| Meet one Balinese sculptor who has YOU to thank for his new creations. |  | | | Nengah Suardana started sculpting from the world he knew. After learning about the vastly different worlds of his customers, his repertoire expanded in ways he could not have anticipated.
For Nengah Suardana, inspiration has always come from his natural surroundings. “From an early age I loved natural things – plants, animals, birds or sea life… In the beginning I made artistic carvings of pets. I started with two things which were close to me, cats and yoga.”
From these early, popular sculptures, his work has developed, while still celebrating the realism and dynamism of the natural world that first captivated him. What changed? His ongoing encounter with his NOVICA customers. He discovered that the animals that populate their daily lives were different from the ones that filled his.
“As I have learned more about the world from my customer reviews, I have discovered that people keep rabbits as pets, that ducks are loved and so my work has grown. Now I have the opportunity to create art subjects incorporating not only Indonesian wildlife but also others from all corners of the earth.” | | | | |  | | | For Nengah, art is a way of reckoning with our place in the world. It is as an expression of his environment, but also of his hope for the future. That we may learn from one another. He says, “I have a special appreciation for the often-neglected dogs that populate all Balinese villages and, when I see the way Western people treat their animals, I hope someday that Indonesians will appreciate their animals as much!”
While his work may change over the years, his artistic integrity does not: “I will not allow anything out of my hands that I would not want to own and display in my own house. It's my highest desire that every piece goes to a home and will give great joy for as long as the owner has it." | | | | | | | | |
