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Mahmud

Mahmud is a young painter from East Java who has lived in Bali for several years. Painting has been his passion since he was a child.

"I moved to Bali to gather more experience," he says. "At first, life was really tough here. To be able to live and to buy painting materials, I had to sell soup and meatballs from a pushcart on the street, from morning until late evening. Sometimes I would earn enough money for the day, but other times I wouldn't.

"To improve my life, I decided to devote even more attention to my painting. I began to paint and to sell my work in galleries.

"Most of my paintings depict the arwana, or dragon fish. I am fascinated with this particular fish, because it is a symbol of prosperity. We believe the dragon fish will bring success to its owner. Hopefully, it will bring good luck for me!”