Welcome to AGUNG RAI Fine Art Gallery

The paintings in this catalogue have been selected from the collection of Agung Rai. The collection as a whole, with works dating from the turn of the century to the present, gives the viewer a sense of the evolution of Balinese painting during the time, and of the range of modern Indonesian art. Comprising works representative of all styles of Balinese painting, as well as works by Western artists who encouraged and supported Balinese painters, the collection also includes paintings by Indonesian and foreigners who found, or continue to find inspiration among the Balinese.

Agung Rai has selected the works in his collection based on what he describes as a spiritual connection he feels between a painting and himself if the painting has taksu. Taksu is a Balinese word for a power that can be sensed, that can not be intentionally sought or attained through study.

It can be termed divine inspiration, a gift, a kind of charisma what can be bestowed by God on an artist, dancer, musician, carver, writer, orator, or healer. Taksu is not constant, it does not necessarily remain with a person, rather it appears if the person is in an appropriate state of purity, or otherwise deemed suited for receiving a divine gift. It is because of taksu that a novice painter can produce a work of surprising power and grace.

According to Agung Rai

The concept of taksu is important to the Balinese, in fact to any artist. I do not think one can simply plan to paint a beautiful painting, a perfect painting. The issue of taksu is also one of honesty, for the artist and the viewer. An artist will follow his

heart or instinct, and will not care what other people think. A painting that has a magic does not need to be elaborated upon, the painting alone speaks. A work of art that is difficult to describe in words has to be seen with the eyes and a heart that is open and not influenced by the name of the painter. In this honesty, there is a purity in the connection between the viewer and the viewed.

As a through discussion of Balinese and Indonesian arts is beyond the scope of this catalogue, the reader is referred to the books listed in the bibliography. The following descriptions of painters styles are intended as a brief introduction to the paintings in the catalogue, which were selected using several criteria. Each is what Agung Rai considers to be an exceptional work by a particular artist, is a singular example of a given period, school or style, and contributes to a broader understanding of the development of Balinese and Indonesian paintng. The Pita Maha artist society was established in 1936 by Cokorda Gde Agung Sukawati, a royal patron of the arts in Ubud, and two European artists, the Dutch painter Rudolf Bonnet, and Walter Spies, a German. The society’s stated purpose was to support artists and craftsmen work in various media and style, who were encouraged to experiment with Western materials and theories of anatomy, and perspective. The society sought to ensure high quality works from its members, and exhibitions of the finest works were held in Indonesia and abroad. The society ceased to be active after the onset of... [more]