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About this Artist

Agung Mayun was born August 28, 1970 in Bali. Even from childhood, he displayed great enthusiasm for the Balinese arts. At age eight, Mayun began carving wood sculptures after school. Mayun's friends would gather around with him, and together the group carved up a storm, eventually began selling their work.

"When I was older, I decided to start painting, but I wanted to do something different," Mayun explains. "All the people in my village do their paintings on canvas or paper, but I wanted to start a new method, and that is what I did," the artist adds, smiling.

"I thought about this a lot, because I just did not want to use canvas. One day at home, I decided to try painting on eggs. I took a duck egg from the kitchen, and began experimenting, to see how it would look painted. The result was quite good - I was so happy!"

Mayun soon began exhibiting his work in Bali at major hotels. When he realized that his egg paintings were a success, he decided to dedicate himself to this medium exclusively.

"I love my culture," Mayun says. "Balinese history and art are fascinating, and I want to keep our legacy alive. For this reason, I love to paint with Balinese themes. I believe my work is truly original. All that I do comes from my imagination, and I like to add lots of details." Mayun enjoys learning, and improving his designs. He says he often spends more than a week painting especially intricate details on a single egg.

Mayun studies Bali's native flora and fauna, and reads all the books he can find on the subject. He paints from this naturalist's perspective, so that his work accurately reflects his beautiful homeland.

"I want to thank Novica for representing my work, and in general for helping keep my culture alive. Thank you."