Handmade Mermaid Dog Wood wall sculpture (Indonesia)

Since joining you in 2004, I have also grown in my realization of how we as Balinese fit into the whole world picture. Before, I was like a lot of fellow Balinese people in that my thinking was centered on Bali only, as if Bali was the world! Now I realize more how we are just a piece of the puzzle. When I read your comments about my work, I'm filled with a great sense of well-being and pride to be able to create something that others value. After all, in Bali, we are a mere spot in a vast ocean, and I realize this now when I see responses from all over the world! Often I look on a map or a globe to see where my shoppers live. It's amazing that my carvings are now in so many various places, and I am here. It is almost as if part of me has traveled to those other places and is now residing there.

Original Artisan Story

From an early age I loved natural things - plants, animals, birds or sea life. I have a special appreciation for the often neglected dogs that populate all Balinese villages and, when I see the way Western people treat their animals, I hope that someday Indonesians will appreciate their animals as much!

When I was still quite young, I knew I had an ability to translate nature into artful things of beauty. Because my life has always centered on animals and other natural themes, I use these as my subjects, usually interpreted in tropical woods. Now I have the opportunity to create art subjects incorporating not only Indonesian wildlife but also creatures from all corners of the earth.

Although I have no formal art training and work purely from my own inspiration and intuition, I know what looks good and what doesn't look right in a carving. I particularly want to create wildlife and other animal themes in an exact, realistic and original way. Each piece is carefully created with this realism in mind. I will not allow anything out of my hands that I wouldn't want to own and display in my own house. It's my highest desire that every design go to a home and give great joy for as long as the owner has it.