Sandstone sculpture, "Buddha's Blissful Sleep"

On behalf of myself and the other Sandstone Carvers of Singapadu, we thank you for your interest in our beloved culture!

My name is Wayan Kandiyasa and I was born in 1964 on the island of Bali. I come from a family of artists — my father is also a stone carver, who was taught by my grandfather.

I make statues and relief work from a stone called paras. I like both traditional and modern styles. I first started to learn at the age of nine with my father, beginning with cleaning and finishing the statues he would make. At the age of thirteen, I could already make small statues on my own. At that time, and even now, my inspiration comes to me when I'm most relaxed and quiet. An image comes to me and I start to work as calmly as possible, trying to keep the original idea as simple as possible.

I like very much to working with you, because now I can help support my family and concentrate on my work with the confidence that it is being promoted outside of Indonesia by people who understand and care about me as an artist.

The artistry of Wayan Kandiyasa has been featured in the Los Angeles Business Journal.