Born in Central Java in 1974, Tarto moved to Ubud, Bali when he was 27. His fondness of paddy fields always brings him close to his childhood playground and the surrounding of his current home. His unique and original techniques have captivated collector’s attention since 2012 through private sales, auctions as well as art fairs.
Capturing the flourishing paddy fields in Ubud-Bali, Tarto’s works are rich in details featuring millions of paddy grains. Tens even hundreds of oil tubes are uniquely and meticulously squeezed and carved into a painting of paddy fields. Meanwhile, the working farmer composition is cleverly presented in numbers favored by Chinese market.
Harvesting have been recognized as the subject of paintings throughout all art periods, from Mooi Indie to Contemporary era. This object is considered to possess philosophical values such as prosperity, happiness and source of energy which are relevant in all period. What made Tarto’s harvesting paintings stand out from the crowd is his technical ability in exploring the use of thick textures and bold colors for his works. He embraced the philosophical values of harvesting and visually encapsulated them on to the canvas.
