Sidakarya Dance Mask

by

I Dewa Nyoman Tjita

hand carved and painted wood

I Dewa Nyoman Tjita

Painter, dancer, stone carver and mask maker. I Dewa's artistic achievements are representative of the artistic nature of Balinese culture.  His artistic acts are also acts of faith, dedicated to his community, his spiritual beliefs, and his temple.  It is only in modern times that the Balinese creative traditions have turned toward the commercial, due both to economic necessity, and worldwide recognition of 

Bali as one of the most unique creative cultures in the world. 

This beautiful and meditative female figure is one of many carved by I Dewa at Pura Batuan.  I Dewa has been painting and carving at Batuan temple for more than 50 years.  His figures, relief panels, and paintings can be found throughout the temple, and represent thousands of hours of work and a lifetime of spiritual devotion.  Stone carvers regularly contribute their time and energy to work within the temple.  It is estimated that the average Balinese contributes more than 60 percent of their time and wealth to ceremonies, temple construction and beautification, and other spiritual and religious activities.

I Dewa modeling one of his masks.  Because he is also a veteran dancer and performer, his masks are life-like and expressive, a skill gained from a personal understanding of the nature of the characters he portrays.

Four of I Dewa's sculptures adorn the facade of this temple structure at Pura Batuan.  Bali's moist tropical climate quickly changes the surface of the stonework, first darkening the virgin stone, then covering it in a verdant carpet of mosses, fungi, tiny ferns, and flowering plants.