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Get ready for Larasati's auction of traditional, contemporary in Bali
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Lot #364, World of Dreams in the Keliki style by Made Sutama has an estimated price between Rp 50,000,000 and Rp 60,000,000 (Larasati Auctioneers/File)
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t the end of this week, Larasati Auctioneers will present an excellent array of predominantly Balinese traditional art for sale in Ubud, Bali.
Lot #335 Dewi Tidur, a poetic depiction of a sleeping goddess being watched over by nature spirits created by 36-year-old Made Griyawan, a rising star of the renowned Batuan school, is just one of the 70 items of fine art going under the hammer on Saturday at the Traditional, Modern and Contemporary Art auction.
Sketches on paper in ink and pastel, lithographs, woodcarvings and paintings from various genres of Balinese traditional art will be on offer, along with some rare gems. The quality of works and the price range make Saturday’s auction attractive to both connoisseurs and new buyers looking to enter the market at affordable rates.
Read also: TiTian Prize recognizes Balinese visual art talents
The following are a few recommendations.
Auction highlights for connoisseurs include works by deceased masters of the 1930’s Pita Maha artists collective, Lot #363 Sita Satya, by Gusti Ketut Kobot (Pengosekan1917-199) with an estimated price between Rp 90,000,000 (US$6,752) and Rp 130,000,000. Pementasan Calonarang, Lot #362, by Ida Bagus Made Togog (Batuan 1913-1980) with an estimated price between Rp 100,000,000 and Rp 125,000,000 as well as Upacara Potong Gigi, Lot #352, by Ida Bagus Made Widja (Batuan 1912-1992) with an estimated price between Rp 20,000,000 and Rp 25,000,000 are both strong compositions of balance and harmony.
Two Pita Maha founding fathers are also featured: Bali’s iconic modernist Gusti Nyoman Lempad (1862-1978) with Erotic Scene, Lot #360, has excellent provenance with an estimated price between Rp 35,000,000 and Rp 45,000,000, while a pastel on paper piece by influential Dutch artist Rudolf Bonnet (1895-1978), Portrait of a Balinese Boy 1956, Lot# 323, will go for an estimated Rp 100,000,000 to Rp 125,000,000.
The following items will garner much attention: Upacara di Pura, 1979, Lot #314, by popular Sumatran painter Rusli (1922-2005), with an estimated price between Rp 30,000,000 and Rp 40,000,000; Beautiful Scenery, Lot #317, by noted female Balinese painter Ni Gusti Agung Galuh estimated at Rp 38,000,000 to Rp 48,000,000, which depicts sunlit rice terraces in a mountainous landscape; Sacred Sang Hyang Dedari Dance, Lot #325, by Nyoman Kayun (b. 1954, Peliatan, Ubud) with an estimated price between Rp 180,000,000 and Rp 230,000,000, which for its size is a rare find; andUpacara Melasti, Lot# 353, by Wayan Matra, in which the red setting sun glows on a Balinese religious ceremony and which is expected to fetch between Rp 75,000,000 and Rp 95,000,000.
Buyers with an eye for a bargain take note! If purchased within their estimated price ranges, the following lots, including the aforementioned Dewi Tidur, all represent good buys. Hanoman Membangun Jembatan Rama Setu, Lot #361, ink on paper by Gusti Made Deblog (1906-1986 Denpasar) at estimated price between of Rp 20,000,000 to Rp 25,000,000; Kegiatan di Sawah 1963, Lot #319, by Pitamaha master Ida Bagus Made Nadera at an estimated price of Rp 15,000,000 to Rp 20,000,000, and Devotion, a modernist wood carving by Ketut Djedeng, Lot #304, at an estimated price of Rp 1,500,000 to Rp 2,500,000.
Five works by finalists of the TiTian Prize, Lots #364-368, represent long-term investment buying opportunities. Recognizing innovation in Balinese art, the awards were presented during the one-year anniversary of the TiTian Bali Foundation on Jan. 29. Lot #364, World of Dreams in the Keliki style by Made Sutama has an estimated price between Rp 50,000,000 and Rp 60,000,000. Nature Teasing, Lot #368, by an exciting new talent of Batuan, 22-year-old Wayan Aris Sarmanta, is expected to sell for Rp 20,000,000 to Rp 25,000,000. Sarmanta, along with Gede Suryawan, Lot #367,Living in Nature, are emerging artists with a promising future. A set of three woodcarvings, Emotion II, Lot #366, by Made Supena also offer good value at estimated prices between Rp 15,000,000 and Rp 20,000,000.
Other noted artists include influential Dutchman Arie Smit (1916-2016), with three works on offer, Joko Pekik, Wayan Bendi, and Dewa Putu Mokoh, while Jan Christiaan Poortenaar’s (1886-1958) Javanese Dancer, Lot #343, is a beautiful composition featuring exquisite negative spaces. The proceeds of Lot #369 The Bible by Korean artist Lee Ji Hyun, and Lot #370, Portrait of a Gentleman by Gerard Pieter Adolfs (1889-1968), will benefit non-commercial programs for Balinese traditional art.
As an alternative to conventional investment, buying pieces of art and holding them for 10-20 years can prove to be sound financial planning, with the items often appreciating tenfold. Experts consider the market for traditional Balinese art undervalued.
Buyers bidding over the phone or online who are unable to attend the preview days or auction are advised to contact Larasati and inquire about the color reproduction accuracy of the images contained in the online catalog to ensure that what they wish to purchase can be realistically gaged. Condition reports of the works, outlining the paintings current state and whether it has repairs or over-painting, are available upon request. Provenance, historical data of a work’s previous owners, is also important. (kes)
Viewing:
Thursday, Feb. 9, 11 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 10, 11 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Auction:
Saturday, Feb. 11, starting at 3 p.m.
Location:
Larasati Bali Art Space
Jl. Jatayu, Tebesaya, Peliatan, Ubud, Bali
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Richard Horstman, a cultural observer with over 25 years experience in Indonesia, has supported the Bali & Indonesian art scenes for more than 9 years as a journalist, writer, art tourism presenter & Advisor at Cata Odata Art Space in Ubud. A bridge between the art world and the public, he’s been published in the Jakarta Post and Jakarta Globe newspapers, Art Republik, Now! Singapore, ARTI, Indo Expat, & UbudLife magazines. Visit his personal blog or Facebook.
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