In the beginning, Naga Antaboga, the subterranean dragon, protected his daughter, Dewi Sri, within the soil. Hidden beneath the ground, she grew patiently. As a devoted father, he sheltered her, nourished her, and shaped her before she bloomed into a powerful goddess.
The myth doesn’t mention it, but it is easy to imagine Dewi Sri’s primordial form as a simple seed.
Biji I (Seed I) comes from this idea. The work speaks about the symbiosis between soil and plant life. When the burnt clay sculpture is rolled across the earth, a loamy scent is released, and the pressure creates scale-like imprints in the ground, echoing the presence of the dragon Naga Antaboga.
Currently on view at @whitecube HK
Sculpture made in collaboration with the ceramist @gustidalem
Pictures taken by lovely @yohanliliyani 🤍
#rolluntilyoushapethedragon
Gusti Dalem
Gusti Dalem’s practice challenges the long-standing binary between function and expression in the field of craft. His works are born from a persistent questioning of conventions within the discipline of ceramics, and his ideas attempt to navigate and often dismantle these boundaries. With a conceptual and experimental approach, Dalem positions himself within the discourse of contemporary craft, using ceramic not only as material but as cultural and philosophical inquiry. Central to his practice is a profound attention to the materiality
of Balinese clay and its symbolic ties to the island’s cultural worldview. For Dalem, clay is more than substance; it is a vessel of memory, place, and cosmology. His fascination lies in how the Balinese cultural landscape understands earth as a vital element of civilization and how that knowledge can be reactivated through contemporary artistic
languages.
Meet Gusti Dalem, a gifted ceramic artist whose journey began in the heart of a family ceramic tradition. After graduating from the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, he ventured beyond, discovering ceramics’ power to bring joy and meditation.
Join us for “Artist in Dialogue with Gusti Dalem” on Niskala Studio’s Youtube Channel as we explore his creative process and experiments with Balinese raw materials. Take advantage of this inspiring episode!
#niskalastudio #ceramicartist #bali #artistindialogue #curatedbygustra
