Gusti Komang Ngurah Lanang Men

A self-taught artist with an exceptional talent, Gusti Komang Ngurah Lanang Men, known as La Men, is a permanent resident of Ubud, Bali – a unique, vibrant artist’s community.

Lanang’s career began soon after finishing high school in Negara, west Bali. He was determined to make his way to Ubud, and learnt to paint from visual experiences and observations, living and painting alongside local young talents including the well known artist Anang Kusdario.

Lanang’s early work already had a distinctive character, elongated profiles or silhouettes with strong colour, an exaggeration of reality, where silhouettes have been given a new meaning, a new melody.

In 1993, Jean Pecasse, a Dutch artist and art tutor who visited Bali, identified Lanang’s natural gift and brought him to Holland for a short stay, during which Lanang learnt a new technique and applied a new dimension to his canvas. Much of his subject matter is captured from Balinese daily lives, ranging from temple ceremonies to local community building works. Movements and expressions are purely allegoric, giving the viewers a moment to reflect, as if Lanang lives in the human bodies in his paintings. Through this, Lanang gives a significant space within space, yet through soft curved strokes, the images become slow motion, acting as a mediation of realism.

In 1993, Lanang held a solo exhibition at Piet Hoefsloot, Netherlands followed by annual exhibitions in Ubud, Bali; Alit Gallery in 1994, Sadia Art Gallery in 1995, Lempuyang Art Gallery in 1996, Krisna Gallery in 1999, Nadia Art Gallery in 2000, Garuda Wisnu Kencana in 2001 and Pranoto Gallery in 2002.