Clay and Glaze: An Ubud Open Studios off-shoot event

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This Ubud Open Studios off-shoot event featured a panel of speakers who unveiled the process behind their ceramic glazes and clays. Held at the new Guten Morgen Coffee Lab in Ubud, around 40 people turned up to hear the stories from the kiln. The three speakers included Seline Kocher from Mahteh Ceramic, Suzan Kohlik from Sari Api Ceramics and Pasthika Maya from Kevala Ceramics.

This panel delved into aspects of ceramic artistry, exploring topics such as the properties, sourcing and preparation of different types of clay for Indonesian makers. Glaze experiments, making homes for coral babies, setting up Ubud’s first high-firing studio 25 years ago, waste in the industry and what it’s like creating ceramics & running a studio in Indonesia were all covered during the discussion. Thank you to Guten Morgen for being a wonderful host and lending us your beautiful space!



What is an Open Studios event?

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An Open Studios event is an opportunity to visit the private studios (usually not open to the public) of artists and craftspeople over a few days. Participants can organize their daily schedules and explore each at their own pace, moving through the area from studio to studio. Ubud Open Studios attendees visit 5 to 7 studios in one day. It’s a rare opportunity to connect with the minds of acclaimed creators; a chance to learn and discover their approaches, processes, and ways of thinking behind their chosen artforms.

In 2024, Ubud Open Studios showcased over 50 local and international artists’ studios, inviting attendees to enter their world of creativity and craftsmanship. A journey of artistic discovery & connection offering a glimpse into the sacred spaces where art comes to life. It's about community—an opportunity to connect, converse, and collect experiences & artworks that resonate.

How to Attend a Ubud Open Studios: A Visitor's Guide

1. Plan Your Route:

- Pick up a printed map and download the special UOS Google Maps of participating studios

- Identify studios or artists you're most interested in. Take time to browse their Instagrams and any other media that has profiled them.

- Plan a route that maximizes your time and interests (e.g. the east side of town, or just the ceramic studios)

2. Prepare for the Day:

- Figure out whether you’ll hire a driver for the day or use Gojek or Grab services.

- Bring a bag for any purchases or materials

- Bring water and snacks, or make a note of where you’ll stop to refuel during the day

3. Start at the Ubud Open Studios hub (ticketing booth and Studio Showcase):

- Explore the Showcase in case you’ve missed any studios you have to visit or need inspiration

- Get last-minute updates or changes in schedules

- Ask about any special events or demonstrations

4. Pace Yourself:

- Don't try to see everything; quality over quantity

- Allow time for unexpected discoveries and conversations (whether with the studio owners or other attendees)

- Take breaks to rest and reflect

5. Engage with Artists:

- Ask questions about their work and process

- Participate in any demonstrations

- Be respectful of the artist's space and time

6. Participate in Activities:

- Join workshops if they're offered

- Try hands-on experiences to deepen your understanding

- Attend any scheduled performances or events

7. Document Your Experience:

- Take photos (where permitted) and don’t forget to tag with the UOS hashtag and studio name

- Collect business cards or brochures from artists you like to get in touch with them after the event

- Make notes about pieces or artists that inspire you

8. Support the Arts:

- Consider purchasing artwork or merch if you're able (the artists will really appreciate the support!)

- Share your experience on social media to promote the event

- Sign up for artists' newsletters for future updates

9. Explore the Ubud Local Scene:

- Visit nearby cafes or restaurants between studios

- Soak in the neighborhood's atmosphere

10. Reflect and Share:

- Discuss your experiences with other attendees

- Provide feedback to organizers

- Consider how the event has influenced your perspective on art

Remember, Open Studios events are about discovery and connection. Stay open to new experiences and enjoy the journey through Ubud's vibrant art scene!

Ubud Open Studios 2025: save the dates!

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Art friends (and fiends!), the 2025 dates for Ubud Open Studios are here.

We will be returning on May 22-25 2025 for another amazing three days of studios throwing their doors open for YOU! An art crawl like no other.

Ubud Open Studios invites art lovers, cultural explorers, and the creatively curious to our annual celebration of art in Ubud, Bali.

Discover Ubud's contemporary art scene right from artists’ studios. Imagine an art-filled scavenger hunt where every studio is a treasure trove of creativity.

In 2024, Ubud Open Studios showcased over 50 local and international artists’ studios, inviting attendees to enter their world of creativity and craftsmanship. A journey of artistic discovery & connection offering a glimpse into the sacred spaces where art comes to life. It's about community—an opportunity to connect, converse, and collect experiences & artworks that resonate.

Behind every artwork is a story, a creative process—an artist’s journey.

Behind the design: Ubud Open Studios 2024

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For the 3rd edition of Ubud Open Studios, we asked Bali-based illustrator damdampops to create a set of icons to represent all the different types of art and media found at Ubud Open Studios. The icons arrived to decorate the main hub at Titik Dua and also appeared on the official tote bag, t-shirt and catalogue.

Ubud Open Studios 2024 Wrap-up

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What an incredible edition of Ubud Open Studios. Our third and the best to date! From the Studio Showcase and Artists Talks at Titik Dua, to the 57 studios who kindly opened their doors, to the 500 attendees who made their way studio hopping around Gianyar, it was an amazing three days.

Ubud Open Studios invites art lovers, cultural explorers, and the creatively curious to our annual celebration of art in Ubud, Bali. Behind every artwork is a story, a creative process—an artist’s journey.

This year, Ubud Open Studios showcased over 50 local and international artists’ studios, inviting you to enter their world of creativity and craftsmanship. A journey of artistic discovery & connection offering a glimpse into the sacred spaces where art comes to life. It's about community—an opportunity to connect, converse, and collect experiences and artworks that resonate.

