Unique Cultural Art Class Is Proving A Hit with Bali Tourists 

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Tourists in Bali seeking to try a cultural and unique activity should look no further than traditional Balinese egg painting.

Yes, you read that right! Tourists in Bali have been raving about egg painting, and the workshops have enabled traditional artisans to share their incredible skills with the world.

There are plenty of different kinds of cultural workshops that tourists can take part in during a visit to Bali.

In the last year, silver-making workshops have soared in popularity; many people take part in workshops to learn how to make canag sari, the daily offerings, and those feeling super artistic often book a wood carving or batik painting class. 

For something totally different, tourists are taking up the opportunity to participate in egg painting classes. This incredible skill is not as easy as it first looks. It is an activity for the whole family, and you don’t have to be artsy or crafty to learn something or get away with fun vacation memories. 

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Local artisan I Wayan Sadra has been running egg painting workshops from his home in Batuan Village, close to Ubud, for years.

A retired teacher, Sadra has partnered with serval hotels to offer egg painting workshops and, like many other artists in and around the Ubud area, takes private bookings, too. 

Sadra doesn’t take on too many tourist groups and has developed the workshop to flow in such a way that is enjoyable and not too challenging for tourists.

After all, it takes decades to become a master painter like Sadra, and tourists have just a few short hours to get up to speed with the basics.

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Once upon a time, artists would paint ornate and highly intricate paintings directly onto emu or ostrich and sometimes goose eggs.

Since these are incredibly expensive and harder to come by nowadays, artists now use wooden carved eggs that are first painted an egg-shell white before the project really gets started.

Sadra reported that he often sketches a design onto the wooden eggs for tourists to follow if they don’t feel confident creating a design from scratch. 

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The wooden eggs are made by woodworkers in Tegallalang, close to the famous rice terraces, and artisans like Sadra keep this incredible traditional craft alive.

He still paints on real eggs, which he sells for a premium.

Sadra shared with reporters his delight that more tourists are showing interest in learning about traditional crafts in Bali and that the Balinese tourism sector is starting to highlight more cultural crafts and artistry, too. 

The tradition of egg painting goes back centuries in Bali and is known locally as ‘Telur Lukis. ‘

It is a highly cherished art form connected to Balinese Hindu symbolism; the egg represents fertility, new beginnings, and prosperity.

The eggs can be painted with intricate patterns and designs or tell whole stories of the island’s rich culture, history, and heritage. 

Sadra confirmed that he is also getting over one hundred orders a month from hotels and tourist souvenir stores for painted eggs for tourists to buy and take home.

He noted that wooden eggs are generally the best souvenirs for tourists to take home since they are far less likely to be damaged in transit. 

During an egg painting workshop, which usually takes place over 2-3 hours, tourists will be guided through the process of preparing their design, receive tips and tricks on how to paint on a rounded surface, and how to paint in such fine detail.

Guests will also learn more about the traditional painting techniques used across Balinese artistic practices and how this is connected to cultural storytelling and more.

While egg painting workshops with traditional artisans like Sadra can be arranged through most hotels and resorts, it is also possible to arrange workshops through Ubud’s cultural museums.

ARMA Museum in the heart of Ubud offers both wood carving and egg painting workshops, which must be booked in advance.