Ubud Bali Wood Carvers

Photos

In spite of how touristy much of Bali has become, it would be a shame for anyone to miss the Ubud region.  This is where nearly all the Balinese artists hang out, or at least where they sell their products.  Every conceivable handcraft you could think of a Balinese creating—and then some—are made & sold here. 

Mostly gone are the days where you can just walk an Ubud street & encounter original artists actually making their product right there in stalls on the street.  Ubud has become too touristy for that.  But with a bit of local knowledge & polite persistence it’s possible to penetrate through the layers of “my uncle makes just what you need” or “there’s a mega-factory & shop over here where they have beautiful items."

 

Those places are impressive but at high prices, and, hey, they pay drivers a hefty commission on sales!

But the real fun is to actually get a bit out into the village to photograph the real working artists in their cottage industries.  Some are still almost no-name little artists who daily create beautiful works that are then anonymously sold in shops. 

We found a family of Balinese carving artists working under a small pavilion off their front porch. 

They don’t just make cookie-cutter carvings of one or two subjects—like so many now do, but they really follow their creative instincts & the grain of the wood—filling their studio with truly original masterpieces—and at reasonable prices.  

Then we come upon a different kind of Balinese woodcarver--one doing architectural carving--for trim & finishing in the elaborate Balinese-style houses.

These Balinese carving masters are amazing in their speed & detailed work.

And their results are impressive--as seen in this door frame, 

or these light fixture frames.  

After a very satisfying day photographing the amazing Balinese woodcarvers of Ubud, we return to our hotel to relax on our Balinese-styled balcony, with a fitting example of the woodcarver's handiwork behind us on the doors. 

Think you'd like to photograph people & places like Ubud, Bali?  Check out this opportunity to join our upcoming photo tour.

Click on Matt Brandon’s blog to see our September photo tour that will take you to Ubud to photograph artists like this.  This one’s at a special one-time-only, introductory low price.  www.thedigitaltrekker.com/2013/01/east-java-bali-photo-tour/ 

Sign-up here:  http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5293232200?ref=ebtn