Arts & Artists

Beautifularts

With the arrival of European artists in the beginning of the 20th century, this soon began to change. Local artists started to develop their own individual styles.

PAINTING

Until the start of the 20th century, the dominant form of painting was the portrayal of Hindu epics by painters and illustrators called ‘Sangging’. Aside from making large representational paintings, the ‘Sangging’ were expected to decorate everything from gourds, wooden altars, bamboo vessels, headboards for princely bed chambers and, in particular, they were expected to illustrate astrological wall hangings on bark paper or cloth. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that western influences reached Bali. The use of Asian symbols in the works of, among others, Paul Gauguin, Toulouse Lautrec and Camille Pissaro, created a new trend for Asian-influenced art and for European painters to move to Bali. Ubud’s fame regarding art can be traced to the arrival of the German painter Walter Spies and the Dutch Rudolf Bonnet. There is a much wider range of artistic styles today. Ubud Style Influenced by the western use of perspective and everyday-life subject matter, the Ubud style is one of the most ‘expressionistic’ of all Bali’s schools. Despite this, Ubud’s art still retains many traditional features, including attention to detail and stylized characters. Batuan Style Strongly wayang based (puppet). This style involves hundreds of intricately painted representations of Balinese life, filling every available nook and cranny of the canvas. Keliki Style Keliki paintings measure 20cm by 15cm. They contain scenes of mythical and Ramayanic characters engaged in battle, good versus evil, on sinister Pengosekan Style From this village, on the outskirts of Ubud, a new style sprang up during the 1960s. It concentrated on just a few natural components, such as birds, insects, butterflies and plants.

STONE CARVING

Stone carvings were mainly used to decorate temples and palaces. There is little difference between the iconography decorating temples and that of private buildings. Gateways represent the dividing line between the inner and outer worlds and as such are the recipients of some of the most fantastic carvings. Bali’s modernday centre of stone carving is the village of Batubulan, situated halfway between the towns of Denpasar and Ubud.

TEXTILES

One of the most striking things about Bali is the rich variety of cloths and materials that are to be seen in thousands of shops throughout the island. However, only a small proportion of these are indigenous to Bali. The myriad of batik clothes and sarongs available everywhere, are mainly imported from Java. Bali does have a very rich textile industry of its own. The beautiful Songket fabrics, worn by performers of traditional dances, are a good example. In Songket gold and silver threads are woven into the cloth to create complex motifs of birds, butterflies and flowers. Endek, or weft ikat, is another common method used in Bali. In weft ikat weaving, the weft threads are dyed to create the design and are then woven with plain warp threads. The least common form of weaving to be seen in Bali is the Geringsing, or double-ikat, and it is perhaps the most sought after.In Geringsing both the warp and weft threads are dyed to their final designs before being woven together. With the exception of certain areas in India and Japan, this weaving technique can only be found in the small Bali Aga village of Tenganan, East Bali.

WOOD CARVINGS

Wood and stone carvings have traditionally been featured largely in temple and palace architecture. Immaculately carved demons and mythical beings decorate pillars, door panels, lintels and window shutters with the object of protecting the buildings from evil intruders. Scenes of legendary figures placed within a floral décor, set a more pleasant and educational tone. With the arrival of European influences, wood carving started to develop a long more innovative and commercial lines. Today, whole villages specialise in producing certain styles of work. The village of Mas, near Ubud, is the best known for its carvings of female figures, Buddhas, characters from Hindu epics, the traditional topeng (mask) and Wayang Wong masks.

DANCE & DRAMA

Dance and drama have played a historically important role in Balinese society. Through this medium, people learned about the tales of the Ramayana, Mahabarata and of other epic stories from Balinese history. The following are brief descriptions of some of the more well-known dance-dramas that can be seen at regular performances throughout Bali.

