Nottingham Contemporary

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We are proud to be presenting the first international institutional solo exhibition of the late Balinese artist I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih “Murni”.

Murni (1966 – 2006, Bali) was a prolific and uncompromising artist whose vivid and acutely personal works emerged as an exploration of her subconsciousness, dreams and psyche, acting as a form of therapy or diary. Largely self-taught, Murni gained recognition in the 1990s for her striking depictions of female sexuality, addressing themes of pleasure, sex, power dynamics, trauma, and desire with humour, absurdity and unflinching honesty. This exhibition marks an important step in championing Murni’s legacy to audiences globally.

Feels Strangely Good, Ya? highlights the full force of Murni’s boundless imagination and offers a rare opportunity to experience her work in depth. Alongside seminal works created over the artist’s lifetime, the exhibition embraces the companionship and creative freedom she found amongst a small group of fellow artists including Edmondo Zanolini (Mondo), I Dewa Putu Mokoh (Mokoh) and Dewa Raram (Totol) whose works will also feature in the exhibition.

Murni's fearless commitment to self-expression has cemented her reputation as one of the most transgressive and vital contemporary figures in Southeast Asian art, whose work continues to inspire others. Today, her work resonates more than ever as an unabashed celebration of desire and freedom, the abject, the grotesque, and the unruly potentials of the body and mind. Feels Strangely Good, Ya? invites viewers to find pleasure in the surreal, to sit within the strange, the uncomfortable and the ecstatic and to trust and be guided by the senses.

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