UK-Based Balinese Artist Opens First Solo Show in Indonesia

11/14/2017

ISA Art Advisory presents "A House in Bali", Sinta Tantra's first solo exhibition in Indonesia. Expect whimsical colours and geometric abstracts.

Story by Natasha Gan
Photos by Bagus Tri Laksono

Born in New York, raised in the UK, but of Indonesian descent, Sinta Tantra is an acclaimed artist with a majority of commissioned works in the UK. Now, Sinta presents her first solo exhibition in Indonesia with support from ISA Art Advisor, Indonesian Luxury and LAFLO.

Titled “A House in Bali”, the exhibition was inspired by moments in Sinta’s childhood and a book by Colin McPhee that bears the same title. “Growing up in London, my Balinese father daily played gamelan music on the cassette player at home. For him, it was a way to transport himself back to the small village where he grew up and immerse himself in fond memories,” Sinta explained. “In his book, McPhee writes about the relationship between the abstract and syncopated sounds of Gamelan music and how, like jazz, the music is percussion led. In this new series of paintings, I wanted to draw a stronger focus on a sense of rhythm and how line and colour represents a sort of musical notation across the canvas.”

Sinta’s works are characterized by their abstract geometric designs and vibrant colour palette. The artist was commissioned to paint on a bridge for the 2012 Olympics in London, Newnham College in Cambridge University, a ward in Bristol Children’s Hospital, and Songdo in South Korea.

“A House in Bali” is open to the public from 9 to 24 November, at LAFLO Showroom.

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Natasha Gan
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Natasha is a writer and a digital marketing professional currently based in Toronto, Canada.