Kamasan Classical Wayang Style Painting
This style of painting features narrative opisodes from the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, the Balinese-Javanese romance Panji or Malat, and traditional astrological charts and almanacs with scenes from everyday life. Made with natural pigments, these works are mostly used to decorate temples during religious celebrations. Characters are identified by their facial features, body size, costumes, and coloring based on the dolls. Dating from at least the 17th century, this style has been maintained for generations in the family by Mangku Mura, I Nyoman Mandra, and I Nyoman Arcana in Kamasan, Klungkung.
Ubud Style Painting
The first Western-influenced paintings to appear in Ubud was after 1920, giving rise to the name known as Ubud Style painting style. Living in the Ubud area were Walter Spies (Germany) and Johan Rudolf Bonnet (Netherlands), who introduced Western aesthetics such as light, shadow, depth, and anatomy. While artists such as I Gusti Ketut Kobot and Gusti Made Beret continued to add new ideas to traditional themes, Ida Bagus Rai developed his own unique blend. Anak Agung Gede Sobrat and Dewa Putu Bedil adapted the Ubud painting style to depict scenes of everyday life, ordinary people, dances, and ceremonies.
Batuan Style Painting
In the 1930s, the foreigners who lived in the village of Batuan, South of Ubud, were not artists. Thus, Batuan’s style of painting has little Western influence and focuses on themes from literature and ritual. The paintings of Ida Bagus Togog, Ida Bagus Wija, and I Made Nyana are densely packed with stylized figures, often containing distorted perspectives and multiple views. I Made Budi and I Wayan Bendi paint caricatures of tourists participating in traditional tourism activities or create paintings documenting Balinese cultural events. Some of the works are even inspired by significant events that occurred on the island.
Young Artist Style Painting
Painting in the young artist’s style began in the 1960s in Penestanan village near Ubud. Arie Smit provided the young people with art supplies and encouraged them to create colorful and rustic scenes of balinese ceremonies, rice harvesting and everyday life. Dark lines represent the flat areas of color that are characteristic of traditional painting, while decorative foliage dominates the works of I Nyoman Tjakra, I Ketut Soki, and I Made Sinteg.
Contemporary Balinese Painting
Other works by the Balinese artist include Ida Bagus Nyoman Rai’s playful naive black-and-white paintings and Ida Bagus Wiri’s close-up views of flora and fauna. From the eroticism of I Dewa Putu Mokoh and Dewa Nyoman Batuan to the supernatural views of Ketut Budiana, there are many different perspectives on Balinese life.
Other Balinese artists are familiar with the international contemporary art movement through their academic training in Indonesia and abroad. I Nyoman Tusan, I Nyoman Gunarsa, Made Budiana, I Nyoman Erawan, Wayan Kun Adnyana and I Made Sumadiyasa’s contemporary interpretations of traditional themes range from Cubism to graphic his illustrations to Abstract Expressionism.
Contemporary Indonesian Painting
Indonesian contemporary art has a wide variety of styles from famous figures such as S. Yadi, Gunawan Hanjaya, Warsito, Roedyat, Agus Djaja Suminta, Dullah, Abdul Aziz and Barli. Paintings by modern Indonesian artists include an expressionist dancer by Bagong Kussudiardjo and Krijono, an abstract landscape by O.H. Soepono, and decorative scenes by R.Soebroto.
Art by Artists from Abroad
Collections of paintings by internationally acclaimed foreign artists, particularly Asian artists, such as detailed realism by Chang Fee-Ming (Malaysia), sensual nudity by Teng Nee-Cheong (Singapore), living figures by Jeremiah Elizalde Navarro (Philippines), and surreal landscapes by Paul Nagano (Japan-USA).
Art of Arie Smit
A master of color and composition, Arie Smit’s imaginative works embodies the beauty and inner rhythm of Bali. In Pointillist technique, his paintings combine elements of Impressionism, Fauvism, and Expressionism to depict relaxed youth, colorful tropical gardens, glistening ocean views, and serene temples that evoke awe. if you want to have Arie Smit’s work that is guaranteed to be original, then there is no other choice than the Neka Art Gallery. Because all of Arie Smit’s paintings were obtained directly from the painter and legally and formally received a certificate of authenticity of the paintings from the Dharma Seni Museum Neka Foundation, which was given a mandate by Arie Smit to register all paintings by Arie Smit.
Keris and Wastra
In addition to the fine art paintings, the collections on display and for sale include seselet keris (small dagger) and luxury traditional Balinese and Indonesian fabrics. Seselet keris which functions as special jewelery for men as well as branded bags from Paris for women. Keris seselet as a sign of prestige and gallantry of a man. The traditional cloth called wastra is also a part of women’s luxury jewelry.
