chouinard chicago

06 February - 28 March 2004

Chouinard Gallery, Chicago, USA

Karja is an explorer, always contemplating life from multiple perspectives. His work is influenced by traditional Balinese styles as well as modern Western styles. Karja uses this combination to form a bridge between cultures. All over the world, life is changing; people everywhere are becoming more concerned with the material world than with the spiritual world. For Karja, colour is an important means of creating the connection between the spiritual and material world. Through his work, he uses those colours to create a sense of balance between the visible and the invisible.

"The Balinese culture is the root of my work. I have been digging into the roots of my culture while exploring western culture.

I am trying to develop a new form of art in a universal language. I imagine myself being surrounded by various colours and I can feel that every colour has a different influence on me.

Painting is a beautiful thing for me. The process of making paintings is like that of making the offerings by Balinese people.

While painting entertains and relaxes me, the creation of a painting helps me to understand life in more depth.

Sometimes it gives me answers to my curiosity about God."