I Made Widana
I Made Widana
Keseimbangan (Balance)
Ottoman Gallery
Artist Statement
Tri Hita Karana is a Balinese philosophical concept that outlines the interdependent relationship between humans and the natural and divine worlds. In today’s social, political and ecological environment, we are reminded daily of the importance of living by this philosophy. These three elements are interrelated, and we must attain and retain balance between the seen and unseen worlds so that all can thrive. When the world was created, it became the responsibility of humans to care for nature, because without a thriving natural world, humans cannot continue to exist.
This musical piece is performed on three traditional Balinese instruments: suling gambuh (one-meter-long, low-register bamboo flute), gamelan semar pegulingan (gangsa pamade), and gender wayang. Conceptually, each instrument has its own character. Suling gambuh has a quiet, peace-evoking character; gamelan semar pegulingan (gangsa pamade) represents imagination inspired by the natural world; and the interplay between gender wayang and semar pegulingan represents the activities of humans. The piece begins calmly, peacefully, imagining the natural world in balance, followed by the emergence of complex human activities, and ends in harmony and balance re-established between the natural and human worlds.
This piece begins in a more traditional Balinese musical nature and moves towards incorporating more modern elements as the piece develops. The inspiration for this piece was guided by the peaceful, contemplative atmosphere and energy of the Ottoman Gallery. The atmosphere of this gallery, including its color scheme and ornamentation, transports me back to the source of my artistic inspiration, to Bali, where I feel a state of calm and harmony.
Mahalo to the UHM Center for Southeast Asia Studies for the use of the Gamelan Semara Pegulingan Taksu Gitaning Shanti gangsa pamade.
I Made Widana
I Made Widana earned a BA in Balinese Traditional Music from Institut Seni Indonesia, Denpasar (Indonesian Arts Institute, Denpasar). He is a professional musician, dancer and composer, and is currently a lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Dance at University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. When in Bali, he teaches traditional gamelan music in various villages and at a number of formal music and dance studios. As a founding member and musician in the Bali-based Çudamani performing arts ensemble, Widana has participated in tours to the United States, Japan, and Europe.
Since 2009 Widana has been teaching the UHM community-based Balinese performance ensemble with both music and dance programs. Widana has presented many community outreach programs under the auspices of the East-West Center Arts Program, the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts (MOCA), and the UH Mānoa Outreach Statewide Cultural Extension Program (SCEP). In 2012 he wrote and performed original music for a unique puppet performance, “Journey to the East: Ruminations on a Sixteenth-Century Chronicle,” by Hourglass Theatre, that was premiered at Shangri La.
— I Made Widana
