A lover of both of these forms of public art, I look for, and document it where ever I travel. Excited was I, when discovering a steady stream, as I travelled my way around four different parts of the island. The amazing street art & graffiti in Bali has been a fun discovery.
Ubud
My first stop on the island was the mountain town of Ubud. I was shocked by what I found here as far as over tourism and the condition of the place. This area is where I found the least amount of street art and graffiti.
I’m not sure graffiti would last very long here as there is just so much humidity and moisture around. Any wall is quickly consumed by moss, algae and vegetation. The few pieces I found were certainly interesting.
Seminyak
My first beach destination in Bali. Once again, so many tourists, but at least I had an idea now of what I was getting into. 🫣
The graffiti and street art here was fairly sparse, but with a high percentage of cultural images, which is what I love to see.
Canggu
Canggu town has been the most altered from its original state, of any of the areas I visited in Bali. Locals are quite dismayed at what has happened in the last five years. They tell me, and I can see for myself, that the over-tourism has greatly changed the look of the area.
Most new buildings are completely aesthetically out of place and the almighty tourist dollar is deciding the outcome of this town. Saying that, this is where I found the highest concentration of graffiti and street art.
The graffiti is everywhere! Perhaps because there are large stretches of concrete block walls offering a blank canvas, there is no shortage of places for art. Streets lined on both sides heading to the beach, and the beach walls themselves are absolutely covered.
The street art is also really lively here. Beautiful bright pieces, very individualistic and full of character. From childlike images to cultural diversity, Canggu has so much show.
Sanur
My last stop in Bali was across the island and into the area of Sanur. I came for the beaches and am glad I did. This coastline has a completely different vibe that the other side. So many more locals come to enjoy the beaches here. Yes, there are still a lot of tourists, but I feel more fully immersed into Balinese daily life in Sanur.
I have found virtually no graffiti and street art though! I have to ponder why this is, but I’m very interested to think about why this coastline would offer so much less, especially graffiti. The street art in many cases, is made for the tourists, so it would be logical that there is less here. But graffiti? That is made by the people, for the people. Hmmmm
Anyways, my adventures of documenting these amazing pieces of art, capturing the local vibes and cultural dynamics of a region will continue for as long as I travel. I just love it. It feeds my insatiable appetite for art and its always free. ☺️
