To his surprise and delight, Ketut Madra’s learned in 2012 that his life work would receive a much deserved tribute at a retrospective exhibition at the Museum Puri Lukisan, Ubud’s oldest and best-known museum.
“Ketut Madra and 100 Years of Balinese Wayang Painting” placed Madra’s work in the historical context of Bali’s traditional painted art form and included the work of older 20th century painters who taught him directly and whose work was deeply familiar to him.
Many of the paintings and more information on that exhibition and the catalog that accompanied it (with a free PDF in English and Indonesian) are all available at the highlighted links in this sentence, and there are additional links at KetutMadra.com to other aspects of his life and work.
My purpose here is simply to show Ketut Madra’s enjoyment of the evening of 7 October 2013 at the Museum Puri Lukisan when hundreds of Balinese artists and friends of Balinese painting came to honor his life, work, and legacy at the opening of this exhibition.
Left to right, Museum Director Cokorda Bagus Astika; Garrett Kam, then curator at the Neka Museum; Cokorda Ace, then leader of the Ratna Warta Foundation; artist Ketut Madra; David Irons, guest curator of the exhibition; and Professor Adrian Vickers, University of SydneyKetut Madra with his friend Agung Muning of Batuan, chief curator of the Museum Puri Lukisan for the last half of his 40-year career there.Madra receiving congratulations from younger artist friendsMadra with his friend Ketut Sudarsa, fellow painter and owner of the Tebesaya Gallery in PeliatanMadra with Adrian Vickers, University of Sydney professor and author of Balinese Art: Paintings and Drawings of Bali, 1800-2010 and creator of the university’s Virtual Museum of Balinese PaintingMadra with guest curator of the exhibition David Irons and their friend Nyoman Purpa of UbudMadra’s son Madé Berata and his wife Komang on the museum steps before driving the family homeMadra’s grandchildren Wayan and Dégus at the openingKetut Madra left the exhibition before some guests… but very few remained when he took his leave.
Bali Arts 