JOHAN RUDOLF BONNET
Born in 1895 in Holland, Johan Rudolf Bonnet became one of Bali’s most influential foreign artists.
He first heard of Bali from W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp. He came to Bali in 1929, soon became fascinated by Balinese culture and quickly decided to stay. He became, along with Walter Spies and Gusti Nyoman Lempad, a founder of the Pita Maha Art movement in 1936, which philosophy was to encourage self expression and explore new themes, rather than sticking to mythical and religious themes. After the Japanese arrived in Bali, he was imprisoned and spent the rest of the war in internments camps.
After the war, he dedicated his life to keep the Pita Maha legacy alive, collecting funds to found the Puri Lukisan Museum. Unfortunately, he was forced to leave Bali after refusing to sell a painting to President Sokarno in 1957. He couldn’t return to the island until 1972 and dedicated the rest of his life to the museum, attempting to complete its catalogue. He died before achieving this final task in 1978 in Holland. He was cremated in Bali in 1979 in one of the greatest cremation ceremonies ever.
His works are exhibited at the ARMA, Neka, and Puri Lukisan museums in Ubud.
The most graceful of Balinese dances, this is the epitome of classical Balinese female dancing. A legong, as the dancer is known, is often a young girl of eight or nine years, rarely older than her early teens. It was first created in the 18th Century and is usually the first dance to be taught to beginners. There are many forms of Legong, ...
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ARTIST OF THE WEEK
Bali has sure seen the birth and progress of numerous bands this year, and here we are, happy to do our part related to the births and happenings related to the island's music scene! We are sure passionate to cheer for the newcomers to make their way and earn their place, of course starting in the local scene. This week we...
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