bali and java

Two women beat an intricate cadence on the gendang, the large drums present in the gamelan orchestra of Bali and Java. Dressed in the traditional costume worn for performances, they are serious and skilled musicians. Purwadi works in oil on canvas to create this beautiful and expressive portrait.

Intent on her work, a Balinese woman carefully arranges leaves, flowers and fruit in a banten. An offering to the gods, creating banten is an essential part of worship for Hindu women in Bali and Java. This is an act of devotion for her, and an almost everyday event. Working in oil on canvas, Purwadi depicts his subject in an elegant and beautiful painting.

Inspired by the traditional Gandrung Jaran Goyang dance from the East Java province, Mohammad Arifin presents this colorful acrylic painting in red, yellow, green. "Gandrung Jaran Goyang tells a story about how a man and woman fell in love," says Arifin, who uses splatters of paint in warm hues to depict the magic of love and attraction through dance.