Artist Nyoman Nuarta displays his latest collections in the NuArt Sculpture Park in Bandung, West Java. His artworks talk about his contemplation on various issues in the country.
A female orangutan holds her frightened baby tightly as they try to survive a forest fire that has engulfed their treetop home. Sooner or later, the homeless orangutan will die like the burning woods that she once called home.
Created by renowned sculptor Nyoman Nuarta, the piece sends a strong message about the environmental destruction occurring all over the country and it is one of around 30 new works displayed at his exhibition at the NuArt Sculpture Park in Bandung.
The artworks are displayed not only inside the gallery but also in the outdoor area.
âMost of these works reflect my distress with the current situation,â the 64-year-old sculptor said at the exhibition opening on Thursday evening
He is also concerned about the countryâs judicial system, which he says ideally should be crafted to enable the pursuit of justice, but in reality made justice the most difficult thing to get.
âI have experienced it myself. I am not just making up stories. We have crazy laws,â Nyoman said, referring to the many lawsuits that he was involved in related to the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue project in Bali.
He is trying to see the bigger picture in the various high-profile trials involving the poor.
âHave you seen poor people fighting against the rich? The winner is always surely the rich. We also see the poor fighting against the state,â he said.
His contemplation of these themes inspired him to make a statue called Dewi Zolim, which depicts an angel of death. He took the image of Themis, a goddess from Greek mythology who was known for having soft personality and loving beauty. The goddess is usually pictured wearing a blindfold and carrying a sword in her right hand and a set of scales in her left hand to symbolize objectivity, neutrality and blind justice.
In the statue made by Nyomanâs hand, the image is transformed into a terrifying figure wearing a long cape and hood and carrying a scythe in her right hand and a scale in her left hand. In the artwork, she tramples humans who have been chained under her feet.