Kamasan Village, Klungkung: Home of Bali's Classical Wayang Painting

About 40 minutes from Ubud and an hour from Sanur, in Klungkung district, sits a village that guards the only classical Balinese painting tradition still handed down from generation to generation: Kamasan Village. This is the style — wayang figures, dense composition, colours from natural materials — that covers the ceilings of Kerta Gosa, and in Kamasan it is still painted every day on the front verandas of family homes.

The Kamasan Style: Wayang, Pakem and Natural Pigments

Kamasan paintings draw on the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the palelintangan (Balinese calendar). Strict pakem rules govern body proportion, facial expression and even the drawing order. The canvas is cotton cloth coated with rice paste and burnished smooth, while the colours are mixed from natural materials — soot for black, bone for white, stone and earth for ochre and red. A large cloth can take weeks.

Painters' Studios in Banjar Sangging

The heart of the craft is Banjar Sangging. Many families open the pavilion at the front of the house as a studio: you can step in, watch nyawi — drawing fine outlines with a bamboo pen — and talk with the painter. Around Kamasan you will also find makers of kepeng coins (pis bolong) and silver and brass artisans who cast and carve metal by hand.

Etiquette and Price Ranges

• Studio entry: generally free or by voluntary donation.
• Artwork prices: small sketches and studies usually run in the hundreds of thousands of rupiah; large classical cloths can reach several million, depending on size and detail.
• Photos: ask permission before photographing a painter or an unfinished work.
• Bargaining: acceptable, but keep it polite and realistic — this is weeks of handwork.

Practical Info & Booking

• Location: Kamasan Village, Klungkung district — View on Google Maps.
• Getting there: about 40 minutes from Ubud, one hour from Sanur via the Ida Bagus Mantra bypass. No village entry ticket; park at the field or the banjar hall.
• Studio visits: no booking needed for individuals. For groups or a painting class, contact the village or banjar office a day ahead.
• Best time: morning to early afternoon, while the painters are working.
• Combine with: Kerta Gosa, only about 2 km away, and Tukad Unda to close the afternoon.
• Latest updates: search on Instagram.

Klungkung is easiest to explore if you stay in Sanur, Ubud or Candidasa. Compare rates and secure your hotel voucher on AccessiaPass before you map out this art route.