Bali Arts and Crafts

Paintings

On such a beautiful and picture as Bali, it is understandable that many paintings exist. It has naturally encouraged artists from across the continents to come and express their imagination and creativity in their paintings. UBUD is considered the home of painters on the island.

Batuan Style
Strongly Wayang based, this style involves hundreds of intricately painted representations of Balinese life filling every available nook and cranny of the canvas. Batuan artists like I Wayan Bendi (24 KB), Ni Wayan Wiarti & I Ketut Budiana (43 KB), make much more of a statement about life in Bali, with subject matter including everything from traditional village activities to camera-toting tourist and even surfers. Earlier Batuan artists, Ida Bagus Made Togog and I Made Bagus Made Wija, dealt much more with the darker, supernatural side of life in Bali with people depicted as extremely vulnerable to the spirits and powers of nature.

Keliki Style
Keliki art style is very similar to the Old Batuan Style with the one exception being size. Keliki paintings are rarely larger than 20 cm by 15 cm. They contain scene of mythical and Ramayanic characters engaged in battle, good versus evil, on sinister backgrounds. Keliki artist also follow the tradition of the old Wayang artists in that they seldom sign their work.

Pengosekan Style
From this village, on the outskirts of Ubud, a new style sprang up during the 60's that concentrated on just a few natural components like birds, insects, butterflies and plants. These paintings tend to be more realistic and less expensive that Ubud style.

Ubud Style
Influenced by the Western use of perspective and averyday-life subject matter, the Ubud style is one of the most expressionist of all the Balinese schools. Despite this, Ubud art still retains many traditional features including attention to detail and very stylized characters. Among the better known Ubud artists are Anak Agung Gede Sobrat (25 KB), Ida Bagus Made (24 KB), Gusti Ketut Kobot and Dewa Putu Bedil and Made Sukada.

Young Artists
A second movement, born of European influence, occurred in the early Sixties with the arrival of Arie Smit (20 KB) to the village of Penestanan. With his encouragement the artists in that area started exploring the use of vivid colors and more abstract, simple forms. The paintings in this style are much more expressionist with little attention to detail of perspective. Among the better known of the 'Young Artist' are I Wayan Pugur, I Ketut Tagen, I Nyoman Londo & Ketut Soki.

Masterpieces :
Walter Spies, Calonarang (19 KB)
Walter Spies (30 KB)
I Gusti Made Baret, Saraswati (24 KB)
I Ketut Djodjol, Penari Arja Berhias (Dressing the dancer) (26 KB)
I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, Dance Lesson (19 KB)
Nyoman Meja, Arja Dance (28 KB)
Rudolph Bonnet, Pensive Young Man (21 KB)
W.G. Hofker, Goesti Made Toewi (16 KB)
Mario Blanco, Dancer (13 KB)
Basuki, Scarecrow (12 KB)
Afandi (43 KB)

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