Wayan Upadana
Wayan Upadana was born in Gianyar, Bali, in 1983. He completed his formal education in the Sculpture Department at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta. During his time as a student, he co-founded GFive Art, a collective of Balinese artists committed to exploring contemporary art discourses through material experimentation. Together, they presented a number of notable exhibitions both in and beyond Bali.
As a sculptor, Upadana’s practice is marked by a multidimensional approach to materials. He works across a wide range of mediums including wood, resin, steel, fibers, found objects, and new media. For Upadana, the choice of medium is never arbitrary—it functions as a vehicle for thought and communication. He treats each material as a specific response to the conceptual nuances of the ideas he seeks to convey, emphasizing that the medium must always be in dialogue with the message it carries.
His artistic vision is deeply shaped by his native Bali, particularly by the social and cultural transformations he has witnessed over the years. Born and raised in an environment navigating the tensions between tradition and modernity, rural and urban life, Upadana channels these complex dynamics into his work. One recurring concern in his recent practice is the fate of pura or Balinese temples, which he sees increasingly vulnerable to unsustainable restorations driven by social aid programs that often prioritize convenience over cultural integrity.
Upadana’s most recent solo exhibition, Misty Myth, was held in 2023 at Orbital Dago, Bandung. Previous solo exhibitions include Memory at Fremantle Art Centre, Australia (2016); Home at Bentara Budaya, Yogyakarta (2014); and Glo-Bali-Sation at Uluwatu Handmade Lace Space, Bali (2014). His work continues to interrogate the intersections of place, identity, and material as they evolve within a rapidly transforming cultural landscape.
Legong: Dancing in Paradise 1/3, 2025
186 cm x 70 cm x 85 cm
Polyester resin, automotive paint
Legong: Dancing in Paradise is a visual reflection on the contemporary condition of Bali—a paradise suspended between tradition and modernity, spirituality and industry.
At the center of the composition is a corpulent Legong dancer, resting in a modern bathtub. This pairing is deliberate: the traditional Balinese dancer, a cultural icon imbued with sacred meaning, is placed within a symbol of urban comfort, consumption, and lifestyle. The juxtaposition creates a visual tension that mirrors the current reality of Bali, where the sacred and the profane are often exchanged in the name of market demand.
The dancer is not performing, not on stage, not for an audience. She is resting—perhaps exhausted from being commodified. In the tourism industry, the dancer’s body is no longer solely a medium of cultural expression; it becomes an object packaged, scheduled, photographed, and sold in glossy catalogues of tropical exoticism. Her body is no longer entirely her own.
By placing the traditional body within a modern space, the work prompts viewers to reflect on how Balinese culture is increasingly shaped by the logic of consumption. The bathtub is not just a site of bathing—it is a symbol of a shifting value system, one that promises comfort while quietly displacing meaning.
This work is not only about the dancer. It is about Bali itself—still dancing, but now within paradox. A paradise for the world, yet gradually estranged from its own soul.
