An Embracing Couple – The Fantasy of I Wayan Purne

Embracing Couple by I Wayan Purne (incised signature on the underside), mid-1950s to mid-1980s, 23.5 x 21 x 18 cm

I Wayan Purne is among the masters who, in the second half of the 20th century, adopted the rounded forms style created by Ida Bagus Njana in the mid-1950s. A skilled and particularly prolific sculptor, he is said to be highly regarded by Asian collectors. His pieces are generally signed under the base.

Purne represented a wide variety of subjects, ranging from everyday scenes to episodes drawn from the great narratives of Hinduism, as well as figures of deities. His style is imbued with fantasy and humor. Certain recurring features make his work easily recognizable: bodies often exhibit a pronounced plumpness, limbs and fingers are generally short, faces are broad, and noses are flat, while closed eyes and mouths express a delicate smile.

In this depiction of an embracing couple, Purne conveys tenderness through both the figures' posture and specific details suggesting the suppleness of the flesh, such as the compression of the man’s chest or the slight indentation of his belly under the pressure of the embrace. The piece is carved from an imposing block—likely hibiscus or waru wood—with shades varying from rosy ochre to greenish-gray. While highlighting the wood's grain, Purne skillfully integrates natural structural imperfections or drying cracks, as seen with the fissure rising beneath the man’s shoulder to emphasize the line at the base of the neck.