Sculptures come alive here. The wooden fingers of the lady seem to move, a farmer with an abstract elongated face and body is cutting grass, and a Balinese man with wisps of hair folded under Balinese headdress ‘udeng’ and a frangipani flower tucked behind his ear stares at you. All these artworks are an eclectic mix of imagination, creativity and skills of the wood carvers of Bali.
The entire stretch of the five-km road cutting through the Mas village in Bali looks like a street museum of handcrafted wooden sculptures, painted masks and teak furniture. The attractive wooden art spills over the streets. Shops are choc-a-block with masks and sculptures. Your interest peaks admiring one craft shop after another. And amid this chaotic art scene, you may find the sexagenarian woodcarver, I Made Kania, chiselling a gamelan (men playing musical instruments used in religious orchestras in Bali) statue with an awl and hammer somewhere. “Gamelan woodcarvings are made of Satin wood that could cost between 1 million to 2 million rupiah (`4,800-`9,700),” says Kania.
Satinwood is relatively soft. It’s cut and kept for two years to dry in shade. Also known as crocodile wood, it has a smooth finish like ivory. There are many others like Kania who are skilled in carving artefacts.
While Ida Bagus Anom is famous for making Topeng and wayang wong masks—worn by performers of the two classic theatres in Bali—the team of father and son Ida Bagus Njana and Ida Bagus Tilem are known for abstract art. There’s Nyoman Cokot and his son Ketut Nongos from the mountain village of Djati, who are known for their ‘free-form’ style. They use branches to produce strange faces of demons and supernatural beings. Influenced by European artists they began a modernist approach in woodcarving for the first time in Bali and introduced innovative styles like abstract art and erotic sculptures in the 1930s. Artefacts are made using different woods, but Ebony is one of the difficult woods to work with, and pieces made with sandalwood and mahogany red are the costliest.
But be cautious in upmarket showrooms such as Karya Mas gallery, which have a huge variety, but the prices are exorbitant. Most cabs would take you to such galleries so be forewarned and not enter this tourist trap. Your best bet could be the street bargain if you could bargain enough. Else, knock on the door of a craftsperson’s home to get a good deal.
Fact file
How to reach: Direct Garuda flight from Mumbai to Denpasar
Languages spoken: Balinese, Bhasa Indonesian