Timeline
2002 - 2012
“G-Five: BLACKBOX”, Danes Art Veranda, Bali, Indonesia
“Jakarta Biennale #14: Maximum city”, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
“Sawen Awak: Cross Culture of Balinese and Foreign Contemporary artists”
Tonyraka Art Gallery, at Jakarta Art District, Jakarta, Indonesia
“Sculpture exhibition: EKSPANSI”, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
“HOMOLUDEN #2”, Emmitan Gallery, Surabaya, Indonesia
“Bali Making Choice”, Galeri Mondecor, at National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta,Indonesia
“G-Five: Medi(a)esthetic”, Tonyraka Art Gallery, Bali, Indonesia
“A Moment to Abstract”, Canna Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia
“SENSUOUS OBJECTS – a duo exhibition with Valasara,” Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“The Object on Sculpture”, Griya Santrian Art Gallery, Bali, Indonesia
“G-Five: I SENSE”, Canna Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia
“Biennale Jogja: Jogja Jamming, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“ArtJog|09: Spacing Contemporary”, Taman Budaya Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“POLI(CHROMATIC)”, Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“SDI NOW”, Tonyraka Art Gallery, Bali, Indonesia
“Launching Project: Invasion of private objects”, IVAA, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“New Sculptures from Jogja”, Tembi Contemporary, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Bali Art Now : Hybridity”, Jogja Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Sanggar Dewata Indonesia Yogyakarta: Reinventing
Bali”, Sangkring Art Space, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“69 Seksi Nian”, Jogja Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Artmosphere Academic”, Jogja Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Shadows of Prambanan”, Jogja Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Belok Kanan Jalan Terus”, Sangkring Art Space, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Dies Natalis ISI XXIII”, Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Tribute to Young Artists,” Sangkring Art Space, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“SAYAP”, Nyoman Gunarsa Museum, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Nisbi”, Gallery Katamsi Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Homage 2 Homesite, Jogja National Museum, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Young Arrows: 40 Emerging Artist of Indonesia”, Jogja Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Melihat Jogja dari Kaliurang”, Ulen Sentalu Museum, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Dies Natalis XXI”, Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta
Sanggar Dewata Indonesia: Having fun”, Langgeng Gallery, Magelang, Indonesia “Lustrum V”, Dies Natalis XX Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Still Life”, Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Open Air”, Candi Borobudur, Magelang, Indonesia
“32 Year of Sanggar Dewata Indonesia”, Gedung Societet Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesiaa
“Outdoor Installation: seni bukan seni”, Indonesian Institute of the Arts
Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Sanggar Dewata Indonesia: Termogram”, Neka Museum, Bali, Indonesia
“Tokoh Dalam Sketsa”, Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2013 - 2025
Aotearoa Art Fair, Represent by Redbase Art, Auckland, New Zealand
REFLEXIVITY, Post-Tradition In Contemporary Art, at Lano Gallery, Ubud, Bali
MASTRY, at Tonyraka Gallery, Ubud, Bali
Melbourne Art Fair’ Represent by Redbase Art, Melbourne Australia
Pameran ‘Arung”at Cans Gallery Jakarta
Artsubs, at Posbloc Surabaya
The Path of Silence, Labyrinth Art Gallery, Bali
Pressing Forward:A Journey Through 3 Years of Devfto at Titik dua Ubud, Bali
KALA MANAWA KALPA di ARMA Museum Ubud, Bali
ART JAKARTA Represent by Redbase
Sydney Contemporary Represent by Red Base
Art Sydney, at Carriageworks Sydney, Australia
Art Moment Jakarta Represent by Puri Art Gallery
EBB AND FLOW: Contemporary Indonesian Sculpture from Konfir Kabo Collection at Ballarat Art Gallery, Australia
Repurposing: Paradise by Nonfrasa Gallery at Amandari Ubud, Bali
Trajectory Perception at Tonyraka Galllery, Ubud, Bali
Aotearoa Art Fair with Redbase Art at Auckland, New Zealand
Cross of the Matter at Redbase Art Sydney, NSW, Australia
