Balinese Art: Mutations from Traditional to Contemporary

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

Jean Couteau

Ritual Life

With the Batuan painting style, ritual life has long been an inspiration for the artists. Here, Bruce Granquist shares how important rituals are to the subject and timing of artists and their work. Life in Batuan is saturated with ritual. The steady flow of ritual activity in people’s lives sets them firmly in a sacred

Batuan Artists: Inspired by Diversions

With the Batuan painting style, daily life has long been an inspiration for the artists. Here, Bruce Granquist shares how the everyday diversions of the Balinese inspired certain painters. These pages show three paintings by artists in some way connected to the painting studio of I Made Jata, the most active art teacher in Batuan. 

Ni Luh Vony Dewi : A Free Spirit with a Creative Soul

Ni Luh Vony has found freedom and opportunity as an artist displaying her work online; she has found a way to breakthrough without the help of the ‘conventional art world’. The Internet is empowering people and has democratised the art world. It has created a platform that supports a new and dynamic digital art world

Bali’s Local Market on Canvas

Local markets are a great source of inspiration for painters in Bali and, as contributor Bruce Granquist explains, these bustling scenes become all the more interesting when painted in the intricate and detailed form of the Batuan painting style. Daily Life Everyday life of Bali, both traditional and contemporary, is a rich source of visual

Wayan Arnata: Traditional Practices Fused with Contemporary Ideas

Balinese artist Wayan Arnata first came to my attention in June 2013 in the landmark exhibition ‘Irony in Paradise’ by the collective Sanggar Dewata Indonesia (SDI) at the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA) in Ubud, Bali.  ‘Nike Barong’ 2013, Arnata’s mixed media reflection upon the changing nature of the Balinese identity depicted the iconic

Ubud Diary Art Museum Lodtunduh

Ubud Diary : Bali’s Newest Art Gallery Showcasing the Ubud Style

A new art gallery and cultural landmark, Ubud Diary, has opened in Lodtunduh – just south of Ubud – presenting a collection predominantly exhibiting paintings of the Ubud style.  Ubud Diary held its grand opening on the 30th of November, 2019, coinciding also with a book launching of ‘Ubud Diary: Celebrating the Ubud School of

Bentara Budaya Bali Cultural Centre: Bridging Traditions with the Now

Bali is a unique meeting point between tradition and modernity. One of its distinctions is its fascinating culture that is, however, under increasing pressure from outside influences and the Indonesian nation-state. Sited in Sukawati, on the main link from Denpasar east to the regency of Karangasem BentaraBudaya Bali Cultural Center plays a vital role in

Art Bali 2019 : An Exploration into Contemporary Art

Contemporary art has been defined as art made ‘today’, art that has been and continues to be created during our lifetime. Often confronting and unusual, it can differ significantly from its older, more conventional counterpart – modern art. Contemporary artists express their ideas through paintings, sculptures, site-specific installations, photography, video, new media and technology inspired

Gede Gunada Bali Artist 5

Gede Gunada: Artistic Talent from East Bali

Balinese contemporary artist Gede Gunada first came to my attention in 2012. He was among a group of four other local artists who participated in the Artists Camp in the Top End of Northern Territory (NT) of Australia in the same year. The project’s mission was to expose the Balinese artists to the raw and

Traditional Daily Life

Below is another painting that attempts to portray a global view of traditional village life. This painting is characterised by its strong overall design. The image is divided into four quarters, bisected vertically by a darker series of trees running through the centre, and horizontally by two processions travelling in opposite directions. Everything seems to

Nyaman Gallery : A New Breed of Art Gallery in Seminyak

If you take a stroll along the shopping precincts of Kuta, Seminyak and Ubud, you can quickly become overwhelmed by the presence of commercial art. Art shops line the streets selling all manner of western and locally inspired artworks. Visitors may ponder: “Where can I see the best of the local traditional or contemporary art?”

Now Bali
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