Kiswara's mystical gift

Alpha Savitri, Contributor, Denpasar, Bali

Every painter has his own special mark reflecting their source of inspiration.

For Balinese artist Kiswara, his works reflect his spiritual belief, a metaphysical touch that can be found not only in the themes of his works, but also in his extraordinary brushwork.

His paintings, on display alongside the works of other six painters at an ongoing exhibition at the Nikko Bali Resort and Spa here, are totally filled with magical nuances.

Although Kiwara received no formal training, he seems proficient in mastering his brush, mixing colors to create supernatural or mystical objects out of his imagination.

The rare talent of the painter was discovered several months ago by I Made Yudia Putra, an organizer of painting exhibitions.

At first it was difficult to persuade him to take part in an exhibition as Kiswara considers his paintings the result of a supernatural force and he had to ask god Shiva's permission before participating in such an exhibition. But finally, Kiswara said, god Shiva granted him his request.

For Kiswara, his paintings are the manifestation of his dreams in reality.

The artist claims he is often visited by spirits -- followers of god Shiva or even god Shiva himself -- who takes him to fly and fight enemies before returning victorious. Sometimes he is taken by him to watch tabuh rah, cockfighting at a temple.

When he wakes up, he puts his dream on to the canvas, following supernatural voices that urge him to immediately paint what he has seen in the dreams. The result can be seen in his works, such as Topeng Sidakarya I, Topeng Sidakarya II (The Mask of Sidakarya I and II), Tabuh Rah, 3 Bidadari (Three Angels), which are all imbued with symbols of god Shiva, whom he worships.

Kiswara has been fond of painting since childhood and was taught by the late painter, Antonio Blanco.

However, until around a year ago, he had never been seriously involved in painting.

He explained that it was the hand of god that assisted him in selecting and mixing the colors, dark gradations and somber colors and the rendering of magical objects.

"When I pour out what I see in my dreams, I feel the presence of god watching and helping me in my work," said the father of two who prepares offerings before starting to paint.

In his daily life, Kiswara is widely known as a rangda (symbol of evil power) dancer in the temple in his hometown in Jembrana regency in Bali.

In Bali, not everyone can become a rangda dancer at the temple. The selection is done through a spiritual process.

When Kiswara, born on Jan. 21, 1965, was still in senior high school, the temple priest, possessed by a supernatural power, appointed him as the dancer. Hence he was officially appointed as the follower of god Shiva, something he had never imagined before.

His mastery of dance is visible in Topeng Sidakarya, which is filled with symbols of god Shiva. To Balinese Hindus, Topeng Sidakarya is a performance filled with religious significance and is always performed to complete five important ceremonies (Pancayadnya) in Bali: Dewayadnya, Pitrayadnya, Manusayadnya, Resiyadnya and Butayadnya.

The unique thing is, whenever he is asked to perform the dance, unknowing a desire to paint emerges from within him. Therefore, Kiswara always brings along his brushes and paint. And during the show, he paints as well, sometimes not aware of what he is doing as he is in trance. When he becomes conscious, the painting, although still unfinished, stands in front of him. Later, Kiswara only has to apply some finishing touches to it.

This phenomenon might be hard to comprehend. But in Bali, there's a belief that some artists are endowed with taksu, a gift from God. Famous artists are known to make use of taksu so that their work is admired.

Kiswara and six other painters are exhibiting their works at Nikko Bali, Resort and Spa until Oct. 31.