Mangku Muriati
Mangku Muriati
(b. 1966, Kamasan, Bali, Indonesia)
Mangku Muriati was born in the village of Kamasan, a historic center of classical Balinese painting. She is the daughter of the respected painter Mangku Mura, best known for his ceiling paintings at Kerta Gosa in Klungkung. In addition to being an artist, Muriati is also a pemangku (temple priest), a role that grants her access to a wide range of sacred texts, which deeply inform her artistic practice.
Her work builds upon the classical visual language of Wayang Kamasan painting—traditionally based on epics such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana. However, with a deep understanding of the Kamasan painting tradition, Muriati has grown critical of its stagnation in recent years. Few artists today, she notes, have dared to venture beyond established narratives. In response, she has introduced a new perspective, treating Kamasan painting not as a static tradition, but as a living visual language capable of addressing contemporary issues.
Through her paintings, Muriati has tackled subjects such as women’s emancipation and the COVID-19 pandemic, using traditional techniques to comment on modern realities. Her work demonstrates how time-honored forms can be a powerful vehicle for contemporary expression and cultural reflection.
Most recently, she participated in the Sharjah Biennale in 2025, one of the most important global art events. Her works have been collected by major institutions including the Australian Museum (Sydney), the Ibsen Museum (Denmark), as well as private collectors and religious institutions in Italy, Paris, Japan, and India.
V Monumen, 2025
78 x 121 cm
Warna Bali on traditional canvas
V Monument is part of Mangku Muriati’s Covid series, revisiting a global crisis that unfolded nearly five years ago. Set during the Covid-19 pandemic, the work captures various moments and activities in which all facets of life were abruptly halted by the onslaught of an invisible yet omnipresent threat. Scenes of returning travelers, paused sporting events, constrained ceremonial practices, and the shift to home-based learning are rendered through the meticulous iconography of Wayang Kamasan, a traditional Balinese visual language.
Through these images, the artist reflects on how society was forced to adopt new norms while maintaining a thread of cultural continuity. The title V Monument stands for Victory Monument—a phrase that commemorates humanity’s resilience in the face of a global tragedy. For Mangku Muriati, this work is a tribute to the collective endurance and adaptation during the pandemic. The memories and habits formed during that time are now etched into a visual monument, a lasting testament to how humanity survives, adapts, and recovers—even in its most difficult moments.
Timeline
1990
Obtained Bachelor of Fine Arts from Udayana University, Bali
2019
Balinese Masters: Aesthetic DNA Trajectories of Balinese Visual Art”, Art Bali- ABBC Building, Nusa Dua-Bali
2023
“Year of the Tiger” Solo Exhibition at Biasa Art Space, Ubud, Bali
“Rumah Ibu”, Group Exhibition curated by Futuwonder at Purga Art Space,
Ubud-Bali
2021
Conversations with the Future”, collaboration with Futuwonder, Jakarta Biennale, Jakarta
“Bali Kandarupa - Danu, Hulu, Manu”, Bali Art Festival XLIII, Denpasar-Bali
2022
“Pepunden. On Women, Power and Traditions”, Duo Exhibition Mangku
Muriati & Empu Ika Arista, Biasa Art Space, Ubud-Bali
2024
“Face To Face”, Group Exhibition at Biasa Art Space, Ubud, Bali
2025
“Under the Ray of Purnama”, group exhibition at Biasa Art Space, Ubud, Bali
“Rwa Bhineda”, group exhibition at Sun Contemporary, Bali
“Sharjah Biennial 16”, Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Awards:
Institut Kesenian Jakarta (2009)
ISI Denpasar (2013)
Titian Art Space (2017)
Dinas Kebudayaan Provinsi Bali (2019)
Artwork collected by major institution:
Australian Museum (Sydney), Ibsen Museum Denmark
Collected by private collectors in Italy, a Church in Paris, Japan, and India.