Painting — The Ubud School

Bali has one of the most vibrant painting traditions in Asia — from the classical Kamasan painting (flat, narrative images on cloth in the style of Wayang puppets) to the famous Ubud school and the contemporary art scene.

The Ubud school emerged in the 1930s under the influence of European artists — especially the German Walter Spies and the Dutchman Rudolf Bonnet, who settled in Ubud and collaborated with Balinese painters. Spies encouraged local artists to move away from rigid religious motifs and paint everyday scenes, landscapes, and nature depictions — with a Western perspective but Balinese style.

The result was an explosion of creativity: The Ubud style (dense, detailed depictions of Balinese everyday life), the Batuan style (dark, overloaded compositions with ghosts and demons), and the Young Artists Style (brightly colored, naive depictions) made Bali a center of Southeast Asian art.

The best museums:

• ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art) — The most comprehensive collection of Balinese art, from Kamasan classics to contemporary works. Works by Spies, Bonnet, Lempad, and Blanco. Beautiful garden. Admission 80,000 IDR.
• Neka Art Museum — Excellent collection showing the chronological development of Balinese painting. Admission 75,000 IDR.
• Museum Puri Lukisan — Bali's oldest art museum, founded in 1956 by Rudolf Bonnet. Admission 85,000 IDR.