When the father of the Chinese family went to live in Jakarta, Murni was sent there with him. There, she no longer attended school, but was employed as a tailor in a garment factory owned by her employer. But she didn't stay long in Jakarta, and by 1987 she was back in Bali. "I asked the family who had employed me in Jakarta and Ujung Pandang to release me on good terms. Until now, we still communicate with eachother, via the phone and letters," said Murni when I interviewed her at Seniwati Gallery in Ubud, as curator Mary Northmore, who sat in on the interview, nodded in affirmation.

On returning to Bali, Murni chose to return to her village in Tabanan and live with her older cousin. But she soon realised that there was little to occupy her there, and on the advice of her cousin she moved to Celuk, a village about 10 kilometers from Denpasar in the district of Gianyar, renowned for its silverwork. Murni was all too happy to heed the advice, and on settliong in Celuk she started working in a silver factory, where she made silver jewelry.

Balinese silverwork consists of a number of established patterns and designs. It is unusual for Balinese silversmiths to stray from these established patterns in creating a piece of jewelry. They usually select one of the ready designs and just start churning out as many pieces as possible. But Murni found this boring, and it was in the Celuk silver factory that her artistic insinct began to germinate. She began coming up with completely new designs for silver jewelry, designs that were unique, artisic and unlike anything else that existed. "I just used my creative instincts to come up with new designs," claims Murni. But she didn't stay working in the silver factory for long. "After two years of silversmithing, the work began to have an adverse effect on my eyesight, so I stopped."

It was also in Celuk that Murni met and fell in love with a man from Payangan, near Ubud. They married soon after meeting eachother. But after several years of marriage, they remained childless and Murni's husband asked permission to take a second wife who was capable of bearing his progeny, so to speak. Unable to accept the request, Murni demanded a divorce. "It's the first time I know of that a Balinese woman has demanded a divorce," asserted Murni, proudly. At first, her request was turned down. But she kept battling, and was finally granted a divorce. "How can he call it love when for three whole years I was left to find my own means with which to live?" poses Murni. "Is there still love if just for the sake of progeny a man turns to another woman? I will never accept that. Never, never, never," repeated Murni, shaking her head emphatically.

Above :
"Murni Imaging"