Now that I’ve told you a bit about cottage industry in Bali, I thought you might like to take a road trip around the island and meet some artisans and have a look at their craftsmanship.
I live in Sanur, so let’s head out to the By-Pass to see some stonework. Local craftsmen and carvers who work in the medium of rock or stone have abundant resources available here in Indonesia. Stoneworkers choose from sandstone, limestone, lava stone and also make a mixture called paras from volcanic ash and clay. Most of the limestone and sandstone comes from Central Java. Add this to the assortment of river rock found throughout the archipelago and we have the materials for some interesting handiwork.
As we head out of Sanur on the By-Pass, we will take the Ketewel turn off and immediately on the right will find 91 Art. They offer a wide range of loose stones such as green pebbles from Timor and the quail egg pebbles from Sumatra, as well as an impressive display of finished product. Here we can find mosaic stepping stones, mosaic table tops and a beautiful assortment of stacked pebble urns. The price range is 25.000rp for a bag of pebbles to over 1.500.000 for a 1.5 meter tall stacked pebble urn. Keep in mind the bulk and weight of these products as you plan the packing of your container.
Turn right out of 91 Art and in about 100 meters you will see Karunia 2. They have a fine assortment of water features here, made primarily from cement. The cement water features have wire frames over which cement is poured. Finishing is done by carving, pebble stacking or the addition of etched glass pieces. It is a unique craft resulting in beautiful esthetic pieces that can transform your home or garden. They range in price from 400.000rp to about a 1.000.000rp. The prices are great, but again make sure you calculate your transportation costs.
Another stone craft is of course the deity statues, animals and exquisite wall tiles carved from limestone. I hope we have time to make it to Batubulan to visit some stone carvers later today. For now let’s just follow the road around Ketewel and just after the Sukawati turn off, we will find a great commercial art gallery called Kresna Ayu Painting. Nengah Suyasa is a successful local artist who learned the value of commercially themed artwork, which led him to open this impressive gallery that employs 20 local artists. He also buys finished canvases from more than 90 freelance artists. His studio artists are provided supplies and are paid on piecework, while his contract artists sell him their finished products. This gallery offers traditional paintings, but the bulk of work here is geared towards mainstream commercial themes. Soothing turquoise ocean landscapes, festive colorful chili peppers and Monet inspired poppy fields are just a few examples of the wide variety found here. 1M x 1.20 acrylic paintings range from 250.000rp to 350.000rp. The great thing about canvas art is it can be taken off the frames and rolled up for extremely economical shipping.
Let’s move on to Sukawati to pay a visit to a lovely old Balinese man who learned the art of making ceremonial umbrellas from his father and turned this into a commercial art by making tabletop umbrellas. I met Pak Made Kandrawan three years ago and was so impressed by his work ethic and the quality of his product that I decided it was worth it to pay a little more for his umbrellas. Pak Made and his wife are inspiring to watch in their little workshop on the main street in Sukawati. They work side by side everyday, often while minding their grandchildren. For me, they personify the work ethic and pride found in cottage industry. I was so happy to find their workshop open today, but sorry to hear Pak Made has been ill, therefore he had very few umbrellas in his shop. He has since my last visit begun to make chimes by using some of the elements he used in his umbrella trade. He adorns the chimes with the aluminum and wooden ornaments that used to hang from his umbrellas. His chimes are quite beautiful and unique and sell in the range of 35.000rp to 120.000rp. The name of his shop is Kuta Sari, so be sure to pay him a visit.
I would like to go to Bona next, so we head NE to Jalan Kemenuh and follow that to Jalan Kebo Iwa. Bona is well known in the bamboo furniture trade, but I’m more interested in visiting a family owned store that makes baskets and bags from pandan. This family harvests leafs from the pandan shrub, then processes them in large drums of water based dyes. By harvesting only the young leafs the plants will easily regenerate giving the craftsmen a constant supply of raw materials. The owners of Telaga Mas then distribute these materials all over this busy village and as you drive past little shops and home compounds it seems pretty much everyone from girls in their school uniforms to grandmas wearing only bras and sarongs are weaving pandan into beautiful bags and baskets. I didn’t have a chance to visit with the owners as they are busy filling a truck with a large order of bags. I’m glad to see this little industry is still thriving.
My next stop is on Jalan Raya Mas, where the next medium to explore is one relatively new to Bali. About 5 years ago, I first noticed glass art beginning to emerge. One innovative artist, Komang Kurnawan, owner of Focus Glass, was the first on the island to open a glass factory. The products range from beautiful glass blown vases to an assortment of sculptures and tableware which are oven baked with handmade molds. Now these glass products line both sides of the highway in Mas. The large coin shaped sculptures are the most remarkable, but the vases and tableware are more easily marketed. My personal favorites are the leaf platters and the large shallow bowls ideal for floating flowers in. These prices range from 80.000rp for small vases to 3.000.000rp for the largest sculptures.
Continuing North, we hit Jl. Goa Gajah and turn left towards Ubud. I want to head onto the handicraft highway known as Tegallalang. I know it will be difficult to pick and choose crafts here as the variety is overwhelming to even the most experienced of shoppers. However, I do want to comment on another glass craft while we are here. A stunning variety of mosaic glass products line the streets here. The glass is hand cut and hand painted and then arranged on products that range from wooden mirrors to terracotta plates to fiberglass mannequins and lamps. The newest and most interesting product I found on my trip today is mosaic purses. The front panels of the purses are decorated by applying hand cut glass in a variety of color combinations and motifs. Leave it to the Balinese to find so many uses for a simple but beautiful art form.
As I travel through Tegallalang, I must mention the wood carvers. The streets here are lined with an incredible assortment of carved pieces which include cats, goddesses, Buddha panels, ducks and media racks. The primary wood source for these hand painted carvings is abacia wood which is a very soft and abundant wood source. I appreciate this wood as it is fast growing, easy to carve and creates a reasonably priced product that is competitive in the world market. The second most popular wood is suar which is a non endangered tropical hardwood. The straight grain of this wood makes it easy to carve and is very popular amongst the Balinese wood carvers for making deity statues, abstract lover figurines and a variety of animal and marine life statues. The artists here are just too many to mention. You can drive along almost any road in any village and find the products and the artists that are right for you.
I’ve been so engrossed in this trip today, I failed to notice that the sun is beginning to set and the families are closing the doors to their storefronts. It’s interesting to note that most don’t bring their wares inside and there seems to be no problem with theft in these small villages. Unbelievably the day has come to an end, and I did not make it to Penestanan to introduce you to the beaded basket ladies or have time to show you the beautiful photo albums and journals produced from handmade paper. We did not visit the stone carvers in Batubulan or the silversmiths of Celuk. It looks like you’ll have to finish up this road trip on your own. I know you’ll have a great time, as there is no end to the treasures that await you or the smiling faces behind them.
