I Ketut Budiana (1950)

A mythical scene with Hanoman facing a demon

indistinctly signed and annotated 'Kt Budiana / Padantegal Ubud / Bali' (lower right); annotated and dated 'Budiana 2011' (written on the reverse)

acrylic on canvas, mounted on cardboard, 74x94 cm

Provenance: -Collection Dr Hedi Hinzler, Leiden, the Netherlands.

The painter I Ketut Budiana executed this painting in a modern, three dimensional wayang style. The sky is covered with thick clouds, upper right monkey Hanoman flies. Lower left is an opening in the cloud pack. In it is, vaguely, visible the head of a demon with large bulbous eyes and tusks, on the left are small, ordinary monkeys that attack the demon. This performance is probably a hint to the fights between the monkeys and Kumbhakarna, Rawana's brother. The scene on the canvas is taken from a story of the old Javanese Ramayana.