Bunnybone’s Positive Artistic Response to the Pandemic
“The pandemic triggered me to reflect upon the fragility of being and humanity’s vulnerability to the forces of nature. It has had a powerful impact upon my life,” says contemporary Indonesian artist Bianca Timmerman, who lives in Perenenan, South Bali. “The threat of the virus required me to become vigilant and more aware; to endeavour
Arak Jung : An Ancient Balinese Tradition of Herbal Healing
Earlier this year, the Balinese governor endorsed the daily intake of arak to free asymptomatic carriers from the coronavirus. Whilst it can be misleading to claim the local spirit is some sort of cure, ‘arak therapy’ has been a form of traditional medicine practised for centuries in Bali. The sight of reused waterbottles containing vodka-esque
Recent Ubud Art Auction Proves High Demand for Balinese Art
The 2020 pandemic has had a disastrous effect upon the Bali economy. Heavily dependent upon tourism, international travel restrictions continue to impact negatively upon the earning capacity of the majority of the island’s population. Especially hard hit are the artists of Bali. The 21st-century creative economy offers growing opportunities for the younger, tech-savvy generations. Artists
Marmar Herayukti: A Balinese Art-Activitist Inspiring the Next Generation
The winds of change are upon us, and 2020 is the benchmark. A revolutionary new generation has dawned upon Bali that is determined to alter the future course of the island. Empowered by the 21st-century digital creative economy, this is a thriving youth ‘movement’ compelled by a strong sense of personal and collective enquiry. One
In Memoriam : Made Wianta
Sadness struck Bali’s art community as news spread of the passing of Made Wianta on 13 November 2020, at the age of 70. Made Wianta is considered one of Bali’s most revered contemporary artists, one who broke the mould of Bali’s classical and traditional painting and went beyond any possible creative expectations. His career has
The Status of Balinese Women and its Evolution in Modernity
Journalist Eric Buvelot and socio-ethnologist Jean Couteau have recorded 20 hours of discussion about changes that have happened in Bali since the 70’s. The conversation was structured and segmented according to many different aspects of Balinese life, mostly from a socio-historical perspective, to trace all the overturning in Balinese mores since 50 years, when modernity
Dodit Artawan: From Photorealism to Pop Art
Photorealism painting is a genre that demands extraordinary patience and skill. It involves the artist studying a photograph and then reproducing the image as realistically as possible in another medium, mostly in oil or acrylic paints. Photorealism painting reached its plateau in popularity in the Indonesian contemporary art world about a decade ago, and Balinese
Are the Balinese Becoming ‘Hindu-Protestant’?
With respect to the small Protestant community of Bali, the title is not a joke. Because we may be witnessing a uniquely Balinese variation of what happened five hundred years ago in Europe with the Protestant Reformation… What did happen five hundred years ago in Europe? Not much at first, except that some people started
A Brief History of Sanur: The Birthplace of Bali’s Tourism
If you’ve ever wondered how Bali became a top tropical destination for globetrotters around the world, you need to look back in time and discover how the quiet village of Sanur became the gateway that introduced Bali to the rest of the world – and birthed the island’s flourishing tourism industry. Long ago, before Seminyak became known as the dining
Mads Lange : Why a Danish Man Has a Kuta Street Named After Him
If you explore the backstreets of Kuta enough, you’ll come across a road named ‘Jalan Tuan Lange’, dedicated to Mads Lange , a Danish man who had a colourful Denmark is about as far from Bali as pickled herring is from nasi campur, but there was a period of 18 years when these two very disparate cultures intertwined in a
Jean-Philippe Haure’s Quest for Beauty
A timeless artwork radiates undeniable excellence, along with a mysterious potency. It has a unique freshness embodied within it that is enduring, and it remains as vibrant as the day it was made. Such works are the design of genius; equal parts of the extraordinary – skill infused with distinct ideas. They are the result
Penjor – Question Marks Against the Sky
Like most storied places around the world, much of today’s Bali is a modern variation on the romanticised images of yesterday. But during Galungan, the quintessential Balinese traditional ceremony, Bali’s roads are arched with enchanting reminders of its ancient past. These arches, made of curved and decorated bamboo poles, are penjor. The archetypal penjor are
Kebaya: The Traditional Attire of Balinese Women
Adorned in an elegant lace blouse and batik sarong called kamben, you might notice the Balinese women wearing this attire on their way to the temple for prayers and religious ceremonies. This is the kebaya: the traditional attire of the Balinese women. The kebaya has been the traditional attire of Balinese women since the Dutch
