I Gusti Nyoman Darta is an artist whose practice is deeply rooted in Ubud’s cultural life. Born around 1951 in Banjar Taman Kelod, Ubud, Pak Darta grew up surrounded by the traditions of the palace, rituals, mythology, and various forms of Balinese art.
Darta’s name is also known beyond Bali through his illustrations for the book Time, Rites and Festivals in Bali (2013), written by Jean Couteau and Georges Breguet. The book features Darta’s illustrations depicting various concepts of time, calendars, rituals, and festivals in Balinese life.
The relationship between I Gusti Nyoman Darta and his grandfather, the legendary Balinese painter I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, is an important part of Darta’s artistic journey and the continuing history of Ubud’s art. Darta is Lempad’s grandson, though their relationship was not shaped through formal artistic training.
He has exhibited internationally, including the monographic exhibition I Gusti Nyoman Darta: Rites et Festivals à Bali at the Musée du quai Branly–Jacques Chirac in Paris in 2023, featuring a selection of his drawings created between 1980 and 2012.
Bahasa Indonesia
I Gusti Nyoman Darta adalah seniman yang perjalanan artistiknya tumbuh dari kedekatan yang kuat dengan kehidupan budaya Ubud. Lahir sekitar 1951 di Banjar Taman Kelod, Ubud, Pak Darta tumbuh dalam lingkungan yang dekat dengan kehidupan puri, ritual, mitologi, dan berbagai bentuk kesenian tradisional Bali.
Nama Pak Darta juga telah dikenal melampaui Bali melalui karya ilustrasinya untuk buku “Time, Rites and Festivals in Bali (2013)”, yang ditulis oleh Jean Couteau dan Georges Breguet. Buku tersebut menghadirkan ilustrasi Darta untuk menjelaskan berbagai konsep waktu, kalender, ritual, dan festival dalam kehidupan Bali
Hubungan I Gusti Nyoman Darta dengan seniman legenda Ubud, I Gusti Nyoman Lempad merupakan bagian penting dari perjalanan artistiknya sekaligus dari kesinambungan sejarah seni Ubud. Pak Darta adalah cucu Lempad, namun hubungan keduanya tidak berlangsung melalui pendidikan seni formal.
Pernah berpameran di Paris, sebuah monografis I Gusti Nyoman Darta: Rites et festivals à Bali di Musée du quai Branly–Jacques Chirac, Paris, pada 5 Mei–11 September 2023, yang menampilkan sekitar karya gambar Darta yang dibuat dalam rentang 1980–2012.
Photo by Anggara Mahendra
