Can you tell us more about your concrete experience of the lockdown ?
I am fortunate to be with my family in Bali, called "The Island of Gods". Here, there is no imposed lockdown. The borders (and therefore all the tourist infrastructure) then the schools were closed around mid-March as if the Indonesian authorities had stalled on the European sequential while Bali had welcomed 240,000 Chinese tourists in December and January including three flights per week from Wuhan. However, during this period, many locals and expats fell ill with symptoms very similar to those of the covid which nobody was really talking about at that time.
Today, the official death toll in Bali is two dead (elderly and sick) and 113 cases listed, half of which are cured. The Balinese and Indonesian population is very young with an average age of 29 (only 8% of the population is over 65). The average temperature is 28-30 °C and 90% of Balinese live in family houses in the open air without any air conditioning. All this to say that it is quite possible that Bali has developed a "collective immunity".
The majority of Balinese and expats who have been more than likely exposed very early on to the virus seem to have found and produced the appropriate antibodies to annihilate the terrible havoc described everywhere else 24 hours a day by the media and social networks. Even if this were the case, the governor of Bali has aligned himself for a month on the same soft instructions as those applied in South East Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, ...) : no general confinement, apart from the closed beaches. The majority of the population reacted by wearing masks (which we have never missed) and respecting social distancing without being forced to do so.
Bali is a magnetic island with a high vibrational frequency not very conducive to the spread of this damn low frequency virus. We feel safe there, as protected. We are very grateful for its gratitude.
What is your personal state of mind ?
Artists already have "in my mind" a spirit confined in their infinite imagination, it is innate. So there are no real frustrations, on the contrary it is incredibly enjoyable that the whole world finally calms down.
In Bali, we have this annual ritual which is the Nyepi. Three days of absolute silence all over the island with no electricity, no internet and even the international airport is closed. It’s a way for them to ward off evil spirits.
Since the birth of the Earth, there have been thousands of epidemics, but the absence of social networks and the media creating this anxiety-provoking atmosphere left us in the dark, and each led their own way. I just observe that all of humanity has lost its way through unnecessary over-consumption and has forgotten the essentials.
Every day I pray for all those men and women who help the sick and are trapped for lack of basic medical care. It is foolish to have overlooked the importance of health in a world with such a dense population. Without the Earth we would not be of this world ...
Does the lockdown experience have an impact on your art ?
I just go back to the drawing as the computer is "locked down". A few times a week, I continue to take care of horses that no longer have access to the beach or the rice fields so I take the opportunity to go play with them in the arena and I like to massage them. It also helps them to relax. Between the horses and me, it's a long story of love...
Do you practice your art during the lockdown ? if yes, can you tell us about your new pieces ?
Yes at the beginning I painted trees each of the color of a chakra. Then I imagined people living in cramped spaces, then the horses came back... I paint nature and animals with my hands and interiors with charcoal and watercolor.
The Beach House
The Lovers