Bali's Wood Carving

Wood carving in Bali are known for centuries. The clasic style will be base on Ramayana or Mahabharata epic. The houses of Bali also ornamented by wood carving reliefs, the ancient Balinese doors, ceilings the pole or others. Especially for the building in the temple will be all carved for an art and religous purposed.

Art sculpture also made for religious purpose; statues of gods, mythological animals and demons. Mostly Bali wood carvings were painted in a variety of colors, very few carvings unpainted in their natural state.

Since around 1930s, Bali wood carving was develop rapidly in new theme and styles. Firstly, influenced by two Westerner - Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonet, they encouraged Balinese artist to have freedom expression, not only religious purpose. 

Mas Village is one of villages in Bali fundamentally identified as an artistic countryside by focusing in artistic of wood carving. Mas Village is located in Ubud sub district and Gianyar Regency, east part of Bali. It owns the typical style of wood carving art by placing forward the distinguish synergy the humanism and naturalism. The famous maestro who was borne in this village is Ida Bagus Tilem.

This Artistic countryside owns the long history root. The result of wood carving art in this village owns the immeasurable and wide dimension like idol for the devoting (arca idol), representative dimension of everyday Balinese social society life (farmer, fisherman, worker, intellectual, merchant etc), the abstract dimension as existing of actor imagination which is listening carefully of reality, dynamics and life philosophy. Even nowadays, it is continued to service society from commerce service until levying service of the souvenir for overseas and domestic tourist.

The children and teenagers are also do the simple wood carving for their side jobs after schools. It is a job, fun and arts blend together for them so that they are seems so happy to carve. Along the road at Mas village and some other places in Bali, many wood carving workshop will be found and you may buy directly from them for more valuable price.