I.G.A Kadek Murniasih

I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih (b. Bali, 1966), widely known as Murni, was a pioneering Balinese artist recognized for her emotionally charged and stylistically naïve paintings that gave voice to themes of female suffering, sexuality, and personal trauma. Her work stands as a singular expression within the broader discourse of contemporary Indonesian art.

Born into a modest family, Murni’s early life was marked by migration and labor. She spent part of her youth in Sulawesi as a domestic worker and later moved to Jakarta, where she worked in a garment factory. In 1987, she returned to Bali and took up work as a silversmith in Celuk. Her personal experiences—including her divorce in 1993, which made her the first Balinese woman to publicly seek a legal separation—deeply informed her artistic voice.

Murni studied painting under Dewa Putu Mokoh, a key figure in the Pengosekan style. Through Mokoh, and later with her life partner Edmondo Zanolini (Mondo), she developed a highly personal visual language. While rooted in the ngeskes—the Balinese method of shading (dusel)—technique of traditional Balinese painting, her works diverged radically in theme and aesthetic, foregrounding spontaneity, eroticism, humor, and psychological depth.

Her art is characterized by flat compositions, vibrant colors, elongated and rounded forms, and a bold reimagining of traditional figuration. Murni’s paintings often depicted female bodies and scenes drawn from personal memory, popular culture, and inner fantasy—challenging gender norms and social taboos with candor and lyricism.

Following her death from cancer in 2006, Murni’s legacy has continued to resonate. In 2016, Merayakan Murni, an exhibition curated by Ketemu Project, commemorated the tenth anniversary of her passing. Her works have since been featured in major exhibitions, collections, and international auctions, affirming her place as one of the most influential figures in modern Balinese art. Through a synthesis of traditional technique and contemporary subject matter, Murni’s oeuvre articulates a radical feminist perspective within the historically male-dominated art landscape of Bali and Indonesia.