Art In Bali

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

This month’s painting is a very large work on canvas – 200 cm x 125 cm – by Ida Bagus (IB) Putu Padma. The image to the right is just a detail of the entire painting. The artist who created this vibrant canvas is a member of a family of well known painters. His grandfather […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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?” […]

One of the most satisfying phenomenon’s of Bali’s recent modern development has been the birth of an array of art and creative, multi-purpose spaces that serve as platforms for community co-working and engagement. Kulidan Kitchen Space, a new initiative in the rice fields of the Guwung village, Sukawati, fifteen minutes from Denpasar, is one such […]