Putu Sutawijaya (born November 27, 1971) is an Indonesian artist known for
his visual art works exhibited in various cities across Indonesia. His
achievements have earned him numerous awards. One of his notable works
is the illustration for the novel Anak Bajang Menggiring Angin by Sindhunata.
From a young age, Putu was already familiar with the art world, particularly
visual arts. He was able to sell illustrations of Indo and Oriental faces as
novel covers to local publishers. While studying at the High School of Fine
Arts (SMSR), he sold traditional Balinese paintings at the Sukawati Art
Market. After graduating from SMSR in 1991, he continued his education at
the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta, majoring in Painting
(1991-1998).
He consistently created new works that differed from the mainstream of the
time. One of these distinctions was the use of male figures in his artwork.
Another hallmark of his work is the frequent use of Indian ink. One of his
pieces, Looking for Wings (2002), sparked conversations among art
enthusiasts both domestically and internationally after it was sold at a
Sotheby's auction for a remarkable price. Art critics noted that the event,
often referred to as the "May 2007 Incident," triggered an explosion of
contemporary Indonesian art in Southeast Asia. Consequently, Indonesia
has been recognized as a new haven for contemporary art, competing with
China and India. Since then, Putu Sutawijaya's name has been among the
top-tier artists in Indonesia.