A story of displacement, identity and perseverance
Gede Austana was born to a Balinese father and German mother, spending the first few years of his life in the untouched beauty of 1970s Bali. Removed from his village, community and extended family at 6 years, he would spend the majority of his life in Australia until returning to Bali in 2022.
After a long successful career Gede decided to re-evaluate, making the decision to finally prioritise his art career. Artistically active from an early age, painting and drawing had always been a daily routine and it was decided to make it the primary focus in his life. Learning many styles in a pursuit of creative advancement but refusing to adopt any particular style until this point, he set about the task of developing one that was completely true to who he was. Reaching into a lifetime of skill development and personal experience, it would take another 4 years before a fully realised style was achieved. This period saw the creation of 300+ sketches which form the genesis of Gede current creative output, with more ideas and concepts still being developed daily and added to his extensive library of sketches.
Constantly challenged by western social pressures and his own mixed heritage, his identity always remained firmly Balinese. A major part of this identity was wrapped up in the art of Bali which created a romanticised presence and influence on him. It provides not only an aesthetic infusion of traditional techniques but the philosophical roots of his approach and mindset when creating the art.
Gede Austana’s style, which blends traditional Balinese techniques with other global influences coming from first-hand experiences in street art, traditional realism, pop-surrealism and more, evolved into a unique method to achieve intricate figurative compositions. Having lost his ability to speak his first languages of Balinese and Indonesian, he offers his art as a mantric substitute to honour his ancestors and the Sacred, Each artwork is an intensely felt spiritual exchange in a mysticism that seems to exist just at the edge of the observer's awareness. Each piece is an exercise in expressive freedom and also intense self-discipline, patience and also spontaneity. Gede Austana unintentionally walks a tight-rope of extremes in creative, mental and emotional phases to create each and every artwork.
The main focus of his art is to create a connection to the spiritual presence of the viewer. His images seek to remind that there is still a deep wisdom that exists within tradition that can help navigate an uncertain future. While not expressed directly, there is an inherent concern with the abandonment of tradition, especially for Bali and Balinese people. The use of the vibrant colours speak to an optimism and undefeatable spirit which quietly lives in the artist and shared to the viewer.
Gede Austana is an artist who lives in an internal world of extremes which manifests in works of ethereal subtlety and visual intensity. His works come from questions of identity, creative passion and philosophic explorations of our spiritual existence.
Masa kecilnya ia habiskan di tengah alam Bali yang indah pada era 1970-an, hingga pada usia 6 tahun, ia harus pindah dari desa yang penuh kehangatan keluarga besarnya, dan kemudian menetap di Australia. Setelah sukses dan berkarir di negeri orang, Gede memutuskan untuk mengubah fokus karirnya di bidang seni, dan kembali ke Bali pada tahun 2022.
Sejak kecil, ia terbiasa menggambar dan melukis, menjadikan aktivitas ini bagian dari kesehariannya. Dengan mengeksplorasi berbagai gaya, ia menolak untuk membatasi dirinya pada satu aliran, Gede telah menciptakan lebih dari 300 sketsa dalam empat tahun yang penuh pencarian kreatif. Dalam proses tersebut, ia perlahan menemukan gaya khas yang benar-benar mencerminkan dirinya.
Meski sering kali dihadapkan pada tekanan sosial dari budaya Barat dan identitas campurannya, jati diri Gede tetap berakar kuat pada budaya Bali. Seni Bali bukan hanya menginspirasi teknik estetika yang ia gunakan, tetapi juga membentuk pendekatan filosofisnya dalam berkarya.
Gaya Gede Austana memadukan teknik tradisional Bali dengan pengaruh global dari pengalaman langsungnya dalam street art, traditional realism, pop-surrealism, dan lainnya, membentuk metode unik untuk menciptakan komposisi figuratif yang mendalam. Hilangnya kemampuan berbahasa Bali dan Bahasa Indonesia, mendorongnya untuk mempersembahkan seni sebagai pengganti "mantra" penghormatan kepada leluhur dan hal-hal yang sakral. Setiap karya yang ia hasilkan adalah bentuk pertukaran spiritual yang kaya, mengajak pengamat untuk merasakan kehadiran mistis yang ada di ambang kesadaran mereka. Seni ini adalah latihan dalam kebebasan ekspresif, spontanitas, disertai kesabaran dan disiplin diri yang tinggi.
Fokus utama karyanya adalah menghubungkan pengamat dengan kehadiran spiritual dalam setiap lukisan. Melalui warna-warna cerah yang menggambarkan semangat optimisme, ia ingin mengingatkan bahwa kebijaksanaan tradisi masih relevan dan mampu menjadi penuntun di tengah ketidakpastian masa depan. Di tengah kekhawatiran tentang terkikisnya tradisi Bali, Gede Austana menciptakan karya-karya yang tidak hanya memberikan intensitas visual, tetapi juga menumbuhkan pemikiran tentang identitas, semangat kreatif, dan eksplorasi filosofis terhadap keberadaan spiritual manusia.