Under the Ray of Purnama

At BIASA Art Space in Ubud, V-Room, supported by Honold Fine Art, is pleased to present its 20th exhibition Under the Ray of Purnama. The group exhibition features three Indonesian painters: Mangku Muriati, Naomi Samara, and Agni Saraswati.

Purnama is derived from the Sanskrit word Purnima, meaning full moon. The curatorial foundation of the exhibition is a modestly sized painting by Mangku Muriati: Manusia Rembulan (Moon People) from 2015. The painting depicts four female figures dancing around a central moon. For Mangku Muriati, a priestess from the ancient Balinese village of Kamasan, Purnama, or lunar peak, is a significant, recurring event in daily life. It is a time to pray and contemplate, a practice that also plays an important role in her art.

There is something enigmatic about the moon. It evokes a special atmosphere, reflecting a soft, subtle energy. According to Muriati, the radiant full moon symbolizes inner beauty equivalent to kemuliaan, the Indonesian word for dignity. Beauty essentially is beyond physical appearance; it is another word for dignity.

Never having exhibited together before, and despite cultural, stylistic, and artistic differences, the three artists in this show share a similar attitude in projecting and animating personal narratives in their paintings. Under the ray of purnama our liberated imagination floats freely. Fairy tales transcend reality, and real events turn into myths. This is the moment when stories and history merge into collective memory and, in this case, paintings. (FE 03052025)

Mangku Muriati is a Balinese priestess from the ancient village of Kamasan, known for its Kamasan-style painting tradition. In addition to traditional training from her father, the legendary painter Mangku Mura, she received academic training in art at the Udayana University, Bali. Mangku Muriati is participating in Sharjah Biennale 2025 in UAE with her paintings this year.

Naomi Samara was born and is rooted in Sanur, Bali. She splits her time between Bali and Berlin. Coming from a highly artistic environment, she received her art training and gain experience internationally. She has lived in many countries and, from an early age, has been exposed to a variety of cultural landscapes that have shaped the autonomous character of her artistic approach.

Agni Saraswati next to her studio practice, is a lecturer at the art institute ISI in Yogyakarta. Very active in her native city Yogyakarta, Saraswati also takes inspiration across the national border from artists like a.o. Otto Dix, Daniel Richter and Isabel Rower. For many years the manager of Studio Kalahan, studio of renown Indonesian artist Heri Dono, this experience in Saraswati’s own words has positively influenced her conceptual processes.

V-Room is an initiative started by artists Fendry Ekel and Marco Cassani out of necessity in response to the global pandemic of 2020 in Ubud. V stands for virus, vaccine, and victory. V-Room’s aim is to be the software that keeps the creative heartbeat vibrating, signaling hope through contemporary art in every circumstance of life, from artist to artist.