the painter

I Wayan Karja was born a painter in a family of artists, his first memory is of sitting on his fathers's lap with a brush in his hand. Karja learned about colours as a young child from his family and from the "Young Artist" painters of Penestanan including Arie Smit, the master of colour.

early influences

By 1978 when Karja was thirteen he had been painting in the "Young Artist" style for almost five years. His father then apprenticed him to I Ketut Sujana, a specialist in the Ubud style (influenced by Rudolf Bonnet). Karja studied this style for three years learning about light, shade, anatomy and form leaving with a greater understanding of realism.

In 1981 Karja entered the Indonesian Arts school in Denpasar in order to broaden his knowledge of art theory and to hone his technical skills. At this time Karja gained exposure to modern international art.

After Arts School Karja attended the Udayana University of Fine Art and Design, also in Denpasar in order to study modern art. In this period he learned about Impressionism and abstract techniques. Inspired by artists such as Monet, Van Gogh and Matisse, he started incorporating elements of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism into his work

later influences

At first the inspiration for his painting came from the colours of the tropical foliage around him, the lush jungle vegetation and flowers. After university Karja worked as a professional artist with Balinese dancers as his main subject learning a lot about colour and movement.

europe

Karja had wanted to visit Europe since his time at university, he was able to do so for the first time in 1994. At this time Karja was painting abstract landscapes but in Switzerland he saw a painting by the minimalist Mark Rothko which both confused and inspired him. This visit to Europe had major effect on his style and lead him to New York to learn more.

usa

In 1995 Karja visited the USA to see a retrospective of Rothko's work, while in New York he found inspiration not only from Rothko but in the work of others such as Richard Diebernkorn. This inspiration caused him to change styles completely and led him to apply for a scholarship at the University of South Florida where he studied and taught for two years.

australia

Influenced by Rothko Karja was still painting in red when he returned to Bali, he was interested in seeing the red colours of the Australian deserts and als wanted to compare the ochres of Aboriginal art with the colours of the Balinese Mandala. In 2003 and 2004 he visited Australia three times exhibiting, observing and conducting workshops.

current status

Karja is currently spending time with his family and his roots in Bali, he is contemplating past journeys and as head of the Visual Arts Department at the Art Institute of Denpasar is able to share his experiences.

As a result of all his recent travels Karja became inspired by the blues of the planet and the sky from aero plane windows and the blue sea. This led to the recent "Blue of Karja" exhibition held at Gaya Gallery in Ubud Bali.

Currently at the height of his powers, Wayan Karja's paintings are collected throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and the USA.