Distance, Orbital Dago at Sika Gallery, Ubud, Bali
Transcendence, Puri Gallery at pacific Place Jakarta, Indonesia
YAA #8 SDI X SDI DI Sangkring Art Space Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Art Moments Bali, Bersama Art Society di Intercontinental Hotel, Bali, Indonesia
“Somatic Sculpture”, Jagad Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia
“Tarung Grafis”, Artsociates, Bandung, Indonesia
“Erotika”, Sika Gallery, Bali, Indonesia
“MANIFESTO VIII: TRANSPOSISI”, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
“Sanggar Dewata Indonesia Bali: Sekala - Skala”, at Tonyraka Art Gallery, Bali,Indonesia
“NEOPITAMAHA: /tradition [in] translation/”, Lanö Art Project, at Titik Dua Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
“Ubud Print Fair”, Lanö Art Project, at Titik Dua Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
“+62361: Unfolding the current ripple”, Puri Art Gallery x Lanö Art Project, at Titik
Dua Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
"Hidup Berdampingan Dengan Musuh”, Ciputra Artprenuer, Jakarta, Indonesia
“DIS & DAT”, Sika Gallery, Bali, Indonesia
“Bali Megarupa”, Bentara Budaya Bali, Bali, Indonesia
“Bali Residency”, All Saint’s College, Perth, Australia
“ART•BALI 2018 : Beyond the Myths”, AB•BC Building, Bali, Indonesia
“Peaceful Seeker #2 “, Bale Banjar Sangkring, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Peaceful seeker #1”, Tonyraka Art Gallery, Bali, Indonesia
“SPEKTRUM Hendra Gunawan”, Ciputra Artpreneur, Jakarta, Indonesia
“MANIFESTO 6.0 : MULTIPOLAR”, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
“Sculpture by the Sea : Background Briefing Exhibition”, Gallery 25, Edith Cowan University, Australia
“Sculpture by the Sea Cottesloe”, Cottesloe, Western Australia
“Sculpture Triennale: SKALA”, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia “Artist Playground”, Can’s Gallery, at Pullman Jakarta Central Park, Jakarta, Indonesia
“Beyond Baliseering”, Project Eleven, at Fourtyfivedownstair Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
“Contemporary Art from Bali”, Langgeng Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Bumi Masih Berputar”, Langit Art Space Yogyakarta
“Urban Spirituality”, Sudakara Art Space, Bali, Indonesia
“Art-Chipelago”, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
“Genetik”, Arma Museum, Bali, Indonesia
“Sculpture Triennale: VERSI”, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia “Colek Pamor”,
Sanggar Dewata Indonesia, at Arma Museum, Bali, Indonesia
“MANIFESTO #4: KESEHARIAN -Mencandra
Tanda-Tanda Masa”, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
“Bali Return Economy”, Fremantle Art Centre, Freemantle, Australia
“G-Five: PLASTICK ATTACK”, Tonyraka Art Gallery, Bali, Indonesia
“Genome Aesthetic”, Sudakara Art Space, Bali, Indonesia
“Sea + Triennale”, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
“IRONY IN PARADISE”, ARMA Museum, Bali, Indonesia
Education
2008
Bachelor of Fine Art, majoring in sculpture, Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI)Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Solo Exhibition
2025
“Between Strength and Vulnerability” at National Glass Museum, Leerdam, Netherland
2023
“Misty Myth” Orbital Dago, Bandung, Indonesia
2016
“MEMORY”, Fremantle Art Centre, Fremantle, Australia
2014
“Home”, Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
“Home”, Ganesha Gallery, Four Season Jimbaran, Bali, Indonesia
Selected Performance Art
2011
“Positive Thinking”, Danes Art Veranda, Bali, Indonesia
2007
“Tv Ritual”, V-art Gallery, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2006
“Negeri Mimpi”, Art Centre Bali, Bali, Indonesia
2005
“Tradisi Bermerek”, Biennale Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Award
2013
Finalists, Bandung Contemporary Art Award (BaCAA) #3
2011
Finalists, UOB Art Awards – Painting of the Year 2011
Finalists, Bandung Contemporary Art Award (BaCAA) #1
2010
Finalists, Jakarta Art Award 2010
Finalists, Young Sculptor Competition ICC Pandaan
2009
Finalists, Tujuh Bintang Art Award
2006
Best Artwork, “NISBI” Exhibition Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2004
Best Sculpture, Dies Natalis XX and Lustrum V Indonesian Institute of the Arts
Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Best Still Life Painting, Indonesian Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
1999
Best Illustration Painting, SMKN. 1 Sukawati, Bali, Indonesia