It was our last day in Bali and after a wonderfully relaxing facial for me we walked to the nearby Agung Rai Museum of Art. It takes approximately ten minutes to walk from our hotel along the busy main street to the hidden museum. There is also a hotel located at the back of the museum which was a surprise to us.
Intricately carved sculptures set amongst the tree roots of a large banyan tree.
ARMA is more than just a museum, it is a centre for performing and visual arts and it holds many theatre, dance and music performances. There are art classes for all ages, workshops and demonstrations.
As we entered the museum itself, this is the first thing we saw. I just took a quick glance before going to look at the paintings behind. It was only when I turned around that I realised the person was also a sculpture! So glad we were the only ones in there as I jumped back in surprise.
“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” – Pablo Picasso
This particular painting was amazing, as it was made up of tiny grains of painted golden rice.
Painted by Stephen Bennett, an American Portrait artist. Over the last twenty years he has travelled to over thirty countries seeking out indigenous people.
I did have to stop myself from going to give him a pat, beautiful wooden sculpture.
The Story of Agung Rai
Agung Rai was born into a poor family which led to a difficult upbringing. Even so he loved art and found a job selling paintings to foreign tourists on the beach. It took a while but he eventually managed to accumulate enough money to convert three rooms of his home into a homestay. This allowed him to offer rooms to tourists in Ubud. In 1978 he was able to open the Agung Rai Fine Art Gallery. ARMA was opened in 1996 and has many paintings not just by Balinese painters but also famous foreign artists.
A literal work of art that has been two years in the making. It will soon be ready to hang and view. The artist showed me minute details in the painting of weddings, funerals and other kinds of ceremonies.
“An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision.” – James McNeill Whistler
I enjoyed our visit to this museum, it’s a wonderful place to escape the noisy streets of Ubud.
Posted also for Natalie’s PPAC and Weekend Coffee Share