GADIS BALI

(Balinese Girl) By S. Yadi K

Supriyadi Kusnun, also known as S Yadi K, grew up in Banyuwangi, Central Java. When he was little, he liked to draw on any surface that he could find, from paper to soil. Unfortunately, his father did not support his love and talent for the arts, as he considers being an artist to be a risky occupation that provides little to no financial security. This thinking is shared by many Indonesian parents who would rather have their children become a government worker or an employee at a corporate office. Nonetheless, Yadi refused to be subdued. Upon graduating high school, he set his mind on becoming an artist and migrated to Jakarta. He was then offered a job by his uncle to work at Majalah Kucica (a children's magazine). While working at Kucica, Yadi met Matius, an illustrator at the magazine company. Matius is an ASRI alumnus, which is an Indonesian art academy based in Yogyakarta. It is from this meeting that Yadi learned the many techniques of creating art.

He stayed for two years at Majalah Kucica before moving to Bali. While there, Yadi met a group of friends that shares his spirit for art. He also joined Sanggar Kamboja, an art and culture studio. Yadi made a living there by selling his paintings. To him, Bali is like his second home, after Banyuwangi. As a result, many of his paintings capture the culture and people of Bali.