I Ketut Soki

1946 – 2022

I Ketut Soki was among the first students mentored by Dutch painter Arie Smit, who in the 1960s began working with local children in Penestanan, Ubud. Under Smit’s guidance, Soki developed a distinct visual language rooted in the vibrant spirit of Balinese daily life.

He’s also on one of the pioneering members of the Young Artists movement in Bali. The Young Artists style, characterized by vivid colors, dense decorative patterns, and narrative scenes of village life, offered a modern reinterpretation of classical Balinese painting. Soki’s works exemplify this approach, capturing moments of joy, ceremony, and community through a kaleidoscope of color and detail.

Over the decades, Soki’s works have been featured in numerous group exhibitions around the world. These include the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco (1964), the Smithsonian Institution’s Young Artists Touring Exhibitions across the USA (1964–1965), the National Museum in Singapore (1970–1971), East-West Center in Honolulu (1998), Museum Nasional Indonesia in Jakarta (1995), CSIS Jakarta (1996), and the Indonesia-Japan Friendship Festival in Morioka and Tokyo (1997).