Arts and Crafts, from Temple to Gallery

The arts of Bali find their roots in symbolically decorative adornment of palace and temple. The royal courts were once opulent centres of the arts, filled with carved wooden panels, paintings, silken hangings and stone sculptures by the best of artists and artisans on the island. Remarkable statues, stone friezes, gilded umbrellas and intricately carved wooden pillars still grace the multitude of temples. Artistic talents have always been orientated towards pleasing the nobility and the gods, so much so that artistry was once inseparable from courtly life and spiritual practices.

The twentieth century brought subtle changes in the orientation of the arts. Education, technology, television, and a burgeoning tourist industry widened the possibilities for both artists and craftsmen

The qualities most appreciated by the Balinese artist are fine detail, technical precision and sureness of hand, related to the particular tradition of style in the art form concerned. New forms are quickly assimilated and approached on these terms. Art works are now judged with a double criterion, either according to the appreciation of fellow Balinese, or by the appeal and value placed upon them by foreign buyers. The tourist market for cheap souvenirs does little to support this system of values, but an environment where artistry is an all-pervading, integral part of the culture, allows all levels of creativity. Very often the children learn their crafts by making souvenirs. By the time they reach maturity the strong system of values in the community has been so firmly implanted that it is only natural that the young artists should strive for a higher standard of artistic expression.

Bali offers unique creative stimulus to her young artists, which the society reinforces continually through the religion and communal way of life. Communities of painters, artisans and craftsmen tend to follow a particular style, and there are different arts and crafts to be found in every village.

As Bali enters a new era of prosperity more and more artists and craftsmen are finding the chance to express their talents and earn a meaningful income from their creativity. There has been a great expansion of the many cottage industries producing handicrafts over the last decade as the demand for export has grown. The essential adaptability of Bali’s artisans, combined with a genuine need to develop dependable additional sources of income, has resulted in a veritable boom in the export of handicrafts from Bali in recent years, as well as the development of many new crafts.