Baris - This is a warrior’s dance. It is usually performed by men, either solo or in a group of five or more. Barong & Rangda - This is a story about the struggle between good and evil. Good is personified by the Barong Keket, a strange but funloving creature in the shape of a shaggy semi-lion. Evil is represented by Rangda, a witch. Kecak - The most famous of the Balinese dances, originated from the Sanghyang dance choirs, holds its uniqueness in the entrancing ‘Kecak, kecak’ chant. The Kecak as a dance developed in the 1930s, in the village of Bona, where it is still performed regularly. Legong - This dance tells a story of princess Rangkesari being held captive by King Lakesmi. Rangkesari’s brother, prince Daha, gathers an army to rescue his sister. The Legong is a very classical and graceful dance, always performed by prepubescent girls, who can be as young as eight or nine years old. Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppet) - Wayang Kulit is one of the great storytelling traditions of the Javanese and Balinese people. The wayang show usually consists of a small four-piece orchestra, which provides the musical accompaniment, around sixty ‘puppets’, carved out of flat pieces of water buffalo hide, and the dalang or puppet-master. The good characters speak in ancient ‘Kawi’, whereas the evil or coarse ones speak Balinese. The Bali Agung Show The Bali Agung Show at the Bali Safari and Marine Park is an inspiring cultural performance dedicated to the entertainment of both local and international audiences. This spectacular show celebrated its 1500th performance on Jan 19, 2016. With regular scheduled performances over the past five years, the colossal and spectacular Bali Agung Show is arguably the longest-running theatrical production in Indonesia’s theatrical history. Jalan Prof. Ida Bagus Mantra Km 19.8, Gianyar Bali | Ph: +62 361 950000 | marketing@balisafarimarinepark.com Devdan Show Devdan’s “Treasure of the Archipelago” at the Bali Nusa Dua Theatre is a 90-minute show that takes you on a tour of the Indonesian archipelago with impressive acrobatics, effects and traditional dances. Performed 4 times a week every week.www.devdanshow.com. Calonarang The Calonarang dance tells the tale of a widow queen, Walunateng Dirah from Girah village who possessed the ability to conduct powerful black magic. Her powers were said to be stronger than the King Erlangga’s, causing fear among all that nobody would dare to ask for her daughter’s hand in marriage. The widow, furious, placed a curse on the entire land and people began to die without reason, which caused a state-wide war. The King then sought the help of a Priest, Mpu Bharadah, who defeated Calonarang with his white magic.

Ramayana The Ramayana dance tells the epic love story of Rama and Sita whose love was too strong to be torn apart. Expect exciting scenes of treachery among the royal family, lost-in-the-jungle scenes, kidnappings, brave rescue missions by Hanoman the Monkey King, and a romantic ending where Rama is forever reunited with his love, Sita.

Museum &

Galleries

Jimbaran Ganesha Gallery Four Seasons Jimbaran

T. +62361 701010 Open daily*: 9am -6pm

Jenggala Keramik

Jl. Uluwatu No.2, Jimbaran TT. +62361 703311 Open daily*: 8am - 6pm

Seminyak Biasa Gallery

Jl. Seminyak No.34, Seminyak T. +62361 8475766 Open Mon – Sat*: 10am - 9pm

Kendra Gallery

Jl Drupadi No.88B, Seminyak T. +62361 736628 Open daily*: 10am - 6pm

MÉTIS Gallery & Boutiques

Jl. Petitenget no.6, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta, Bali 80361 +62 361 4737 888 Open Mon-Sat: 11am - 11pm, Sun: 6pm-11pm

