Nyoman Wirdana, *Ganesha Samsara*, 2011, oil on canvas (Larasati Auctioneers)

Balinese artist Nyoman Wirdana’s mystical artworks draw inspiration from the cosmos, nature, and mythology, freely embracing the spiritual. After all, things do not need to be seen to be and the spiritual - whatever names and stories we give it - is as much a part of us as the physical.

Wirdana’s Ganesha Samsara (above) reflects on the Hindu concept of death and rebirth (samsara) picturing Ganesha, the God of Wisdom and the Remover of Obstacles (and my personal favourite) just beyond the veil, the spherical cycles of reincarnation swirling in the foreground and converging at a point in the palm of his hand.

Nyoman Wirdana, *Borobudur Awakens Amidst Fireflies*, 2014-2016, oil on canvas

Wirdana’s colourful, textured, densely populated and detailed paintings often consist of repetitive patterns and forms that make me think of fractals and mandalas and have a similar meditative effect. His symbolism, extraordinary level of detail, and the harmony of geometry and colour have a mesmerising effect with ever more shapes and symbols emerging to be deciphered and enjoyed.

In Borobudur Awakens Amidst Fireflies (above), Wirdana employs Buddhist narrative against the background of the ancient Buddhist temple of Borobudur in Java. The temple is an architectural wonder whose stupas reflect the three realms of Buddhist Cosmology.

He describes his paint layering technique - which requires patient and meditative, methodical application - as being influenced by Impressionism, Pointillism, Cubism, Feng Sui, and Art Deco but at the end of the day, despite the laborious process, “being all about flow.”

Nyoman Wirdana, *Lagu cinta untuk Ibu* (Love Song for Mother), 2010, acrylic on canvas

He says that whereas sixty percent of his composition is carefully planned in advance, he allows the remainder to unfold as the painting progresses. This element of surprise, where the canvas is allowed to express itself without being suffocated by predetermined constraints, is something I often hear artists across the world express in different ways.

Wirdana’s textured technique sometimes uses pointillism to highlight colours and textures, as in his flowers works below.

Nyoman Wirdana (b. 1976, Bali) studied painting under the tutelage of several teachers in Java and Bali, where he received a solid foundation in landscape, portrait and still life painting. He has exhibited in Indonesia and Paris.

Geometry of Flow