The art market is hype and superlatives. Be especially careful when you hear comparisons with the great - Picasso Peliatan, the Matisse of Mengwi and Botero of Batuan. The last thing you should buy is a derivative art. There is only Picasso and he Balinese. Of course, all art is influenced by the above, but unless the artist forges a new interpretation of the identity that is relevant to him and his time, an impressionist painting in 2012 is at best a lovely anachronism .
One of the most interesting new young artists on the stage arts of Bali is Wayan Kun Adnyna. Born in Bangli, Kun has accumulated a lot of praise and awards for his latest work who have muscular Balinese men with multihued pulsing six packets. The scenes are dynamic and mysterious, the latter enhanced by the use of masks or no facial features whatsoever. These gangs engaged in common Balinese male pastime - drinking, fighting and food. They are figurative but highly stylized, decorative, but also full of elegant shapes and traditional but also modern.
The work shows some similarities with contemporary Balinese Kun especially Nyoman Masriadi and Putu Sutawijaya whose work will also focus on the human body, but is far from being dependent on them. Whereas Masriadi is much more influenced by comic book heroes and video games, Kun is closer to classical art firmly rooted in human anatomy and compositions. These can also be compared with reliefs of Borobudur, which have been "borrowed" by Paul Gauguin Tahitian works.
The working Kun also addresses the confusion of being Balinese in the 21st century. As Balinese anthropologist Degung Santikarma, he literally and figuratively struggle with the burden of achieving the stereotypes of what it means to be Balinese fighting between adat and the modern world, like the festivals of the temple being stuck between Pertamina stations and Estate Agents sale of 25 m2 with condohotels guarantee of 25% ROI!
in a book called the "Last Supper" a figure without central face surrounded by 13 disciples in a sitting lotus asana on mats around dulang Balinese pedestal tables puts his hand in the abaya mudra that signals " Have No Fear ". Kun also incorporates the Lilliputians and fantasy figures as seen in "The Way of Enlightenment" (Jalan Pencerahan). Here, a lone figure with a swim expression of surprise for his life in a rough ocean. Surrounded by fish, with his head, a volcano exploding in the distance. He cups a small human figure carrying a cross before him. Make no mistake Kun is a Balinese Hindu. His crucifixion is symbolic of a secret desire to convert, but rather the fear of being sacrificial victim of the pressures of post-modern life in a tourist paradise.
In addition to being one of the artists coming to Bali, Kun is also a major intellectual who regularly contributes articles to newspapers and magazines. It is also currently completing his PhD at the prestigious Academy of Arts Yogyakarta (ISI), where he lectures on art.