Bali Painting

The painting in Bali is very unique, and strongly influenced by the Balinese tradition itself. Again, the best of Bali is well-presented into this kind of painting art. The Bali painting can be classified into some certain styles and groups. Each of them bears its own beauty and uniqueness. The painting in Bali has been developed from time to time. However, the main categories remain the same. First is the Kamasan or classical painting, which is also named the wayang style. This style can be traced back to ninth century Javanese sculpture that features wayang figures, rich floral designs, and flame-and-mountain motifs characteristic of classical Balinese painting. There is also the Pita Maha, which literally means 'great vitality'.

This group was formed when painting was dying out as an art form and in a serious decline due to styles becoming stagnant. 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.