We stepped in to the lobby of The Kayon Jungle Resort and met our friends I Wayan Januariawan (more known as Wayan Donal) and Tania Efimova. They invited us to come to “LUXURY” Art Exhibition which was held at The Kayon Jungle Resort by Pramana Experience on 26th October 2019.
The Resort
The Kayon Jungle Resort is located at Bresela Village, 20 minutes from Ubud center. The architecture is inspired by the beauty of nearby Tegallalang Rice Terraces. The young Balinese architect thoughtfully designed it to follow the contours of natural landscape. We could see their beautiful Kepitu Restaurant and Wanna Jungle Poor and Bar from the lobby. The ambiance was magical.
The Gallery
We went down to Kelir Art Gallery with the resort’s lift. Nengah Suweca, the General Manager said the name of this gallery is inspired from puppets show. Kelir is the white curtain that usually used to catch the shadow of the puppets. I Putu Suryawan as the Owner of The Kayon Jungle Resort hopes the opening of Kelir Art Gallery will be able to accomodate the artists and their artwoks, also preserving art and culture.
Jero Dukuh Nyoman Sumerta, a collector and the artist’s representative opened the exhibition. There are 10 prominent artists who participated in this event. They are I Wayan Bawa Antara, I Wayan Januariawan, Alit Suaja, I Nyoman Wijaya, I Made Sutarjaya, I Wayan Suarmadi, Ngurah Darma, Irwan Widjayanto (iwe), Kate Saloma, and Nadya Lesnaya.
The Exhibition
The first painting that caught our attention was “Tari Rejang Dewa Desa Karangsari” by Painter I Wayan Bawa Antara. Rejang Dewa is one of holy dance in Bali, usually performed within the temple complex. Rejang means “offering.” The beauty of Rejang Dewa Dance at Karangsari Village which is located in Karangasem (East Bali) inspired the painter. The young dancers wore white kebaya and yellow kamen. Marigolds and frangipanis decorated the headpieces. There are variations of costumes and styles in each village of Bali.
I Nyoman Bawa Antara created another painting of Balinese dance “Sanghyang Dedari.” It is one of sacred Balinese dance that recognized by UNESCO as world cultural heritage that almost extinct. Nowadays chosen dancers perform the dance at Geriana Kauh Cultural Village, Karangasem once a year when harvest time is coming. It is the only Sanghyang Dedari dance that’s still routinely staged. Sanghyang Dedari Giri Amertha Museum was just opened on 12th November 2019 in the village to preserve this sacred dance.
Wayan Januariawan painted “Surga di Pulau Kelapa.” The tropical coconut trees and greenery truly refreshing. He loves to see the beauty of his surroundings and transforms it to his canvas wherever he goes.
Nyoman Wijaya painted “Panorama”, a painting situated at Beringkit Market, one of Bali’s biggest cattle market. Nyoman Wijaya took care his family’s cattle in the past and has fond memories of them. He also loves to paint figure. We can see that from his other painting “Kasih Ibu Sepanjang Masa” (Eternal Mother’s Love).
Ngurah Darma is one of the few Balinese artist to work entirely in watercolour. He painted “Balinese Girl.” Women’s inner beauty and grace has inspired him to create his paintings.
Alit Suaja painted the face of old woman with beautiful details. I admire this creation because working for several years at elderly facility in one of village in Bali taught me valuable lessons. It makes me to appreciate our time and journey more in this life.
Irwan Widjayanto’s painted “Light in Denpasar.” It portrays a scene in the market. This watercolour painting reminds me with my childhood and teenager days when my mom and me went together to the market in early morning. I loved to see colourful commodities that the sellers had and the way mom bought her stuff and interacted with the sellers.
Lempad Tribute Museum
There is a room in the gallery that fully dedicated for one of Bali’s most well-known artist, I Gusti Nyoman Lempad (1862-1978). He was a master artisan, carver, and architect. He built palaces and temples in Ubud and its neighboring villages. Saraswati Water Temple in Ubud where people can see a lot of lotus flowers nowadays demonstrates his architectural and design skills. Lempad Tribute Museum is dedicated to honor his vital role in preserving Bali’s creative heritage.
More people are coming as the evening went by. The resort provided free canapes and free flow of cocktails to make the night more enjoyable. The entrance was free. If you would like to visit the gallery in the future, kindly contact the resort for more details. The paintings from the 10 artists are for sale. You also can buy mini booklet of this exhibition. The resort plans to do more exhibitions in the future. Sunday Model Painting and Daily Painting Class in the gallery are also available. Check the information below if you are interested to take the class. It opens for public.
We enjoyed this art exhibition. It was an honor to meet the artists at this beautiful resort, learned about their paintings and gained some insights of their inner world.
THE KAYON JUNGLE RESORT BY PRAMANA EXPERIENCE
Address : Banjar Bresela, Desa Bresela, Ubud, Bali. 80572
Contact : +62361 978098
Website : The Kayon Jungle Resort
