General

The Neka Art Museum was opened in 1982 and is named after a Balinese teacher Suteja Neka who collected paintings as a means of artistic documentation. Nowadays the museum has a great selection of works from many famous Balinese artists and expats who have lived here and influenced local artists.

The two figures of a man and woman represent inseparable male and female aspects, forming a balance and harmony in human cultural life. Their puppet profiles indicate self-identity that is rooted in the environment and culture of Bali. The six waves of hair refer to paintings in the puppet, Ubud, Batuan, Young Artist, along with Indonesian and International contemporary styles that are on permanent display at the Neka Art Museum.

The sun with a maximum of nine radiating point of light symbolize the functions of a museum as a source of information, inspiration, education, research, public service, tourism, culture, preservation, and continuity. Three rings in the sun signify that a museum gives a sense of the past, present, and future.

All in all, the Neka Art Museum constitutes a notable microcosm of traditional and modern painting, in past and present Bali. As such, it represents as well an important institutional symbol of cultural preservation and a worthy example of artistic enterprise for all of Indonesia and the rest of the world".

History

In the village of Ubud in the district of Gianyar, Bali, is the Neka Art Museum , formerly called the Neka Museum. The founder and owner is Pande Wayan Suteja Neka, better known as Suteja Neka, an art connoisseur. His father, I Wayan Neka (1917 - 1980), received recognition as the best carver in the province of Bali in 1960. He created a three-metre tall statue of the garuda bird for the Indonesia Pavilion at the New York World Fair in the United States of America in 1964, and another one for the same purpose at Expo 70 held in Osaka, Japan.

Suteja Neka began collecting paintings of high quality due to his close friendship with Dutch artists Rudolf Bonnet (1895 - 1978) and Arie Smith (born 1916). In 1975 Neka and Bonnet traveled to Europe to view museums and galleries. Neka's aim to establish a fine arts museum in Bali was reinforced by this journey. After years of planning, the Neka Art Museum officially was opened by then Indonesian Minister of Education and Culture, Dr Daoed Joesoef, on the 7th of July in 1982.

In 1992 the province of Bali presented Suteja Neka with the Dharma Kusuma art award and gold medal on behalf of his devotion and efforts to raise the quality of and preserve Balinese art culture. In 1993 Neka was awarded the Piagam Hadiah Seni art award, the highest distinction in the arts from the Republic of Indonesia. It was presented by the Minister of Education and Culture in recognition of Neka's devotion to the development of traditional and contemporary art in Indonesia. In addition, the award was presented in appreciation of his dedication in founding a high quality private museum. In 1997, the President of Indonesia awarded Neka with the Adikarya Pariwisata tourism trophy. The Pacific - Asia Travel Association ( PATA ) Indonesia Chapter presented him with the Heritage Award in the same year.

It is hoped that the government's recognition of the Neka Art Museum and Suteja Neka's service to the arts will motivate other galleries to contribute their energy and devotion for everyone's benefit.

Dr Anak Agung Made Djelantik Specialist on Balinese Art and Culture Denpasar, Bali.

Mission

The Neka Art Museum was established in 1976 and was officially opened by Dr. Daoed Joesoef, then Indonesian Minister for Education and Culture on the 7th of July in 1982. Over the years, there has been a strong commitment to constantly improve the museum. Every effort has been made, along with new initiatives, to fulfill the original of the museum. It also has carried out a program to mount temporary exhibitions.

Present a richly illustrated introduction to the history of the major styles of Balinese painting. Individual essays examine some of the important characteristics unique to classical puppet figure works, transitional style paintings, and different regional developments of art found on the island. Other sections cover contemporary paintings by artists from Bali, other parts Indonesia, and abroad. All of these styles are presented here as developments in the broader context of Indonesian art history.

For centuries the island of Bali has produced some of the finest examples of religious art. Under the influence of Western aesthetics, various seculer styles emerged which combined indigenous and foreign elements in several different ways. Formal art education in the schools of Indonesia also have produced some interesting styles with more international perspectives. Artists from all over the world have long been attracted to Bali for its dynamic culture and scenic wonders.

Location