Richard Horstman
How Ubud Open Studios is Helping to Revive Art Tourism in Bali
NOW! Bali Magazine talks with Mila Shwaiko, co-founder and director of Elami & Co, the organisational team behind the Ubud Open Studios (UOS), to learn more about the visionary programme. Visual art is one of the original cultural icons that, during the first wave of tourism, between 1920 and 1942, helped position Bali on the
Emerging Balinese Artist Made Chandra’s Exciting Classical-meets-Contemporary Visual Style
Classical Balinese painting is an authentic living tradition that has evolved over the centuries with artists introducing personal innovations to sacred religious images that function as a vital narrative role in the culture. During the past two decades, however, contemporary imagining has liberated Classical iconography from the canons of tradition, granting exciting original expression. The
From Beyond the Veil: The Art of Made Djirna
Lovers of Balinese art have a unique opportunity to see an exhibition of one of Indonesia’s contemporary masters, Made Djirna. MADE DJIRNA RETROSPECTIVE 1992-2022, opened on 18 December 2023 and continues until 7 January 2024 at ARMA Museum, Ubud. “My concern is to express reflections that go far deeper than what we can know with
Balinese Priestess Artist Mangku Muriati’s Pandemic Observations in the Kamasan Traditional Style
One of 2023s most significant art exhibitions has recently closed. YEAR OF THE TIGER, a presentation of paintings by Balinese priestess Mangku Muriati at BIASA Art, Ubud, in collaboration with V-Room Bali and Honold Fine Art, ran from 3 September – 25 November 2023. Mangku Muriati is an internationally renowned traditional painter of the sacred
The Art of Aprililia: Dancing Lines of the Subconscious
Aprililia is an emerging painter from West Sumatra, gifted with a unique talent, who recently began residing in Bali. Born in 2000 in Padang, the self-taught artist significantly contributes to the growing wealth of extraordinary national and international creatives who call the island home. Lily, as she is also known, majored in Informatics Education at
Ketut Nugi: Reconfiguring Colonial Iconography into Balinese Art Statements
Emerging Balinese contemporary artist Ketut Nugi captured my attention in a group exhibition, ‘Documenting Perspective’ at Nonfrasa Gallery in Ubud that took place July-August 2022. Showcased within a display cabinet, ‘Irrational of Joy’ 2022 is a montage of colourful illustrations and old photographs that transports the imagination to the formative days of Dutch colonialism tourism
Personal Therapy Through Prett Art’s Joyous Clay Figurines
Colourful, light-hearted and cute, I was immediately captured by the art of Venty Vergianti. Her delightful pint-sized clay figurines, distinguished by jubilant emotions and childlike faces with open mouths, either smiling or bursting with laughter while sporting radiantly glazed caps, encapsulate an undeniably scrumptious art recipe. Their rotund bellies are often exaggerated, forming copious receptacles
NONFRASA: Bali’s Exciting New Contemporary Art Venue
Nonfrasa, a new contemporary gallery in Ubud, has captured my heart and imagination. The brainchild of Balinese creative Krisna Sudharma, Nonfrasa merges avant-garde Balinese and Indonesian contemporary art with harmonic architectural design to induce the perfect art experience. According to the website, “Nonfrasa is a platform dedicated to discovering emerging artists and rediscovering left-field work
Jemana Murti: Art Beyond the Limitations of the Body and Mind
Emerging Balinese artist Jemana Murti has embarked on a distinct creative mission, anchored securely within his traditions while propelling him on an exciting trajectory and original art frontiers. The creative is exploring vast horizons for artistic development, utilising AI and 3D printing technologies. Majoring in Fine Art at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art in
Desak Putu Lambon: Bali’s First Recorded Woman Artist
Cultural regeneration is an essential aspect of Balinese painting, with techniques and knowledge of narratives passed down through the generations. However the woman’s role, especially the daughters of artists, has yet to be acknowledged. “It was very unusual for a woman to occupy herself with art, and after I Desak Putu Lambon, it took thirty-five
I Made Bandem: Bali’s Effervescent Dance Maestro & International Cultural Ambassador
“To become a good dancer, first you must become a good person,” I Made Bandem said to me. Balinese dance virtuoso and scholar Prof. Dr Bandem radiates charm and youthful enthusiasm as he shares his father’s most valuable advice. “The three cultural pathways to becoming a good person are known as Tri Kaya Parisudha: manacika
Duality & the Commercialisation of the Spirit
The commercialisation of Eastern spirituality began in the USA. “In America is the place, the people, the opportunity for everything new,” wrote Swami Vivekananda before he left India in 1893. Vivekananda had learned from his guru, Sri Ramakrishna, that the world’s religions “are but various phases of one eternal religion”, and the spiritual essence could
In Memoriam: Celebrating International Contemporary Art Icon, Ashley Bickerton
For more than three decades, Ashley Bickerton’s presence shone brightly on the international art stage. A courageous, rebellious artist, his genius imagination existed on the periphery of what was conceivably possible. Bickerton rose to incredible heights in contemporary art, positioning his voice as singular to the global audience. The most internationally renowned contemporary artist in
