Lindu is truly one of my favorite human spirits on earth. Alive and playful, he’s overflowing with out-of-the-box creativity. Delightfully twisted, the unexpected is his norm. A bicycle seat magically become ears, a door handle, a mouth of a sculpture. Soon a mystical or goofy creature takes shape. His latest creation for me is a monster, a comical spider with plow handle legs and a pair of rear view mirrors to keep an eye on the suspended kite he’s pulling along behind. Beautiful madness. If I’d ever be jealous of someone, it would be of him and the brilliant vision, fun, and soul he brings to each piece he creates.
Tonight I attended the opening of Lindu’s exhibition at the Four Seasons, Jimbaran; Bali’s quintessential tropical resort. It was perfect in all ways. Lindu has grown leaps artistically in the years I’ve known him. I feel pride in him and joy in his accomplishment. When he saw me walk in, he jumped up and hugged me. His first words were, “This happened only because of you. You believed in me for years before I believed in myself. Thank you!” This was his night, but his acknowledgment was for me. I was stunned by his generosity of spirit and sweetness. My biggest surprise of that moment, however, was that he speaks good English. I had no idea that we would eventually be able to talk directly to each other! We’d always used translators! He was previously simply too shy to speak English to me. I have actually mentioned to friends in America that my largest frustration of not knowing Indonesian is that I cannot speak with Lindu. Even this wish is now fulfilled.
