Gusti Dalem
Gusti Ngurah Agung Dalem Diatmika
(B. 1996, Bali)
Known as Gusti Dalem, this emerging Balinese artist is recognized for his deep sensitivity to ceramic as both material and medium. Born into a family of traditional ceramic artisans, Dalem’s early exposure to clay laid the genealogical foundation for his artistic journey. In 2015, he entered the Institute of the Arts Indonesia (ISI) Denpasar to formally study ceramic craft, a decision that deepened his relationship with the material and affirmed his commitment to exploring its expressive possibilities.
Gusti Dalem’s practice challenges the long-standing binary between function and expression in the field of craft. His works are born from a persistent questioning of conventions within the discipline of ceramics, and his ideas attempt to navigate and often dismantle these boundaries. With a conceptual and experimental approach, Dalem positions himself within the discourse of contemporary craft, using ceramic not only as material but as cultural and philosophical inquiry.
Central to his practice is a profound attention to the materiality of Balinese clay and its symbolic ties to the island’s cultural worldview. For Dalem, clay is more than substance; it is a vessel of memory, place, and cosmology. His fascination lies in how the Balinese cultural landscape understands earth as a vital element of civilization and how that knowledge can be reactivated through contemporary artistic languages.
His latest series explores the Nyegara Gunung ritual, an essential Balinese cosmological ceremony celebrating the sacred union between sea (segara) and mountain (gunung), which together symbolize the dual generative forces of life. In this body of work, Dalem constructs seascapes framed in hand-shaped clay forms. Hundreds of hand-pressed clay pieces form rich textures reminiscent of coral reefs and ocean currents, fragile yet bold landscapes that invite sensory reflection.
In 2022, Dalem held his first solo exhibition Kisah 8000 Kepal Tanah (The Tale of 8000 Clumps of Earth) at Uma Seminyak, Bali. The show was the culmination of his research into the properties of Balinese clay and a meditation on how traditional materials can speak to contemporary ideas. His recent work was also featured in Trajectory of Perception: Chronicles of Balinese Contemporary Art at Tony Raka Gallery, Ubud in 2024, signaling his growing presence in the island’s contemporary art landscape
Wave of Clay, 2025 (1)
180 x 80 cm
Teracotta clay
Wave of Clay, 2025 (2)
125 x 100 cm
Teracotta clay
Mountain and Sea
The mountain and the sea are a unified entity that, although seemingly separate, are deeply interconnected. The mountain symbolizes the realm above ground, while the sea represents the fluid force that gives birth to waves. For the Balinese, the preservation of both land and sea is a sacred duty—an ecological harmony upheld through generations and embodied in ceremonial practices such as Ngaben or Resigana, where the concept of Hyang Hyang Gunung (spirit of the mountain) plays a central role.
This belief holds that the health of the sea reflects the purity of the land, and likewise, the well-being of the land mirrors the vitality of the sea. Such understanding is not merely ritualistic but rooted in ancestral wisdom passed down through generations—a philosophy of ecological stewardship, long before the term "environmentalism" existed.
In today’s rapidly growing tourism industry, the balance between land and sea faces new challenges. Unstable weather, unbearable heat, and environmental degradation are becoming increasingly apparent. Against this backdrop, I was inspired to capture a memory—a moment of beauty where the ocean, as seen from a highland viewpoint, shimmered like silver waves, evoking the form and movement of light on water.
(1)
(2)
Timeline
2021
Terra (In) Cognita, part of the Nusantara Exhibition at the National Gallery of Indonesia during Pekan Kebudayaan Nasional, Jakarta
New Mind Art Exhibition, group show at Boheme, Pererenan, Canggu, Bali
Aji Toya, with Pasraman Air at Geo Open Space, Kerobokan, Bali
Bali Emerging Artist, Sika Gallery, Ubud, Bali
2022
It’s About Time, group exhibition with CushCush Gallery, Bali
Kisah 8000 Kepal Tana, first solo exhibition at Uma Seminyak Space, Bali
Tilem Kesange, with Yayasan Peduli Setan, Fraksiepos, Bali
Ngejot, collaborative process exhibition with Black Menu, Fraksiepos, Bali
2023
Umah Shibumi, group exhibition by Puri Art Gallery at Art Jakarta Scene
Yesterday I Wrote The Future, Indonesian Art Gallery in collaboration with the Galleries Association of Korea, Cans Gallery
I Am / Materiality, group exhibition by Puri Art Gallery, Titik Dua, Ubud, Bali
2024
Common Beauty II, group exhibition with Nonfrasa, Bali
Trajectory of Perception: Chronicles of Balinese Contemporary Art, Tony Raka Gallery, Bali