Supena was born on 12 January 1970 and inherited his artistic talents from his father, I Ketut Muja, a sculptor from Sukawati. Since he was a small child, art - particularly sculpting - was part of Supena’s life on a day to day basis. He thus came to understand art not only as an inextricable part of the social fabric, but also a form of religious devotion. In other words, art was just another part of typical village life and being a typical village kid, Supena became an artist.

Supena helped his father make sculptures, he took part in the communal construction of bade (wooden Balinese cremation towers), he sketched wayang (shadow puppet) scenes. In short, Supena dutifully followed the well-wirn career path of a ‘traditional’ Balinese artist. And when it was time for him to go to high school, he opted to attend the Handicraft Industry High School in Batubulan, with its curricular focus on handicraft production. The school allowed Supena to spend much more time sculpting and drawing than would have been the case at a regular high school. But as well as honing his his artistic skills, it was here that he was alerted to his talent, prompting his decision to continue studying art at tertiary level. “I felt I still needed a formal institution to direct my talent and enhance the skills I had developed,” says Supena, admitting an initial desire to move to Yogyakarta to attend that city’s prestigious Institute of Art. “But then I thought, a school is just a space in which to learn. Success doesn’t derive from whatever school you happened to attend. Success comes from will power and studying and working hard.”

And so it was that Supena stayed in Bali, making the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design at Denpasar’s Udayana University the space in which he continued to learn about painting. While the courses he took taught him about art theory, painting was an extra-curricular activity. After class, Supena was busy experimenting with a number of techniques and methods as he sought an individual style, talking to friends who had graduated from the Yogyakarta Arts Institute, and regularly attending exhibitions. It was during these years that Supena came into contact with those who have most influenced the style that he has since adopted. “I have to admit that it was very difficult for me to avoid being influenced by other painters in those formative years,” says Supena, naming Nyoman Erawan as one Balinese painter with whom he is particularly impressed. Indeed, Erawan’s influence is clearly evident in a number of Supena’s works, as the artist himself confesses. “But in the art world it is perfectly acceptable for an artist to be influenced by others,” he rationalizes. “Eventually, most artists will arrive at a style that is personal and unique.”

Since he graduated from Udayana University, the list of exhibitions in which Supena has participated is an impressive and ever-growing one. Among the most important were the 1998 Earth Day exhibition at Denpasar’s Art Centre, and his solo show at the Chedi Hotel over September - October 1998. And his works are going to be part of another joint show at the Art Center this December. “For me, taking part in exhibitions helps to urge the development of my creativity. I leap at any chance for a show,” says Supena.