Wayan Kun Adnyana’s Unique Mission Within the Development of Balinese Contemporary Art
A chorus of beautiful rhythmic black lines describes the violent, pulsating ocean whipped into life by tumultuous winds. A vast wooden sailing vessel encounters the might of the natural elements. It safely transports many; warriors and families in search of new horizons across the seas. The expanse of the boat’s structure is illustrated within a
Contemporary Painter Gede Sayur’s Light-hearted Reflections of Modern Bali
Contemporary art is an empowering communication platform allowing artists to give a visible presence to the invisible. The artist’s role is often to highlight important socio-political and environmental issues to create awareness and hopefully change. Gede ‘Sayur’ Suanda is a multi-talented contemporary Balinese artist who expresses statements about the rapid changes engulfing Bali in both
Weaving the Ocean: Ari Bayuaji’s Landmark Social-Environmental Art Project Achieves International Exposure
Indonesian born contemporary artist Ari Bayuaji has an intimate relationship with the ocean. An association that spans two decades and embraces two distinct viewpoints. Ari has ritually walked Sanur beach, stretching more than five kilometres; often exploring the mangrove forests fringing Serangan harbour. As an avid diver, the isolation within the vast and mysterious aquatic
Richard Jacobs: An America-Bali Cross-Cultural Artistic Journey
In 1987, American artist Richard Jacobs, accompanied by his new wife Marianna, found himself living among the secluded rice fields of Camuphan, Ubud. A Masters of Fine Art graduate from Yale University, the twenty-six-year-old had been awarded a 1987-88 Henry Luce Scholarship to paint and teach in Bali. Established in New York in 1936 by
Kadek Didin Jirot: New Horizons in Contemporary Balinese Sculpture
The power and beauty of Mother Nature communicates with us in mysterious ways. So often, we are captured in the moment – in silence; we behold its magnitude and grandeur. Yet, nature’s physical and non-physical essence is a source of eternal creativity. The dramatic, undulating profile of Bali’s volcanic skyline inspires emerging artist Kadek Didin
The Art of Luh’De Gita: Alternative Realities Between the Digital and Natural Worlds
Emerging female Balinese contemporary painter Luh Gede Gita Sangita Yasa has seemingly materialised from anonymity and appeared on the Bali art scene. After five years living in West Java, studying fine art at the Institute of Technology Bandung, she returned in 2020 to live in Batubulan, Bali. However, media exposure in international magazines and exhibitions
Bali’s Eclectic Art Spaces & Galleries
Unlike Bali’s classic and long-established museums, with their timeless but more static exhibits, these selected art spaces in Bali showcase the work of more contemporary and new artists, presenting the most current snapshot of the island’s artistic landscape. The venues listed below are a mixture of contemporary galleries to concept stores to flexible spaces that
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
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