Feels Strangely Good, Ya? — A Bold Encounter with Murni at Nottingham Contemporary
- Carla Tracy
- Oct 21, 2025
- 5 min read
Exploring the vivid, surreal world of I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih
A Day That Took a Different Turn
On my birthday this year, instead of jumping out of a plane (yes, really), a cancelled skydive instead landed me at Nottingham Contemporary — where I found myself free-falling, not through clouds, but through Murni’s vivid, surreal world of art. I’d been curious about Murni’s work ever since I saw the exhibition title pop up in an email from Nottingham Contemporary — the name alone, ‘Feels Strangely Good, Ya?’, felt irresistible
To kick things off, I indulged in one of the more unusual breakfast combos from the Pudding Pantry in Nottingham: buttermilk chicken sriracha maple pancakes and an espresso lemonade. It was a tastes "strangely good,ya?" start to the day — a fitting prelude to the vivid oddities I’d soon encounter in the gallery.
First Impressions: Colour, Surface and Energy
The gallery walls were painted a muted grey-green, a soft, almost smoky hue that made Murni’s vivid colours sing. Her works leapt from the walls — unapologetically bold, visceral, and alive. The contrast between the calm backdrop and her saturated palette felt deliberate, like calm holding chaos.
Beauty, Colour, Surface and Emotion
What also caught my attention — perhaps even more than the colours — was the texture. The paintings were created directly on raw canvas, allowing the pigment to sink in and diffuse slightly, giving the surfaces a soft, organic feel. Even the bold outlines had a subtle shadowed bleed, a hazy edge that softened their definition and added an unexpected softness contrasted beautifully with the sharpness of her forms, giving the work both strength and fragility.
Seeing them displayed in tray (floating) frames heightened that rawness; the edges weren’t hidden behind glass or mount board — they were breathing. You could feel the materiality, the honesty of paint meeting cloth without pretence or polish.
The Artist: Murni’s Life, Legacy and Fearlessness
Murni (1966–2006) was born in Tabanan, Bali. Her path to becoming one of Indonesia’s most distinctive contemporary artists was far from traditional — she worked as a domestic helper in her youth before returning to Bali in 1987, where she studied under painter I Dewa Putu Mokoh in Ubud. Though she absorbed elements of the Pengosekan style, she quickly carved out her own visual language — one defined by surreal humour, flattened perspective, and bold depictions of sexuality, trauma, and freedom.
Her art often portrays hybridised figures, dreamlike narratives, and fearless self-exploration. Some critics initially dismissed her work as “crude” or “perverse,” but Murni’s commitment to painting the female experience on her own terms made her a pioneering voice. Her later works, especially those created during her battle with ovarian cancer, carry a more introspective tone — anger, vulnerability, and resilience all coexisting in a single stroke.
A Creative Circle
What made the exhibition even more intriguing was that it didn’t exist in isolation. Alongside Murni’s work were pieces by three of her close contemporaries — Edmondo Zanolini (Mondo), I Dewa Putu Mokoh (Mokoh) and Dewa Raram (Totol) — artists she worked alongside and shared both friendship and creative freedom with. Their inclusion gave a sense of context, a glimpse into the small yet fiercely independent community that surrounded her in Ubud.
Seeing their works together felt like entering a visual dialogue — echoes of influence, humour, and rebellion bouncing between them. Mokoh’s gentle lines and narrative scenes hinted at the roots of Murni’s own style, while Mondo and Totol brought contrasting energies that deepened the sense of companionship and experimentation in that creative circle.
Moments That Stayed With Me
Colour and contrast: Bright, saturated tones — pinks, reds, teals, and yellows — pulsed against the grey-green backdrop.
Surface and materiality: That unprimed canvas brought warmth and honesty to every mark. The paint seemed to sink into the weave rather than sit atop it, adding to the emotional weight of the work.
Courage in subject: Unflinching explorations of the body, desire, and pain, all told with a sense of humour and humanity.
Humour and absurdity: I found myself smiling often — the paintings carried a sly wit beneath their rawness.
Final works and sculptures: The closing pieces, including some incredible sculptural forms, felt like physical manifestations of release — her way of transforming pain into form.
Final Reflection
The whole experience felt surreal in the best way. Maybe it was the morning’s odd breakfast, the perfect lighting of the gallery, or perhaps gazing at what could only be described as a giant penis tree alongside fellow gallery goers... but everything that day aligned with a kind of dream-logic. Murni’s paintings met me where I was — in that space between humour and heaviness, strangeness and beauty.
time isn’t guaranteed, and creativity isn’t something to postpone until the “right moment” — hands up, I’m guilty of that myself.
Walking out of the exhibition, I kept thinking about the courage it takes to paint honestly — to show what’s raw, uncomfortable, and true. Learning that Murni died so young made that courage feel even more profound. Her story is a reminder that time isn’t guaranteed, and that creativity isn’t something to postpone until the “right moment” — hands up, I’m guilty of that myself. It made me realise that we have to embrace every opportunity to create, to express, to reflect on our experiences, and to shape meaning from the fleeting moments we’re given.
The Gallery Shop — Tactile Treasures
Oh, and remember — there’s also a wonderful shop (and a great cafe) at Nottingham Contemporary. It’s full of tactile treasures: beautifully glazed ceramics, art books, thoughtful greeting cards, handmade jewellery, and unique ornaments — the kind of pieces that invite you to touch, explore, and take a bit of the gallery’s creative spirit home with you. I couldn’t resist the ceramics in particular — each piece with its own subtle textures and layered glazes, like the ones pictured here. I ended up treating myself to two gorgeous coffee mugs to support the gallery — a small reminder of the visit that now brightens my morning coffee.
You can explore more of their collection through the Nottingham Contemporary online shop.
If you Go
Exhibition: Feels Strangely Good, Ya?
Artist: I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih
Venue: Nottingham Contemporary, UK
Dates: On view until 11 January 2026
Admission: Free
Website: Nottingham Contemporary
If you visit Feels Strangely Good, Ya? go in ready to be challenged, amused, maybe unsettled — but definitely inspired.
And f you start the day with chicken pancakes and espresso lemonade, all the better; You’ll already be in Murni’s surreal, boundary-breaking headspace.
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