An interview with NPAAW, the official artist of Ubud Open Studios 2025
NPAAW created the official 2025 artwork for Ubud Open Studios and we asked him a few questions about his art, his studio and which fellow Balinese artists to keep an eye on.
Can you please introduce yourself?
I am Ngakan Putu Agus Arta Wijaya, also known as NPAAW, I am a Balinese artist who believes that my artworks reflect my views of, experience of and sensitivity towards various issues. I studied Fine Art Painting at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Denpasar. Since high school, I have explored many styles of painting, which today are combined to create surrealistic paintings. My most recent exploration is the idea of space on space - painting beyond the two-dimensional. This involves masking tape and spray paint, resulting in square patterns, plus additional surprises.
How do you describe your current art style?
I developed paintings that used bent animal figures to talk about the length and width of canvases, then I moved to paper cutting and embossing to explore volume along with infinitely blurred spaces. Today I talk about space and compositions with colours and squares, like the pixel indicators on Photoshop as symbols of infinite spaces. I respond to that infinity - what seemed to be empty spaces can be formed into different square sizes with different colours.
Some people might see your work and say ‘that’s not Balinese art’. How would you respond?
Anyone can interpret my artworks into anything and that is not for me to control. Especially these abstract artworks. However, I am brought up with Balinese traditions, my senses and environment are very much influenced by them and today as an adult I am very much involved in the Balinese society. Even though it’s abstract it still has a Balinese breath. Some people see it from the colours, some people see from the intricateness and so on.
What's something about your creative process that would surprise people who only see the finished work?
The audience’s and my own experience is no different when seeing the finalized artwork as I have no idea how it will end up. My principle for creating these artworks is to be free yet still complete it step by step. The process of making layers on colours and squares is based on my feelings and intuition. Sometimes I leave some masking tape on just so that the audience gets to experience the process. All the finished ones are actually full of surprises!
What do you think about the current art scene in Bali? Which artists (besides you!) should we be keeping an eye on?
The Bali art scene lately is very unique and vibrant - from Canggu, Sanur, Ubud and more. Lots of younger Balinese artists dig into their roots while executing their expressions away from the Balinese iconography. There are also a lot more new galleries, even many with non-Balinese artists who seem to try to find new opportunities here.
I would recommend keeping an eye on Balinese artists that live within and are very active in the Balinese society, yet still very much involved in the contemporary art scene, exhibiting and all! This is very unique to look at how they divide their time for community life and productively creating artworks at the same time. Such artists are Made Griyawan, I Gede Jaya Putra, Bagus Ari Maruta, and Mangku Muriati.
How would you describe your studio?
There are canvases, acrylic paints, spray paints, masking tapes - nestled in the middle of my family’s Balinese compound at Pejeng - plus I have my assistant to help me create the artworks.
What’s a day in the studio look like for you?
I live daily in Denpasar due to my wife and child’s commitments in the city. So I would come to my studio in Pejeng after my wife left for work and I drop my child off at school. As I reach the studio I start looking at my artwork progressions, making sure which one needs spray painting or taping with my assistant - or even starting a new one!
My studio is where I work full time, pouring my inspirations that I absorb daily. Yet it is also a space for me to take a break from my activities as a human, a father, and part of the Balinese society. A break in the middle of dropping off and picking up my child, also when there are no traditional activities to attend to.