The Decree of Me
Being of Balinese heritage I choose to respect the beliefs of my ancestors but I‘m the first to admit that having spent most of my life outside of Bali I’m less than a novice at this deeply rich cultural knowledge.
Balinese art(s) have always been a part of the ritual in ceremony and religious life of Bali, permeating every aspect of what it is to be Balinese. Art, dance, music and sculpture can be found everywhere at every level of society and always focussed around temples and other places of spirituality significance. Everyday it accompanies prayers and mantras designed to appease and communicate with the spiritual world.
Being so removed from Bali for so long my knowledge of ceremony, prayer and mantra is completely absent and so I offer my art in place of these unknown words and hope they’re accepted by my ancestors and the higher universal forces which oversee all existence.
ABOUT
Returning to Bali in 2022 after a lifetime in Sydney Australia, Gede Austana is emerging into the world of fine and visual arts after a long career as a commercial creative, designer and image worker. His work re-evaluates the idea of the extraordinary and the undiscovered, honouring the traditional but also embracing the modern.
Heavily influenced by the methods of Balinese personality and art, Gede’s work also carries a subtle infusion of a refined grafitti-born street technique as well as contemplating the mathematical truths of geometry and form. Each piece delves into the unknowing self while walking a fine line of street level cool and untamed bite.
Working primarily in watercolour, acrylic and oil paints, he also paint digitally with the same hand and heart as the more traditional methods. The subject matter varies, living within a spectrum of almost heroic fantasy to the unseen realities of the vulnerable, exploring notions of aspirational potential, divine form and poetic tragedy.
Quietly universal yet diverse in subject matter and ideology, Gede’s images capture a sometimes unexpected moment in time. They allude to a greater story beyond the confinement of space or understanding, while balancing an intimate connection with the viewer.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY (Australia)
I was born on the stolen land of the Wiradjuri people.
I have lived and worked on the traditional land of the Gadigal people.
This acknowledgement pays respect to the traditional custodians, ancestors and continuing cultural, spiritual and religious practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Further, it provides an increasing awareness and recognition of Australia's Indigenous peoples and cultures.
I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I work and live, and recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. I pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging.