This stylized sculpture of a praying woman was made by the Balinese woodcarver I Made Runda (1921-1991), who was known for his statues of elegant female figures. The elongated shapes and flowing lines in Runda’s work are characteristic of the Balinese Art Deco style of the 1960s.

I Made Runda was born in Sumampan and learned woodcarving from his teacher Nang Gedar. Runda lived and worked in Kaliungu, Denpasar from 1947. In 1961 he moved his workshop to Sakah, a village between Mas and Batuan, two places where many woodcarvers live. Two of his sons were also woodcarvers.

Runda’s work was also sold at Art Gallery Pandy in Sanur, a popular tourist spot on the coast near Denpasar. This art gallery, founded by the Dutch-Indonesian artist and art dealer Jimmy Pandy, was the place to go for high-quality Balinese art in the 1950s and 1960s. President Sukarno often visited Pandy’s shop for special souvenirs for his state guests or for his own art collection.

Interplay of lines
Runda was one of the first Balinese woodcarvers to sign his sculptures. His name regularly pops up at auctions of Indonesian art. Characteristic of his style is the elegant interplay of lines, which is visible in the long wavy hair along the woman’s back and in the flowing lines on the base of the statue.

His elongated creations often have a tranquil and serene appearance. This also applies to the woodcarving of the praying woman, who is depicted in a typical Balinese prayer position with a flower petal between her fingertips. The eye of the beholder moves from her hands to her chin and from there to the contemplative look on her face.

Coromandel wood
The sculpture is made of two types of wood. The figurine itself is carved from a light-colored crocodile wood, which is called panggal buaya. The base of the statue, which represents a rock, is made of expensive coromandel wood. This was only done for special statues, made by the master carver himself. The wood carving is signed at the bottom of the base.

Read more about I Made Runda in my post on Lakshmi.