published articles

A collection of summaries of published articles about Karja, where available there are links to the original article. Click on the link provided to read the entire article in a new browser window.

general articles

Bridging, Blurring, Unifying: I Wayan Karja
Joseph Foley
thingsasian.com

The worlds of art and religion share much, at a certain point, they both leave the realm of duality and logic, the mind flies off past the describable into an awareness we lack words for and so ambiguously label "truth." Ambiguous though it may be, we're happy enough with the term, for it seems the only one that comes close enough to relating the experience.

Both art and religion attempt to hurl us into that world beyond so as to help us understand the world at hand. They often do this, of course, in partnership. And so it is with the work of I Wayan Karja, one of Bali's foremost artists, and the only painter in the island's long, colourful history to have received a Master of Fine Arts degree.

...read the full article at thingsasian.com

Artist Profile - I Wayan Karja
The Beat Magazine

Wayan Karja is now the Head of the Visual Department at the ISI (Indonesian Art Institute) Denpasar – Bali. Previously he taught at School of Fine Arts in Ubud, and 2 years at the University of South Florida, USA.

Multicolor mandalas, strong vertical & horizontal elements, variations on blue, green but predominantly red and orange… These are all images you can expect to find in the works of Balinese artist Wayan Karja.

...read the full article at The Beat Magazine web site

CSIS Jakarta

"I Wayan Karja's minimalist symbolism on view"
Jean Couteau
The Jakarta Post

It is often said, among lesser souls, that intelligence and knowledge run counter to artistic spirit, and that divine inspiration is never found among men of sane brain and broad learning. Greater souls know better, as indeed do good artists, too. Da Vinci and Kandinsky were no ignoramuses, nor were Cezanne and Matisse, to mention but a few whose names have left, beside paintings, traces of written intelligence, and even genius. Yet few Indonesian artists -- Soedjojono and Nashar being exceptions -- have ever theorized, and still fewer Balinese.

None of the latter, no Balinese painter, to this day, has taken a step backward to ponder for a while on his own works and say: "This is what I am doing, and here is the reason." None has ever shown himself as being fully "conscious" of the world he was expressing and of the changes of which his works were the harbinger. All have followed the mood of their day, and been at best silent witnesses -- always in images and never in words. That is now changing.

...read the full article at the Jakarta Post web site

Blue of Karja

"Blue of Karja"
Dr. Rob
Bali Advertiser

Wayan Karja’s paintings at Gaya Fusion of Senses infuse the gallery space with a serene blue light. These large abstract paintings bring to mind images of the blue ocean, the blue sky, the blue mountains and perhaps the meeting point of the blue tones on the horizon.

As Wayan says: “To think about blue for me is to think about wholeness, fullness, circles, loops, space without limit, and as far as I can imagine – the universe. My heart was drawn to blue. Blue is the colour that came out of my paintbrush”.

...read the full article at the Bali Advertiser web site

"Noted Balinese painter to hold solo exhibition"
indo.com

Travelers to Bali will have an opportunity to view an array of Balinese artist' artworks when top painter Wayan Karja holds a solo-exhibition at Gaya Fusion of Sense Gallery. The exhibition will kick off on April 9, 2004 and will run through May 25, 2004. It will open daily.

"Blue of Karja" will be the theme of the solo exhibition. Blue dominates Wayan Karja's artworks because through the color, the artist believes he finds peacefulness.

...read the full article at the indo.com web site

"I Wayan Karja Eksplorasi Warna Biru"
mediaindo.com

RUPA-rupa warna, hitam, putih, abu-abu, jingga, telah sedemikian terpersonifikasikan dengan makna yang melekat dengannya. Hitam kerap disimbolkan dengan kesuraman, kesedihan, dan putih kemurnian, suci. Kemudian, reduksi warna menjadi rasa hitam adalah keanggunan, dan putih adalah kehampaan.

"Warna sangat penting untuk saya. Untuk saya lukisan adalah tentang warna. Saya menikmati melukis dengan warna. Mencampur dan membubuhi warna-warna di atas kanvas telah membuka pikiran akan horizon yang amat luas dalam pikiran. Keragaman dalam putaran hidup merefleksikan warna yang saya pilih," demikian I Wayan Karja dalam buklet pamerannya yang bertajuk The Colour of Life, Agustus 2003 yang dipamerkan di Australia.

...read the full article at the mediaindo.com web site