In the Western canon, the artist is often a singular figure — genius, rebel, visionary — whose signature, style, and personal story are central to the artwork’s meaning and market value. In contrast, Balinese art has long functioned within a radically different cosmology: one where the artist is not a solitary creator but a channel, a vessel through which communal and spiritual forces are made manifest. Artwork by i Wayan Suala This difference begins with intention. Much of what is traditionally considered “art” in Bali — from stone carvings and paintings to textiles and temple ornamentation — is created not for aesthetic contemplation, personal expression, or commercial sale, but for upacara (ceremony). These objects are ephemeral offerings to the gods, the ancestors, or the unseen world ( niskala ), and are often destroyed, buried, or allowed to decay once the ritual purpose is fulfilled. In this context, the individual artist rarely signs their work. Skills are passed down through ...