Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet were western artists who, along with their patron Cokorda Gede Agung Sukawati, formed the Pita Maha to encourage painting as an art form and seek a market for the best paintings. Other styles include theYoung Artists and variants of the main Kamasan and Young Artists'styles. The Balinese sculpture with natural media - wood, stone, bone, horn, deadwood, and even gnarled tree roots. Nowadays, souvenir-caliber wood carving is churned out and successful creations are mass produced. Any visitor to Bali is likely to be exposed to wood carving in all forms, be it the traditional ornate carved doors, the carved figures of gods, or the countless carved items in craft shops.
Wood carving is a craft practiced all over Bali.
Open your ears to the tapping sound of the carver's mallet and you would know that there is one around. It would be taxing to separate traditional and foreign influences. However, Balinese are intense observers of the outside world, effortlessly incorporating and adapting foreign themes into their work. For quality wood carving, head to Tegallalang, Pujung, and Sebatu, which is north of Ubud. Bali is a perfect place for western artists to study their crafts.