I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih

(b. 1966-2006, Bali, Indonesia)

IGAK Murniasih’s vision is often labelled as disturbing and deeply biographical, yet there is also humor and pathos that we can see throughout her paintings. Born in Tabanan Bali, Murni’s prolific artistic career was cut short due her illness and subsquently death in 2006.

A mostly self-taught artist, Murni was not particularly constraint by academic conventions in her painting. While she also learnt her technique through her mentor, I Dewa Putu Mokoh yet she developed her own style that marked her as one of the important women artists in Indonesia. Both her artistic style and her willingness to tackle difficult subject matter such as pleasure and sexuality, has inspired other young female Balinese artists to pursue a career in visual arts.