Made Palguna

I Made Arya Palguna (b. 1976, Ubud, Bali) is a prominent contemporary Indonesian artist whose multidisciplinary practice bridges traditional Balinese aesthetics with a critical and highly personal contemporary perspective. Working across painting, collage, sculpture, and installation, Palguna has developed a distinctive visual language rooted in narrative figuration, symbolic imagery, and material experimentation.
Raised in the culturally rich environment of Ubud—long considered the heart of Balinese artistic production—Palguna was immersed in traditional art forms from an early age. He later continued his studies at the Indonesia Institute of the Arts (ISI) in Yogyakarta, where he refined his conceptual approach and engaged deeply with contemporary artistic discourse.
For more than two decades, Yogyakarta served as a vital foundation in shaping his artistic identity. The city’s dynamic and competitive art scene sharpened his sensitivity to social realities, individuality, and artistic expression. His return to Bali marked a significant turning point, reconnecting him with his origins while confronting the rapid transformation of the island’s cultural and social landscape.
Palguna’s work is deeply informed by everyday life—particul...

Graduated from:

1996
BA Visual Arts, Indonesia Institute of Art (ISI), Yogyakarta.

1992
Modern art painting, Senior High School of Art, Denpasar.

Selected solo exhibitions

2013 All That You Can’t Leave Behind, Tugu Kuntskring
2012 The Isle of Bliss, LVS Gallery, Seoul
2011 Avowal, Bentara Budaya Jogjakarta
2010 Revelation, Tony Raka Art Gallery, Bali
2010 Menggali Tulang, Tembi Contemporary Art, Jogja
2008 Ritus Air, Sri Sasanti Jogjakarta
2006 Atap Langit, Kiridesa Gallery, Singapore
2005 Leaf, Kiridesa Gallery, Singapore
2003 Fantasi Tak Berujung, Mondecor Gallery,Jakarta
2001 Premature, Art Centre Denpasar, Bali
2000 Anjing !!!, Bentara Budaya, Jogjakarta


Selected group exhibitions

2014 Indonesian – Thai, Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta
Untuk mu Guru, Widayat Museum, Magelang
Thai – Indonesian, Chalerm Bhrakiat Gallery,
2013 Asean Young Artists, Gallery Lexington, Busan,
Water, Indonesia – Malaysia, Taksu, Kuala Lumpur
2012 Crafting Identity,Cotemporary Ceramic Biennale #2,
Java Spices, Jogja National Museum, Jogjakarta
Animaler, Graceful Arts Gallery, Oklahoma, USA
Korean Tomorrow, Hangaram Art Museum, Seoul
FACO art festival, Seoul
Tanda Mata IX, Bentara Budaya Jogjakarta
Dialogue II, Indonesia-Malaysia, Gaya Art Space, Bali
...