Gianyar Regency, Bali, is very close to the art culture of its people. This area is indeed very popular with sculpture and painting. Just like another tourism place, Ubud, Gianyar also has some galleries and museums that display the artworks of the local artists. One of the museums where you can find amazing Balinese art is the Pendet Museum.

Pendet Museum 

If you hear the name Pendet Museum, surely, the first thing that comes to your mind is a museum that exhibits all kinds of objects related to Pendet Dance. Apparently, the name ‘Pendet’ doesn’t come from that famous Balinese dance. But, it’s based on the name of a famous art maestro, Wayan Pendet. The museum was founded on April 14th, 1999 and was inaugurated on December 22th 2002, by the Regent of Gianyar, Tjok Gede Budi Setiawan.

Because it is named after Wayan Pendet, it is clear that this museum exhibits many artworks from the maestro himself. In the museum, you can see his 80 sculptural works and 29 paintings. All objects in the museum have high artistic value. Not surprisingly, every visitor who comes will be amazed to see it. 

Wayan Pendet is a special artist. Apart from being a reliable sculptor, he also bears the title as an accomplished painter. And the thing that makes Wayan Pendet increasingly admired is his skill in mastering painting and sculpture. 

Pendet sculptures not only have a high aesthetic value but also have characteristics. Most of his works carry the theme of humor. For example, the 2.5 meters high Cak Statue. This statue depicts a crowd of Kecak dancers that overlaps with witty moves that can make you smile. There is also a statue of Garuda as high as 80 cm with a turning face with relaxed wing shape. Quite different from the other Garuda statues that usually have stiff wings and look ahead. 

In the Pendet Museum, there are two exhibition spaces that you can explore. The first room contains a collection of sculptures and paintings created by Wayan Pendet's eldest son, Wayan Gunasta, who also carries the theme of humor. The second room is an art gallery owned by Wayan Pendet. Every work of art in this museum is packaged as attractive as possible with the addition of humorous elements that can steal your attention. 

If you are curious about the Pendet Museum, you can come to Jln. Nyuh Bojog, Nyuh Kuning Village, Ubud District, Gianyar Regency. At least, you need about 1 to 1.5 hours to get around this museum.