Swoofone: A Glimpse into the Future of Balinese Art
‘The Island of the Gods’ is an incomparable sensuous experience. Mysterious and captivating, our perception encounters fascinating visual and non-visible layers. Bali’s thriving artistic landscape increasingly contributes an aesthetically potent and relevant dimension. One young artist has recently impacted the local art scene, initially honing his ideas within the street art realm. I Wayan Subudi
Kang Cing Wie and King Jayapangus : A Bali-China Love Story
Bali’s history is always entertaining; facts and truths are often enmeshed with fantasy and mysticism. One such ‘history’ is thhat of Kang Cing Wie and King Jayapangus, significant for many reasons: it represents an important geopolitical and cultural moment between China and Bali; it birthed important effigies of worship, the Barong Landung; and it is,
Black Hand Gang: A Vision for Indonesian Art Printmaking
Indonesian society has evolved with an array of distinct visual languages. The wayang shadow puppet theatre is one of the original communication modalities to educate, entertain and capture the multi-ethnic cultures’ imagination. The modern era, however is plagued by digital imagery overload and the urban hubs are saturated with visual advertising pollution. Art calms the
The Evolution of Balinese Religion
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
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
