Artist working on a large wooden sculpture. The sculpture depicts a woman with an intricate crown, her eyes closed and a peaceful expression.
Artist working on a large wooden sculpture. The sculpture depicts a woman with an intricate crown, her eyes closed and a peaceful expression.

I Wayan Upadana

Indonesia

I Wayan Upadana is an Indonesian artist born in 1983 in Gianyar, Bali, who lives and works in Bali. He graduated in sculpture from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI), Yogyakarta, in 2008, is a member of the material-focused G-five collective, and is currently undertaking a Master's at ISI Yogyakarta.

Trained as a sculptor, and rooted in Balinese culture yet shaped by Yogyakarta's critical art scene, Upadana reinterprets traditional Balinese forms — Kamasan and Batuan painting, the carving of Mas, Ubud — across contemporary sculpture, painting and installation. His works stage the Balinese principle of Rwa Bhineda, the balance of opposites, setting lightness against weight and transparency against solidity; the human figure, often fragmented or translucent, becomes a metaphor for the negotiation between heritage and modern identity, and for the pressures tourism and globalisation exert on Bali's ritual life. In 2024 he created the sculptural installations for Garin Nugroho's film Samsara.

Upadana solo exhibition Memory was held at the Fremantle Arts Centre, Western Australia (2016), and his work has featured in major institutional exhibitions including the Jakarta Biennale (2011) and the Skala sculpture triennale, both at the National Gallery of Indonesia. He has undertaken residencies at the Fremantle Arts Centre and the National Art Gallery of Langkawi, Malaysia, and has been a finalist for the Bandung Contemporary Art Award, the UOB Painting of the Year and the Jakarta Art Award.