to connect each other.
About Sawidji’s Objective
Firstly, a little about Sawidji and what we are about. We believe artists in our community should have a plausible choice. To practice art for no other condition than simply, to do their art. By nurturing positive and transparent systems that promote collaboration and originality, we can begin to minimise the numbing effect of standardised art for market. Inject a fresh challenge to embrace a true creative spirit again.
Learn more about Sawidji Artists
Knowledge Sharing is Survival
Another view we take is the importance of knowledge sharing as a means for our arts’ survival. In other words, sharing knowledge of traditional techniques and cultural influences that others may have more knowledge of our arts’ cultural and contextual origins.
Sawidji Artists Part of Sawidji Management
Finally, its important to emphasise, our gallery, our art and product designs are brought to you from us collectively , with complete transparency. Our group of founding artists collaborate on projects and bring our works to you with everyones well being in mind.
We operate on very simple principles. Honesty, Creativity, Empathy and Teamwork. We encourage you to take the time to go to our artists’ page and meet them. They are the reason Sawidji was formed. They are at the heart of Sawidji.
Our Background
Now that we have shared what our values are, you may wonder how it came about. Sawidji Artist Collective is very much a community founded on long standing friendships. Together, facing a particularly difficult crossroad, brought to the fore by the challenges of 2020.
Industries have drastically been affected by covid-19. Prior to this artists have already faced a challenging decline in the demand for original artworks. Moreover, the present condition of fine arts in Bali and its authenticity is open to debate. It is in a precarious state of transition.
Tourism, Too Much of a Good Thing?
As a result of a thriving tourism industry, there are both positive and negative impacts. For example, mainstream commercialism resulted in many forms of exploitation of Balinese traditional art and its artists and artisans. This is certainly a negative aspect.
Today, the art market in Bali is impacted by fluctuations in tourism. As with the nature of trends, they come and go. The creative fruits of our artists and artisans are reliant on its popularity now, by an industry that is essentially disconnected from the arts. It has tempered the creative process to be driven by profit and marketability first. Reasonable yes, but when unquestioned and unchallenged for too long will breed stagnancy and lack of authenticity.
