"Thank you, Sir! Please come again.."
Nyoman smiles as he pockets the US$20.00 from tourist he just did a silhouette art for, as he is walking back to his little seat in front of his tent on Kuta beach. This kind of money is not much, but at least he does not have problem with any patent holder in this kind of art.
He smiles again as he sees someone approaching, "Hey, Wayan! How are doing today?"
Wayan raises a thumb, "Great! There was a couple who were looking for an original sketch for their notepad wedding souvenir. They liked one of mine and bought the sketch for printing. The girl is a journalist, working for a magazine in Jakarta and she agrees to write about my sketches."
Nyoman claps his hands, "Congratulations!"
Wayan nods in respect, "Thanks. How about yourself?"
Nyoman smiles, "Quiet day for me, but, in the morning, I managed to start a sketch for a painting of the sunrise. I hope I can finish it in a few days, then I can sell it in Putu's gallery."
Wayan raises a thumb again, "Good for you! It's always a good break for you, everytime you sell a painting in Putu's gallery."
Nyoman nods, "Yes.. It still feels different from if we are running our workshops like our parents, but if this is what life requires from us for now, then we have to do it! Even if we are working our whole life, we might never achieve the amount we need to patent any of our designs, but at least we are still here.."
Wayan looks at the beautiful Kuta beach and then takes his eyes to the wide ocean in front of him. Nyoman follows Wayan's eyesight. They know that non-Balineses and non-Indonesians have been building hotels and restaurants on the island. They also know that non-Balineses and non-Indonesians have been bringing a part of their culture to stay in Bali, and sometimes they clash with or even eliminate local cultures. Now they also know that their arts have slowly changed 'ownerships' to people external to their island too. In the future, the beach, the sea and even the island itself, may change 'ownership' to other people..
This beautiful beach, this beautiful island are the very things that make each man born here have artistic mind and heart. Some business people out of the island have done things to change the lives of people who were innocent and pure in creating arts.
Balinese people are artists, they can and will always be artists as long as they live, and their arts will always be loved by other people. However, how we choose to respect them and their arts is what we need to reconsider, if we want them to exist longer..
-23 October 2008-
Dedicated to all Balinese people who are struggling with 'Patent' issues..
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