I WAYAN KARJA
Born in Ubud, Bali in 1965

"The Balinese culture is the root of my work. I have been digging into the roots of Balinese culture while exploring Western culture. I am trying to develop a new form of art in a universal language."

Karja's work is inspired by both traditional Balinese painting and modern Western artists, such as Paul Klee, Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Kiebenkorn and more recently, Jurgen Partenheimer and Michael Rees. He sees his work as a collaboration between Balinese and Western cultures forming a bridge, in breadth and depth, between two different worlds.
Karja feels that lately, the spiritual aspect of life is increasingly replaced by material desires. That is why is so important for him to work with colours, to create a link between material and spiritual worlds. "I see myself sitting in the centre of a circle. Around me are rings of different colours. Through perception, each colour will have a different effect on me, appropriately organised, they have a balancing effect."

"The best times in my life have been the moments while I am painting. My painting uses the same process as the Balinese offering. Both the process and the art work help me to understand life at a deeper level. My work often gives answers to my questions about the 'creator'. Thus, it is a meditative process for me."

The concept of Pengider Bhuana, which is the idea of balancing nature, human beings and God, strongly influences Karja's life. Pengider means circle, and bhuana means cosmos. It is symbolised by a mandala with eight directions plus the centre, each associated with a colour, god, attribute, number, place in the body, etc. The works in this exhibition use the colours and principles of pengider bhuana to generate visual form which embodies the balance and harmony among the energies of life.

EDUCATION:
1981-1985 The Fine Arts High School SMSR (Sekolah Menengah Seni Rupa), Denpasar, Bali
1985-1990 Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Udayana University, Denpasar, Bali
1997-1999 The University of South Florida, USA. Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degreeWORK EXPERIENCE:
1990-1996 Taught at High School of Fine Arts, Ubud, Bali
1993-present Faculty member at the Fine Arts Department, The Indonesian College of the Arts STSI (Sekolah Tinggi Seni Indonesia), Denpasar, Bali
1997-1999 Taught at the University of South Florida, USA

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1993
Gallery Campuhan, Ubud, Bali
1996
Knoll Gallery, Basel, Switzerland
1997
SyZyGy Gallery, Fort Myers, Florida, USA
Center Gallery, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
1998
SyZyGy Gallery, Fort Myers, Florida, USA
1999
Teaching Gallery, Tamp, Florida, USA
Christopher C. Brodigan Gallery, Massachusetts, USA
"Pengider Bhuana", Gallery Deja Vu, Ubud

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
1983
Gallery Nusa Dua Hotel, Bali
exhibition at Karangasem, Bali
1984
Gallery Sanur Beach, Bali
Gallery Intan Cottages, Kuta, Bali
1985
"The Artists of Ratna Wartha", Museum Puri Lukisan, Ubud, Bali
1986
Club Med Gallery, Bali
1987
"Sanggar Nyuh Gading" group at Bali Museum
"Triennale I Indonesian Painting I", Art Center, Denpasar, Bali
1988
"Ubud Artists", Museum Puri Lukisan, Ubud, Bali
1989
Gallery Club Med, Bali
Bali Museum, Denpasar, Bali
1990
"Sanggar Seni Rupa" group at Bali Museum, Denpasar, Bali1991
"Bali-Java Artists" group at Shini Gallery, Ubud, Bali
"Three Young Painters of Ubud" at Gallery Campuhan, Ubud, Bali
"Keluarga Besar Bayangkara" group at Neka Museum, Ubud, Bali
Bali Arts Festival exhibition of paintings, Taman Budaya, Denpasar, Bali (annually, 1991-present)
1992
"Sanggar Nyuh Gading" at Komala Gallery, Ubud, Bali
Gallery Campuhan, Ubud, Bali
1993
"Festival of Contemporary Art" exhibition at The Indonesian College of the Arts (STSI), Denpasar
"Anniversary of the Indonesian College of the Arts", STSI, Denpasar, Bali
1994
Daniel Art Studio, Switzerland
Ayung River Walk, Sanur, Bali
exhibition in conjunction with the Mahasabha III Peradah Indonesia, The Hindu University, Denpasar
1995
exhibition in conjunction with the Education and Training Expo '95, Jakarta, Indonesia
group exhibition at Jaya Sabha, Office of the Governor of Bali, to welcome the President of Indonesia
"Tata Ubud" exhibition, Kedewatan, Bali
participated in the workshop on restoration of paintings, arranged by the Goethe Institute and Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, held at the Agung Rai Museum of Art, Ubud, Bali
visited art museums and universities and conducted art shows and lectures in the USA: Los Angeles, Tamp, Raleigh, Washington D.C., Boston, Amherst
1996
group exhibition with faculty members of the Department of Fine Art, Indonesian College of the Arts, Denpasar, held at Neka Museum, Ubud
visited Switzerland, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium
1997
"Bali Art Selection", Denpasar, Bali
"Fine Art Exhibition: Indonesia-Japan Friendship Festival", Tokyo, Japan
permanent exhibition at Latta Mahosadi Museum, STSI, Denpasar, Bali
joint exhibition at Center Gallery, University of Southern Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
group exhibition at Mahaffey Theater, Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA
1998
exhibition held in conjunction with the "Great Mother and the New Father" Conference, Nobelboro, Maine, USA
Art and Java Gallery, Tampa, Florida, USA
Visited Durango, Co, Utah, Santa Fe

PRIZES/AWARDS
1996
Excellence Faculty Award from the Indonesian College of the Arts, Denpasar
1997
Excellence Faculty Award from the Indonesian College of the Arts, Denpasar
received a grant from the University of South Florida, USA
1998
Diversity Award from the "Great Mother and the New Father" Robert Bly Conference, Maine, USA
1999
Mudge Fellowship, artist in residence, Groton School, Massachusetts, USA