Suanjaya Kencut (indonesia 1994) is a visual artist working primarily with paintings, sculptures and installations. He derived his inspiration from the traditional Balinese art and modern art installations he grew up surrounded by. The dolls are the main subjects in Kencut's work. He aims to bring them to life by placing them in real-life situations. The dolls seem to live through human emotions, struggles and life joys. The flat backgrounds and bold colour choices give an illustrative feeling to his works yet drive the viewer to envision themselves in the dolls' shoes.

Suanjaya Kencut's works have been shown for the first time in Madrid with VILLAZAN in the group exhibition entitled "In the clouds" alongside Diren Lee and Edgar Plans, and will be on view until 29 February 2024.

1. Do you consider art to be an important part of your life? If yes, why?

I live and grow up in Bali, an island known for its rich arts and culture. Almost every child in Bali has artistic skills, either dance or traditional music. When I was kid,  I often performed Balinese traditional music, and when I was a teenager I learned to carve Balinese crafts which happened to be in the area where I live. And then I tried to study painting at a vocational high school, until I continued on to college and I have applied it until now.

Unconsciously, I have been involved in the world of art for more than half my life, so it has become a lifestyle. The creative process also becomes a medium for expressing the heart and mind, and even becomes a meditation process.

I have been involved in the world of art for more than half my life, so it has become a lifestyle. The creative process also becomes a medium for expressing the heart and mind, and even becomes a meditation process.

2. In all of your paintings, dolls seem to be a central symbol, fully textured and accompanied by patrons. What inspires you in your creative process to incorporate these different textures? What drives you to create these textures and patterns?

Every temple in Bali is decorated with carvings of repetitive Balinese ornaments, and also decorated with a kind of fabric with matching but dominating colors and ornaments, there are also additional beautiful knick-knacks with no less beautiful and varied colors. All these aspects that I often see are the beginnings of the formation of doll characters with various repetitions of various motifs and colors.

3. Looking at your work, it's clear that color permeates all the scenes. Do you consider color as a mere compositional element, or do you intend to evoke specific emotions in the viewer through the use of color?

When I decide to make an expressionless character, that's where the choice of color becomes very important to explain the story of a work that I make. Especially for the background color which makes a work of art more telling and has its own aura from each of my works.

When I decide to make an expressionless character, that's where the choice of color becomes very important to explain the story of a work that I make

4. You frequently talk about the inexpressiveness of your dolls, suggesting that it allows viewers to relate to the characters and imbue them with life. Could you give us more background on the empathetic purpose of your work?

The human eye is often known to be the window to the soul, since it easily divulges information, whether intentionally or otherwise, of the person and their emotional state. In my works, I have chosen to omit said windows and have them replaced with the unassumingly mundane buttons. I want the dolls presented to be innocent and expressionless. I want to present a work that can complement the expression of the audience, not just be specific about me, even though art is born based on the artist's personal experience. Eyes are a reflection of expression that will never lie like windows to one's soul. Buttons are a link between one cloth and another, referring to that analogy. I want my work to connect me with the audience through a common expression that connects when viewing my work.

In my works, I have chosen to omit said windows and have them replaced with the unassumingly mundane buttons. I want the dolls presented to be innocent and expressionless.

5. Throughout your creative process, do you face the challenge of generating new ideas? If so, what strategies do you use to overcome creative blocks?

Even though I consider art to be an important part of life, when it becomes a routine there will be a "bored" point. There are many ways I resolved this situation. I often stay alone, asking myself to find out what I really want to do while I see my artwork in the studio, that's for internal factors, and for external factors, I often spend time with my family to enjoy nature or just to pass the time.