Budi Agung Kuswara was born in 1982, in Bali, Indonesia, where he continues to live and work. In 2009 Kuswara graduated with a BA in fine art from the Indonesia Institute of the Arts (ISI) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Budi Agung Kuswara’s artistic focus lies in the exploration of cultural identity and social environment. Kuswara creates works across different media, including painting, photography, and prints.
Budi Agung Kuswara’s paintings are inspired by the Kamasan painting, a traditional Balinese narrative painting style, in the past mainly used to decorate the island’s temples but also houses of the aristocracy. Budi retains the intricacy and delicate linework of this traditional art form in his contemporary works. His paintings explore the treasury of aesthetic and cultural influences on the Indonesian archipelago, marrying these baroque sensibilities with observations on social tensions and dynamics.
In his works, Kuswara often sets his figures against his signature deep blue color, creating works that examine cultural identity and celebrate society and culture while also questioning problems of social reality.
