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In the beginning there is chaos. A wild world that threatens human beings must be tamed, firstly through identification. When identification has reached the limits of human intellectual ability, myth is invented. The objective is to make a bridge to "the other", something which is not understood, so that the world is no longer a threat. At this level, chaos  changes to cosmos, and disharmony finds harmony.

The intense encounter between chaos and cosmos, between stable material image and substantial instability, is part of the "story" 
expressed by Pande Supada through his paintings.. Contradiction is the principle that Supada consciously proves through his creations, which have continued unabated for almost 30 years. This is particularly apparent in a series of his works made during the 1990s.

Simply, Supada formulates the principle of his works as "Motion in Stillness" (Dalam Diam Ada Gerak). According to Supada, this principle was born from the contemplation of physical and mental experiences absorbed from the freedom of expression and the creative process that is deeply influenced by nature, community and Balinese culture. "In expressing an idea, l contemplate Balinese culture, especially objects that have 'taksu'. In this case, 'taksu' exists in an object conveying value, charisma, and spiritual energy", Supada said. 

Through contemplation, Supada sees movement in inanimate objects. Apart from color and lines that form something, any small vibration that stimulates someone to respond is what Supada believes people in the past referred to as "taksu". Without "taksu" in the form of spirit, spiritual energy or charisma, it is impossible for something to have a vibrancy that catches someone's interest. "So, my work is not only based on what catches the eye, but also what l see and feel in my contemplation", Supada stressed.

Aesthetic principles, of course, will not signify very much if it stops at the concept only, without being followed by the artistic answer in
a painting. The combination of colorful paintings with strong textures and ancient impressions, mysterious, lusterless and earthy - resembling an old cloth wrapped in sacred ritual icons - are the evidence of Supada's hard work to interpret his principle into art. However, contrary to the function of a magical item against a symbol of traditional harmony, Supada's contemplation, in fact, ends in a
contradictory system. 

Supada's paintings are clear in pointing out that contradiction. Frequently, he equates the idea of material solidity with energy fluidity so it all but becomes a very strong system that symbolizes his works. Visually, Supada's paintings almost always find contrasts, building from a gesture that projects an image of a crowded material world beyond the expanse of deserted emptiness and bubbling up a meditative atmosphere. In the painting entitled "Perjalanan Mimpi" -1999 (Dream Journey), that contrast is significant on the canvas, which is divided equally into two panels, each with their own contradictory systems. One of the panels contains the "story" about the space dominated by various patterns of complicated imaginative forms, whereas the other panel shows a situation where the structure of certain forms is "trapped" in an empty space, as if unlimited.

The many empty spaces symbolize the development of Supada's creativity after leaving behind his old painting style that was full of decorations. He feels that the empty areas on his canvas provide a feeling of space and another dimension. This contrast is apparent from the interplay of empty space and shapes; that project an image of material solidity. It is in accordance with Supada's principle: "Motion in Stillness". In most of Supada's works, there are areas that give the illusion of motion, of something hanging or flying into space. 

Decorative elements are sometimes left on the canvas - like a trace of Supada's former creative period - and reconfirm this contrast. The regulated and repetitive nature of the decorations haunts the wildness of abstract expression that is both spontaneous and expressive, and highlights the dramatic effect of Supada's works. 

Perhaps unconsciously the painter's contemplation has arrived at an extreme point. Supada no longer seems to be interested in the existence of an object, but in its essential structure. The search has dragged him far into the past, to the time when chaos reigned, when the ancient people constructed their own myths. 

As a result, Supada's paintings lean toward the multilingual, disintegrating when the patterns attract, but not yet with their own identity. These patterns are labile and changing, often very quickly. Figures from cultural ancestors, like totems, barong, puppets or masks, are recognisable, but they still live as prototypes, dim shadows of images not yet finding a concrete shape.

Through study of the period of myths, a range of assumptions are explored based on the mystical thinking about harmony. And the result, a transformation in the form of a unique way of viewing the harmonious reality of structure is made possible.

This possibility is present in a number of Supada's works. A painting entitled "Imagi Paras" - 1999 (Image of a Face), for instance,  shows a face appearing behind the chaos of nature. It is a symbol of the birth of a fresh and pure new cosmos, the reincarnation when a period of contemplation touches a mysterious moment in creation and is opened to unlimited possibility, like the living process itself.

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