The artist I Nyoman Masriadi in his studio in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Masriadi -- the first living Southeast Asian artist whose work has topped $1 million at auction -- turns out just eight to 10 canvases a year, despite the worldwide demand for more.



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Five months later, on Oct. 4 at Sotheby’s, “Sorry Hero, Saya Lupa” (Sorry Hero, I Forgot) -- depicting Batman and Superman sitting in adjacent toilet stalls -- set another record, at $619,000.

That benchmark was in turn surpassed two days later when Masriadi’s boxing-themed triptych, “The Man From Bantul (The Final Round),” sold to a prominent Indonesian collector for $1.01 million.

I finally got to meet Masriadi in Hong Kong last May at an Asia Society dinner honoring him, along with China’s top contemporary artist, Zeng Fanzhi, and South Korean painter and sculptor Lee Ufan.

Shy, giggly and slight, Masriadi was a far cry from the pumped-up heroes of his paintings. After some cajoling, the socially awkward and notoriously media-wary artist agreed to an interview, as long as it transpired at his home in Yogyakarta.

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