Warsito

The awe-inspiring scene is that of a Balinese Temple Ceremony. The observer sees first a line of cones constructed of fruits - the offering. Through these one glimpses the half silhouette of a priest to the left of the canvas, while on the right an ever flowing number of Balinese women come and go, as they place their offerings. Some of them kneel for a moment, in prayer.

Warsito has set this religious, yet at the same time social occasion on a flat landscape, where the intimate details, which truthfully encapsulate the very being of the Balinese Way of Life, move ever upwards. We are invited to experience the sacred moments, as we view them through the spaces between the cones. At the same time we are invited to examine the truths, which lie behind the painting, the inner essence. Warsito uses his brushes to construct this event, fundamental to its culture, by building in slow, successive strokes, to establish powerful patterns.

Warsito was born in 1946 in Probolinggo, East Java, a sixteenth century city of commerce which had little to do with the visual arts. However, his ambitions and determination to be an artist, from an early age, led him to become a permanent resident in Ubud, Bali, where he has continued in his dedication. His art derives its power and expressiveness both from his vibrant use of colours and the precision in his attention to detail.

Warsito is a member of the Sanggar Aksera, Art Association of Surabaya in East Java. He has exhibited his work at a number of galleries in Java and Bali and his work is part of the permanent collection at the Pranoto Gallery.