Ubud Hansen Art Gallery

Jl. Raya Sanggingan Ubud T. +62361 970072 Open daily: 9am - 6pm

Neka Museum

Jl. Raya Campuhan, Ubud T. +62361 975074 Open daily*: 8am - 5pm

Puri Lukisan Museum

Jl. Raya Ubud T. +62361 975136 Open daily*: 8am - 4pm

Gaya Fusion

Jl. Raya Sayan Ubud T. +62361 979253 Open daily: 9.30am - 11pm

Arma Museum

Jl. Raya Pangosekan Ubud T. +62361 974228 Open daily: 9am - 6pm

Blanco Museum

Jl. Raya Campuan Ubud T. +62361 975502 Open daily: 9am - 5pm

Rudana Museum

Jl. Cok Rai Pudak No.44 Peliatan T. +62361 975779 Open daily: 9am - 5pm

Genta Gallery

Jl Lodtunduh No.1 Ubud T. +62361 978272 Open daily: 9am - 5pm

Seniwati Gallery

Jl.Sriwidari No.2B Ubud T. +62361 975485 Open daily: 10am - 5pm

Sika Gallery

Jl. Raya Campuhan, Ubud T. +62361 975084 Open daily: 9am - 5pm

Tonyraka Gallery

Jl. Raya Mas No.86 Ubud T. +623617916606 Open daily: 9am - 5pm

Denpasar Danes Art Veranda

Jl. Hayam Wuruk 159 Denpasar T. +62361 242659 Open daily: 10am -6pm

Bali Museum

Jl. Let. Kol. Wisnu, Denpasar T. +62361 235059 Open Tue – Sun: 8am - 3pm

Bali Art Center

Jl. Nusa Indah No.1 Denpasar T. +62361 227176 Open daily: 8am - 3pm

Bali Bintang Gallery

Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai 19 Pesanggaran T. +62361 724368 Open daily: 9am - 6pm

Museum Lukisan Sidik Jari

Jl. Hayam Wuruk 175, Tanjung Bungkak, Denpasar T. +62361 235115 Open daily: 9am - 4pm

Klungkung Museum Seni Lukis Klasik Bali

Banjar Angkan Klungkung Bali T. +62361 0366—22255 Open daily: 9am - 5pm

Nusa Dua Pasifika Museum

Kawasan Pariwisata, BTDC Blok P T. +62361 774935 F. +62361 774559 Open daily: 10am - 5pm

Sanur Le Mayeur Museum

Jl. Hang Tuah, Sanur T. +62361 286201 Open Sat-Thu: 8am - 4pm Fridays: 8am - 1.30pm

schedule of events

Dance &Drama

Barong & Rangda Dance

Calonarang Dance • Batubulan Everyday 9.30am • Puri Saren, Ubud Fridays 7.00pm • Catur Eka Budi,

Kesiman, Dps Everyday 9.30am

• Mawang, Ubud Thurs; Sat 7.00pm • Banjar Kalah • Peliatan Gambuh Dance • Pura Desa Batuan, Batuan

Kecak Dance Kecak Dance • Garuda Wisnu Kencana 1st & 15th of each month 7.00pm

Everyday 6.30pm

Kecak Dance • Padang Tegal, Ubud Sun; Wed 7.00pm

• Puri Luhur, Uluwatu Everyday 6.00pm

• Banjar Junjungan,

Ubud

• ARMA Open Stage,

Ubud Mondays 7.00pm

New & Full Moons 7.00pm

Legong Dance • Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa, Budaya Cultural Theatre Wednesdays 8.00pm

• Puri Saren, Ubud Mon ; Sat 7.30pm • Peliatan Village Fridays 7.30pm • Pura Dalem, Ubud Saturdays 7.30pm • ARMA Open Stage,

Ubud Sundays 7.30pm

Mahabrata Dance Ramayana Ballet

Sanghyang Jaran Dance • Teges Village, Ubud Thursdays 7.30pm

• Budaya Cultural Theatre (Nusa Dua Beach Hotel) Mondays 7.00pm

• Bona Village Sun; Mon; Fri 7.00pm

• Batubulan Everyday 6.30pm Topeng Dance • ARMA Open Stage, Ubud Wednesdays 7.00pm

Wayang Kulit • Oka Kartini’s, Ubud Sun; Wed 8.00pm • Kertha Accommodation, Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Tue; Sat 8.00pm

Bali Agung Show Cultural Wonders Of The Royal Pejeng Performance • Bali Safari Marine

Park

• Puri Agung Soma Negara Pejeng Everyday, except Mon Every Full Moon 2.30pm

8.00pm