I Wayan Asta - Balinese Artist.

I WAYAN ASTA, one of the most welknown of Contemporary (traditional Balinese Artist) lives ni Taman Ubud, Bali. He was a humble and charming man whose hospitality i enjoyed. Most of his works were done with acrylic and depicted monkeys. From the traditional old topics of the Barong and Ramayana to the more contemporary of monkies playing basket ball and shooting pool.

He was born at Taman Kaja in Ubud in 1954 not very far from his present studio home which is on the otskirt of Ubud town resting next to the ricefields. He studied painting under his uncle I Nyoman Meja also a reknowned Ubud painter in 1967.

Asta started painting animals and birds innitially and latter became interested in Monkies which he depicted with human traits. Conveniently enough his present studion is located not far from the famous Monkie Forest in Ubud.

He expressed his willingness to oparticipate in having a show in Malaysia if it could be arranged. It has been an intention of mine to try and arrange for a group show of Balinese Artist to be held in Penang under the sposorship of any of the intstitution that is capable of carrying out such a project. USM would be ideal if there is an interest in such promotion in the Arts department and the Gallery Tuanku fauziah is a perfect venue for such a show. The penang State Art Gallery is another Venue if there is concensus agreement for the benifit of such an exhibition to the local community just as it had the show of Artists from Brunei. I think it would be a good cultural
exchange to have artists from the surrounding South east Asian Countries do Group Exhibitions in this State. Local art lovers and artists alike can learn of other's works of art and expression of culture in their own traditional as well as contemporary ways.