I Wayan Upada

I Wayan Upadana (Blahbatuh, 1983) is an Indonesian Contemporary artist from Bali. His love of Balinese traditional art and culture inspired him as a child to draw and paint. He was continually fascinated by the array of creative expressions, yet it wasn’t until studying painting in high school that he  considered a career as an artist. In 2001 Upadana moved from Bali to the city of Yogyakarta, driven by his dream of becoming an SDI member for which he had to study art at the prestigious Yogyakarta ISI, the Indonesian Art Institute.

Known as both Sculptor, painter and printmaker, Wayan Upadana is inspired by water, materials that can melt and the juxtaposition of natural forms with found or ready-made objects. His works intend to both incite curiosity, as well as make important statements. Under the spotlight is the meeting of two opposing worlds, that of the artist’s traditional culture along with the modern pop culture. According to the artist, these are critically related issues that require immediate attention.

Numerous key galleries and museums such as RMIT Gallery have featured I Wayan Upadana's work in the past. Some of his exhibitions include a solo exhibition in 2016, ‘Memory’, Fremantle Arts Centre, Fremantle, Australia and a group exhibition in 2019 ‘Pleasure’, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne, Australia.