This note was written a few days after my return from Bali in January 2013:
Back on my computer in Jakarta after a curious attempt to trace my father the painter's footsteps in Bali - during the 50s and early 60s. It's time to put together all my findings. What started as "I just want to see the village where father might have used to live", became five days of rediscovery, with a series of lucky encounters with Big Names in the Indonesian Contemporary Arts in Bali, one clue that led to another to another, 'site inspections' that required certain degrees of imagination, motorbike trips in the rain, various nasi campur tasting sessions, and long talks about Balinese cultures and history with a community of local artists in the middle of ricefields, which happened to be in the very same village where Eat Pray Love was located. And a surprise reunion with my childhood ‘partner-in-crime’ Noni Andarawati. Cool, yes? ;-) Thank you Neka Museum (found Dad's painting from 1952!); Oom Wayan Sika, Oom Made Wianta, Oom Nyoman Gunarsa and Wayan Wirawan for all the extraordinary stories - and I still can't believe the 97 year old legendary Arie Smit still remembered very well the young Fadjar Sidik in Campuhan. And thank you especially to Gede Sayur and Luden House for supporting on-site this little project of mine. Oom Wardoyo Sugianto for the cool on-the-phone insights when I got stuck. And of course Mami Samic Faried thanks for your blessings. Little sisters Anindita 'Dindiet' Abdullah and Nataya Anindira, let’s go on. More pictures on the way. And next step? Thinking what would be best. Let me know what you think. Silakan kalau punya ide....
