Ketut Rodja was a genius and famous sculptor from Mas Village, Ubud, Bali (1902 - 1965). He was born into a family of artists. He was close friends with President Soekarno who collected many of his sculptures. Apart from that, the Tropen Museum in the Netherlands also collects his work. The Krishna statue created by Rodja was once used as a master art by President Soekarno and shown to Indian Prime Minister Jahwal Nehru and Indira Gandhi at a state meeting.
Rodja is also known as an art deco pioneer in Bali. Apart from that, he was the founder of the first art gallery in Bali in the 1950s which still exists in Mas Village. He is also an artist who actively contributed to the founding of the Ratna Warta Puri Painting Ubud Foundation and was a member of Pita Maha in 1936. Rodja is close friends with Rudolf Bonnet, one of the founders of Pita Maha. Rodja once served as Chairman of the Pita Maha Mas Village branch which coordinated 12 banjars. He was also active in political movements and was highly respected. His iconic work which is still kept at the Siadja Gallery is an ebony wood sculpture entitled "Ananta Bhoga" (1920). Rodja died (murdered) in the 1965 political tragedy.
Ketut Rodja adalah pematung jenius dan terkenal dari Desa Mas, Ubud, Bali (1902 - 1965). Ia lahir dari keluarga seniman. Ia bersahabat dekat dengan Presiden Soekarno yang mengoleksi banyak karya patungnya. Selain itu, Museum Tropen di Belanda juga mengkoleksi karyanya. Patung Krisna hasil karya Rodja pernah dipakai master art oleh Presiden Soekarno dan diperlihatkan kepada Perdana Menteri India Jahwal Nehru dan Indira Gandhi di suatu pertemuan kenegaraan.
Rodja juga dikenal sebagai pionir art deco di Bali. Selain itu, ia adalah pendiri galeri seni pertama di Bali pada tahun 1950-an yang kini masih ada di Desa Mas. Ia juga seniman yang aktif berkontribusi atas berdirinya Yayasan Ratna Warta Puri Lukisan Ubud dan anggota Pita Maha tahun 1936-an. Rodja bersahabat dekat dengan Rudolf Bonnet, salah satu pendiri Pita Maha. Rodja pernah menjabat sebagai Ketua Pita Maha cabang Desa Mas yang mengkordinir 12 banjar. Ia juga aktif dalam gerakan politik dan sangat disegani. Hasil karya ikoniknya yang kini masih disimpan di Siadja Galeri adalah patung kayu eboni berjudul “Ananta Bhoga” (1920). Rodja meninggal (dibunuh) dalam tragedi politik 1965.
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