Bagus Ari Maruta Elevates Balinese Decorative Painting to Exciting New Heights
Balinese painting has evolved as a sacred narrative form of knowledge transfer within a social context. The Classical pictures merged old indigenous beliefs with introduced religion, forming a codified cultural system to inspire harmony within the community. The images were displayed within the temples and palaces; and never within a family compound for enjoyment. Decorative

Gustra Adnyana: Photography Through the Eyes of a Brahmin
If you are living in Bali, or have often visited the island, you may not know the man, but you are likely to have seen his wonderful photographs of some of the most secret rites and ceremonies of Bali. This photographer’s name is Gustra, or, in its full brahmana name, Ida Bagus Putra Adnyana (64).

Fraksi Epos Exhibition: Indonesia’s Contemporary Art Scene Come Together
Inside the construction site of South Beach, a new expansion to the Discovery Shopping Mall in Kuta, an innovative art exhibition and showcase has manifested within the development. Titled Ruang Baur Seni: Fraksi Epos 2022, this one-of-a-kind art event sees a huge collaboration of Bali’s many creative communities, together displaying a mosaic of Indonesia’s up-and-coming

Photographer Gung Ama Inspires Memories of Pre-colonial Bali
The 21st-century digital revolution propels us into a vast and exciting future. Empowering individuals and communities with an array of creative opportunities, the onslaught of the new, however, consequentially disrupts the old. As the rapidly-evolving digital sphere increasingly casts its spell upon us, once state-of-the-art technologies are being swept aside and forgotten, along with essential

‘Neopitamaha: Tradition [in] Translation’ Art Exhibition: A Visual Discussion of Bali’s Socio-Cultural Issues
An excellent art exhibition is currently on display at Titik Dua Ubud, titled ‘Neopitamaha: Tradition [in] Translation’, featuring eleven Indonesian contemporary artists. The exhibition is a significant moment for art on the island as it takes inspiration from the original Pita Maha art group of 1937. This group, guided by both Western and Balinese artists

English Painter Bruce Sherratt’s Tropical Surrealism & the Power of the Subconscious Mind
Art, like the universe, is infinite. The perception and the processes of art-making may be as unique as the individual. Art ignites our senses as we interact with our inner and outer worlds. Nature’s power and beauty inform us through art. According to English artist and Ubud resident Bruce Sherratt: “A painting is a living

‘Colors Of Bali’ – Rediscovering Natural Pigments & Dyes in Balinese Traditional Crafts
Bali is an extraordinary sensory experience. Exciting and dynamic, as well as being tranquil and contemplative. Bali’s visual sphere is rich in colour, texture and form. Colour plays a vital role within the Balinese culture and identity – it is symbolic, while its origins are sacred. The Balinese traditional arts and crafts are derived from

Balinese Artist Wahyu Senayadi Honoured in UOB Indonesian Painting of the Year 2021 Awards
Congratulations goes to Balinese artist Made Wahyu Senayadi, winner of the Bronze Award in the Established Artist Category of the UOB Indonesian Painting of the Year Award 2021. ‘Spirit of Friends’, Senayadi’s painting, was selected from 41 finalists by a jury of art experts and honoured during a virtual ceremony on 30 October 2021 in

La Salaga: A Bali-Sulawesi Legend Immortalised in the Iconic Balinese Kamasan Painting Style
The La Salaga legend from West Sulawesi is an epic that rivals the fantastic Hindu tales from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. This distinct tale merging a new Islamic religious culture of Sulawesi with the Hindu’s of south Bali is, unfortunately, a lesser-known episode of Indonesian history within the local and national consciousness. An exciting

Know Thyself: Dayu Sartika’s Inner Journey Through Art
Socrates (469–399 B.C.E.), the ancient Greek philosopher, famously declared, “Know thyself”. Carved into stone at the entrance to Apollo’s temple at Delphi, the inscription has encouraged people throughout the ages to engage in a search for self-understanding. Emerging Balinese artist Ida Ayu Komang Sartika Dewi’s creative practice strips away the invisible layers of her being

DEVFTO: Indonesia’s First Printmaking Institute Opens in Ubud
A new era in Indonesian printmaking began in September 2021 with the opening of the DEVFTO Printmaking Institute at the Sika Gallery in Ubud. Established by Indonesia’s leading art printmaker Devy Ferdianto with over 30 years of experience, the knowledge of the techniques and materials is highly specific and varied. DEVFTO represents an exciting development

‘Neo Denpasar’: Aditya Parama’s NFT Artwork Describes a Dystopian Bali Future
‘Neo Denpasar’ is an NFT animation artwork describing the Denpasar market in the year 2077. In the futuristic nighttime scenario, the only cultural reference is emerging Balinese digital artist Aditya Parama, ‘Pan Edgy Babi Guling’, a suckling pig warung. Staffed by robots, the warung is patronised by humans with gleaming chrome skin. Drones fly throughout

Titik Dua, Ubud’s Creative Boutique Hotel Helps to Redefine Bali Tourism
A unique, relatively new, landmark in Ubud, Titik Dua, is sited back from the Mas village thoroughfare, behind two buildings distinguished by Balinese architecture. An extraordinary aspect of this boutique hotel is the “runway” suspended fifteen meters above the ground, seemingly to capture the rays of the morning sun. The hotel lobby entry is one