Making Ubud the base in Bali
means the quiet downtime you daydream about during your daily commute is
finally yours. If you resist the temptation to hire a motorbike and gallivant
around the island, you will find yourself lazing around for the better part of
the day trying to mimic bird sounds while trying to spot them in the lush
tropical foliage. Afternoons are perfect to step out. The sun, not so warm. The
breeze, just on the right side of cool. Amiable conditions for a long, rambling
walk. Or to chat with a diffident artist working quietly at his roadside
workshop.
Wayan Raman had a
weather-beaten face creased with wrinkles. As I approached him, a shy yet warm
smile spread across his face. His tiny shed cum workshop was decorated with
hundreds of paintings on a variety of surfaces ranging from canvas to the
typical Balinese ‘eggs’ – hollow wooden structures in the shape of eggs. He was
painting one of these eggs. We exchanged ‘hellos’. My pan-Asian features
aroused his curiosity. ‘Malay?’ He asked. ‘Indian’ I replied. He chuckled. ‘I
have never seen Indians like you. You look so much like us’. This is the point
where I launch into a practiced and brief introduction of the part of India I
hail from, the ethnographic reasons behind why we look ‘different’, etc.
Wayan
remarked that he had travelled once to Jaipur for a painting workshop. He made
some good friends there and is still in touch with them. I asked for his
permission to take pictures of his work, and while he worked. He happily
obliged. It was quite fascinating to see him hold the egg with one hand as he
painted it with deft touches. There’s hardly any room for error. The egg is
light, but sitting in a hunched position, while holding it with one hand and
painting it with the other definitely doesn’t look easy.
Wayan who has been
painting since his childhood, however, made it look effortless. His images are
inspired from nature and the great Hindu epic - the Ramayana. The painted eggs
are a typical example of exquisite Balinese craftsmanship. As I watched this
little masterpiece being created painstakingly by the side of a sleepy village
road, I really hoped in this increasingly modern world of ours, artists like
Wayan always find a quiet little corner to call their own.
