A 75-year partnership in wood carving between Greece and Indonesia

Greece's Athens At the workshop "Balinese Traditional Wooden Arts on the Hellenes Olive Tree." in Athens on Wednesday, August 21, the Indonesian Ambassador to Greece, Bebeb AKN Djunjunan, stated, "We hope that the Greek community can better understand and appreciate the rich cultural heritage of Indonesia, and strengthen the good relations that have been established over the past 75 years." This art workshop is a part of the "Indonesia Expo 2024" series, which honors Greece and Indonesia's 75-year bilateral relationship.

This event, which is being arranged by the Indonesian Embassy in Athens in partnership with the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Denpasar, brings to life the masterwork, a 2.4-meter-tall wooden sculpture made of olive wood, an iconic symbol of Greece, by two of the best woodcarvers from Bali, I Made Nyoman Sumantra and I Made Nyoman Suparta.

The two Balinese artists will illustrate a Ramayana epic, concentrating on two events that highlight themes of loyalty and friendship. 

"In the Ramayana, there are episodes that illustrate the eternal friendship between Rama and Hanoman, as well as the loyalty between Rama and Shinta, and Hanoman’s devotion to Rama," I wrote in Nyoman Sumantra.

"Like the relationship between Rama and Hanoman, where Hanoman remains loyal to Rama through joy and sorrow," I Made Nyoman Sumantra continued, this artwork expresses the hope that the friendship between Indonesia and Greece will last. Additionally, the artists hope that the world would become aware of the beauty of Indonesian wood carvings through their work.

It is a novel and unprecedented use of olive wood as a carving medium in Indonesia. I Made Sumantra clarified that while olive wood's density and composition differ from plumeria trees in Indonesia, they nonetheless share certain traits that make carving olive wood more difficult.

Currently, the process of cleaning the wood and creating the global model of the sculpture is underway at the Athens School of Fine Arts, Greece’s oldest and most prestigious art institution. The sculpture is expected to be completed and ready for exhibition by the end of September 2024.

Upon completion, the artwork will be symbolically presented by the Indonesian people to the Greek people through the Greek Parliament. The sculpture will be placed in the Parliament building, where it can be enjoyed by the public and serve as a symbol of the strong friendship between Indonesia and Greece.

Support and collaboration from various parties are crucial in making this event a reality. Theon S.A., a company with close cooperative ties with Indonesia, fully supports this collaboration as part of the celebration of the two countries' relations.

As part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of Indonesia-Greece relations, there will also be a contemporary art collaboration between artists from both countries following the carving event. This series of events is expected to further enhance the celebration and strengthen the cultural ties between the two nations.

This event cannot happen without the cooperation and support of many different stakeholders. Theon S.A., a business that has strong cooperation ties to Indonesia, is in complete favor of this partnership as a way to commemorate the two nations' relationship.

Following the carving event, artists from Greece and Indonesia will collaborate on contemporary art as part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of their relationship. It is anticipated that this set of activities will improve the celebration even more and fortify the cultural bonds between the two countries.

Source kemlu.go.id