I Dewa Putu Sena
I Dewa Putu Sena was born in 1940 in Ubud, Bali. Sena belongs to an older generation of traditional Balinese painters who are mostly self-taught. They learn the skill of fine art creation not from formal education but through apprenticeship and observation. Sena is one successful example from this old school who is able to migrate from the traditional Ubud and Batuan styles into a new form of artistic expression.
Sena started his career as an apprentice in traditional Balinese painting depicting Hindu deities, mythical creatures and cosmic symbols of earth, heaven, trees, water and life. It was during this period that Sena established a very strong foundation in composing and creating detailed depiction of his subject matters.
In the 1970s, with the opening up of Bali’s art scene, Sena came into contact with a German naturalist whose photography of forests and plantations with their fauna and flora inspired him greatly. This is a watershed period for Sena as he leveraged on his skills in traditional Balinese painting to develop a new art style – the Realistic Balinese Naturalist style. In Sena’s paintings, he chooses his subjects carefully to compose elaborately detailed and colourful pictures of birds and flowers. Such compositions often exude a sense of surreal romanticism as different species of fauna and flora co-exist and assimilate harmoniously. His signatory vibrant colours coupled with a dark background express both the vibrancy and secrecy of life.
Sena’s style is matured and well established while his subject matters continue to be highly varied, ranging from various tropical plants and fruits to birds and mammals to insects. By the time Sena was first introduced to Singapore, he already has a large following of collectors in Jakarta and Surabaya and perhaps, the highest form of flattery is the vast imitations of Sena’s style that one can see in almost every gallery in Bali!
Sena started his career as an apprentice in traditional Balinese painting depicting Hindu deities, mythical creatures and cosmic symbols of earth, heaven, trees, water and life. It was during this period that Sena established a very strong foundation in composing and creating detailed depiction of his subject matters.
In the 1970s, with the opening up of Bali’s art scene, Sena came into contact with a German naturalist whose photography of forests and plantations with their fauna and flora inspired him greatly. This is a watershed period for Sena as he leveraged on his skills in traditional Balinese painting to develop a new art style – the Realistic Balinese Naturalist style. In Sena’s paintings, he chooses his subjects carefully to compose elaborately detailed and colourful pictures of birds and flowers. Such compositions often exude a sense of surreal romanticism as different species of fauna and flora co-exist and assimilate harmoniously. His signatory vibrant colours coupled with a dark background express both the vibrancy and secrecy of life.
Sena’s style is matured and well established while his subject matters continue to be highly varied, ranging from various tropical plants and fruits to birds and mammals to insects. By the time Sena was first introduced to Singapore, he already has a large following of collectors in Jakarta and Surabaya and perhaps, the highest form of flattery is the vast imitations of Sena’s style that one can see in almost every gallery in Bali!
Artist's works
