Renato Cristiano

Renato Cristiano was born in Rome in 1926 and attended courses at Museo Artistico Industriale and the Academy of Fine Arts in Perugia. After a long journey through Africa, West and South Asia, Sumatra and Java, Cristiano finally arrived in Bali in 1955, where he met Rudolph Bonnet. Upon Bonnet’s return to the Netherlands in 1957, leaving plans for the Museum Puri Lukisan in Ubud uncompleted, Cristiano became the curator of the museum. During this time, Indonesia’s first president Sukarno often called Cristiano to his retreat in Tampaksiring, asking the artist for advice on his art collection. They engaged in discussions about philosophy, art, esthetics and beauty. After the 1965 political turmoil in Indonesia, it became dangerous to live in Manggis. The artist and his wife left Bali for Rome. But Bali remains deep in his heart, and this is clearly seen in his paintings.