Neka Art Museum

©Anita Surewicz/Lonely Planet

Neka Art Museum

Top choice in Ubud


Offering an excellent introduction to Balinese art, the top-notch collection is displayed in a series of pavilions and halls. Don't miss the multiroom Balinese Painting Hall, which showcases wayang (puppet) style as well as the European-influenced Ubud and Batuan styles introduced in the 1920s and '30s. Also notable is the Lempad Pavilion, with works by the master I Gusti Nyoman Lempad (1862–1978), and the East-West Art Annexe, where works by Affandi (1907–90) and Widayat (1919–2002) impress. Good bookstore, too.

The museum is the creation of Suteja Neka, a private collector and dealer in Balinese art, and his collection is huge. As well as works by Balinese and Indonesian artists, there are plenty of works by foreign artists who have called the island home, including Arie Smit, Johan Rudolf Bonnet, Theo Meier, Louise Garrett Koke, Donald Friend and Tay Moh-Leong.

There's also a gift shop where quality local handicrafts can be purchased.


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