Art in Klungkung Bali: Kamesan village and Art Center

Balinese painting has gone through a number of stages in its development, one of which is the wayang style. The wayang style draws its inspration from the wayang kulit ’shadow puppets’, that are an important part of the Balinese culture. The wayang style of painting tends to be a flat depiction of these ‘puppet like figures’, involved in scenes from the Indian epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

The Kamasan Art Center is located in the village of Kamasan which is located about 1km south of Klungkung. The museum was opened in 2001, and offers visitors the chance to try the arts for themselves. In the afternoons (Mon-Sat 2-5pm), adults and kids come to practice painting, silver working, dance and gamelan. The Kamasan Art Center allows visitors to walk around, meet the artists and bargain for paintings.

Two of the most famous artists at the center are I Nyoman Mandra, who has a collection of very fine pieces, which are not for sale, and Ni Made Suciarmi, a women artist, whose art is also on display at the Seniwati gallery in Ubud. Getting to the Kamasan Art Center from Kuta takes around 1 hour 30 minutes.