A bilingual book on Balinese painting will be launched on November 30 at Ubud Diary, Ubud, Bali. The book, Ubud Diary: Celebrating the Ubud School of Painting – the Diversity of the Visual Language, is written by Bali-based Australian writer Richard Horstman.
In his book Horstman uses a journalistic perspective to view the development of Balinese painting from the classical religious Kamasan paintings through to the birth of the Ubud School. “The historically important Ubud School that began in the later 1920s, along with the Pita Maha artists collective, started in Ubud in 1936, played a defining role in presenting images of Balinese culture, landscape and daily life activities to the world, helping to establish Bali as a leading global tourism destination,” Horstman said.
The venue, Ubud Diary, is a new art gallery in Ubud that presents Indonesian art and culture within modern settings. Located in Lodtunduh, the gallery has been built with beautiful old wood and designed with the principle that the beauty of Ubud will be enhanced by its presence.
The gallery has been collecting Balinese paintings that have a high artistic value, especially the historically significant style of the Ubud School of Painting. The Ubud style plays an important role in the development of Balinese and Indonesian cultural art identities. However, the style is in decline, and the experienced painters are now in their senior years, while the interest from the younger generation of painters in the style is decreasing.
Ubud Diary is created with a distinct vision and mission to help the genre prosper through its regeneration. It is a platform for the Ubud school artists to exhibit their works onto the national and international stages. The gallery intends to raise the awareness of the Ubud School of Painting to the national and international stake holders.
The book launch, together with an exhibition of Ubud School paintings, will mark the grand opening of Ubud Diary. NAWABALI
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