Children’s Art Exhibition: Sanur, Bali

Creating is in the blood of the Balinese. It could be creating a beautiful piece of sculpture from wood or stone, weaving a product for sale to tourists, putting brush to canvas to express the beauty of their surroundings or their way of life, or looming cloth or making batik.

Children in Bali are taught the arts from a very early age. The young artists of today show the masterful sense of colour and love of imaginary animals, ordinary village life, and mysterious beasts, as did their forefathers. They also have a grasp of understanding the ocean.

There is an excellent exhibition of children's paintings being held at the Mercure Resort in Sanur in conjunction with Reef Check Foundation Indonesia. The exhibition will run right through the month of July culminating on a celebration day on July 23rd which is National Children's Day.

Exhibition shows children's love affair with marine life

Five year old Namira Putri Imansa has an extraordinary gift for painting, at least for her very young age. Her painting titled Pemandangan Pantai (The Sea View) took first place in the kindergarten category at a recent children's painting competition here.

Namira's painting is one of 30 works being displayed at Mercure Resort, Sanur, as part of Reef Check Foundation Indonesia’'s campaign to raise awareness about the importance of protecting and preserving the country's rich underwater and marine life.

The exhibition which runs until the end of July, is also aimed at celebrating National Children's Day on July 23.

"I like playing on the beach searching for beautiful shells but I am afraid of big waves" Namira said.

Her talent is hereditary. Coming from an artistic family - her grandfather, father, mother and brothers are all painters - Namira, a student at TK Aissyiah in Denpasar was introduced to the art world early on.

The 30 paintings made by Balinese children between the ages of four and 12 were selected at a painting competition for Earth Day which was organized by the Reef Check Foundation, the community of Sanur and the province of Bali.

The works depicting white beaches, palm tress, mangrove forest, diverse and colorful fish and reefs, dolphins, whales, fisherman and divers, capture the richness of Indonesia's marine and coastal lives.

"It was surprising that they showed incredible interest in the coastal and marine ecosystem. Their knowledge of marine subjects was clearly reflected in their paintings" said

Naneng Setiasih the foundation's chairperson.
Every picture tells a story: which animals and plants live underwater and why; the diverse roles of the ecosystem and even conservation messages.

"Most of the judges found it extremely hard to choose the best 18 out of more than 100 contestants" Naneng said.

According to Primadi Tabrani a professor at the Bandung Institute of Technology the children's works reflect the creativity of the Balinese people.

Indonesia is an archipelago of some 17,000 islands. The majority of people live in coastal areas.

"Children with high creativity and sensitivity are our best hope. We need more than just knowledge and rational thinking to manage our ocean, sea and coastal area. Indonesia's islands are widespread with wide gaps in development" he said.

There are many threats facing today's world and some, namely global warming, cross-boundary pollutants and migratory species, require global action he said.

"Without creativity it is almost impossible to address these issues."

The challenge is to teach children about coastal areas, the ecosystem and its management by encouraging children to be more creative he said.

Nine year old Hanna Debora was inspired to paint Melepas Penyu (Releasing a Turtle) after taking part in a workshop.
The second-grade student at SDK Harapan Christian School in Denpasar was given the chance to see baby turtles up close in the workshop on protecting turtles.

She was taught how to paint by her mother.

Marine Life, a painting by Made Mudarahayu, won the fourth to sixth grade category of the competition.

For many Balinese children the sea is an integral part of their lives.

I Made Sudibia, a veteran painter and long time resident of Sanur area expressed happiness at seeing fresh talent emerge so naturally.

"Such a competition should be held regularly to search for fresh ideas and young talent" Sudibia said.

He further said that technically most of the works in the contest were very impressive. "The works reflect the worlds of their imaginations. They are filled with colors, cheerfulness, a sense of optimism and honesty. They (the paintings) look extraordinary even in the eyes of established painters" he said.

Most of the winning works applied "simple" decorative styles in which the entire canvas was filled with interesting objects painted in striking colors.

Sudibia said he saw a lot of potential in the children.

"They must receive further education and training to sharpen their skills." However, he said both parents and teachers should allow them to explore their own imaginations rather than pushing them to meet adult expectations.