The Keliki-style of Balinese painting originated from my village of Keliki, about 20 minutes north of Ubud. It is one the five major styles of Balinese art. The painting is usually in black and white, and characterized by small and detailed figures and scenes. This type of art is from the old days, prior to the introduction of watercolors by Western artists in the early twentieth century. I learned this art from my grandfather.
Now very few people paint in this style because it is very time consuming. Some of my larger pieces of paintings took over 2 years to finish. To keep this art tradition alive, I sponsor and teach children from my village to learn this style of painting at my house. I have between 27 to 35 students at any one time. |