Live drawing with Urban Sketchers in Bali

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Urban Sketchers is a global community of sketchers dedicated to the practice of on-location drawing. We’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with Urban Sketchers Bali for Ubud Open Studios and also hosting a meet-up at Powder Room by Room4Dessert. The range of styles and perspectives of the members is an amazing thing to watch as they live sketch.

“for all sketchers out there who love to draw the cities where they live and visit, from the window of their homes, from a cafe, at a park, standing by a street corner… always on location, not from photos or memory.”

The Sketches from Powder Room

The sketches from Ubud Open Studios 2023

Artist Illustrated RSV Helmets for Ubud Open Studios

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One of our favorite details from Ubud Open Studios was this collaboration between our sponsor RSV Helmets and three studios joining the event.

A different RSV Helmets model was given to Aswino Aji of Sika Gallery, Sekarputi of Arta Derau and Bagus Ari Maruta of Purga Art Space, each with their wildly unique and distinctive styles. They took two weeks to paint the helmets and the final results were amazing. You could even say traffic stopping…

It's a wrap: the second edition of Ubud Open Studios!

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The 2023 Ubud Open Studios was an incredible honor to put together—70 studios over three days joined to participate in the Studio Showcase at Titik Dua; an Artist Forum including discussions ranging from what it means to be classically trained vs self-taught, to the future of digital art; and two days of studio visits by eager attendees soaking up talks, workshops, and demonstrations.

Our vision for this event was to help revitalize Ubud’s identity as a thriving community of artists, map the incredible creativity taking place in the area and strengthen ties between artists. We hope we succeeded in making that happen. Thank you to all our supporters, partners, and sponsors for helping us produce this event and bring it to life.

“I feel so incredibly fortunate to have been all over Ubud in the past 3 days visiting some amazing artists for the second annual Ubud Open Studios. Not just for the ceramics, painting, sculpture and textiles but also for the wonderful people we met along the way as we weaved through rice paddies and tiny overgrown lanes, discovering places you would never usually gain an insight into... and always welcomed with big beautiful smiles. Thank you Ubud Open Studios - see you next year!”

“It was amazing. You are all rock stars. This felt like a much-needed & exceptionally well-enjoyed event. People should fly in for this. All the art one misses from being in a metropolis exists here but it's behind closed doors, and y'all opened the floodgates. I wish I got to visit more new studios. The ones I enjoyed the most are the ones I've never visited before, a good note to self for next year! Try new things :)”

And our work here is done... Keep an eye on the Ubud Open Studios Instagram for more beautiful shots. Huge thanks to official photographers Arley Mardo, Herry Santosa (photos below), Suki Zoe, and Ade Ardhana.

71 studios joining the 2023 Ubud Open Studios event

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Ubud is such a vessel for amazing creatives and artists. This year we have over SEVENTY studios joining, up from 52 last year. We can’t wait for the doors to open. See the full lineup with links to each Instagram at Ubud Open Studios.

Ubud Open Studios 2023: our second edition!

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We’re very happy to be back in the throes of planning the second Ubud Open Studios! This time we have 70+ studios joining the event!

We will also have a special event hub at Titik Dua Hotel where we will also have a Studio Showcase, an opportunity for you to physically walk through the studio directory. Each studio will be represented by a piece so you will be able to see which studios you’d most like to visit. We have our dear friend Summa Durie lending her curatorial skills to the showcase.

This edition we’ve created one day passes and two day passes, as well as a a community sponsor if you’d like to support the event as a whole. If you’d like a printed catalog, please add that to your ticket before you check out.

A glimpse of Ubud Open Studios 2022

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Through the eyes of our talented photographers.

Thank you to Arley Mardo, Herry Santosa, Neyna Rahmadani, Shayna Pitch and Brandon Nadeau of Studio Suka.

Gallery by Arley Mardo:

Galley by Suka Studio:

Gallery by Neyna Rahmadani

Gallery by Herry Santosa:

Behind the design: Ubud Open Studios

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Ubud Open Studio participants received a printed catalog, a tote bag and a wrist band.

For the printed catalog we were so happy to be supported by the team at Fedrigoni Paper Indonesia. Fedrigoni is a 134-year-old specialty paper company from Italy. We were so happy to be able to incorporate their papers into the printed catalog. The covers were printed with a holographic foil.

For the tote bags, we worked with the team at Pithecanthropus to incorporate different pieces of batik into the tote bags.

51 studios joining the Ubud Open Studios lineup!

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We’re overwhelmed by the response to Ubud Open Studios! Over 50 studios are joining us for the first year and there is so much to see and experience.

Special events include:

Studio Jencquel TALK

Design Philosophy of Studio Jencquel

SATURDAY 15 October 2022

10:00AM— 11:00AM

A rare chance to hear from the designers themselves as they discuss their key projects and achievements

Threads of Life TALK

The culture and meaning of Indonesia's traditional textiles

FRIDAY & SATURDAY 14 & 15 October 2022

10:00AM—11:00AM

Join Jean and Tutut in this exploration of textile motifs and ritual use.

Threads of Life + Kajimundo DEMO

Indigo screen-printing and painting demonstration

FRIDAY & SATURDAY 14 & 15 October 2022

11:00AM—1:00PM

Kajimundo has developed an amazing natural latex screen printing method that they will be sharing with visitors.

Gaya Ceramic Art Center DEMO

Wheel throwing and Sculpture Techniques (figurative)

FRIDAY & SATURDAY 14 & 15 October 2022

All day

Featuring Valentina Zlatarova, Bulgarian figurative sculptor and current artist in residence.

IBUKU Studio TALK & STUDIO TOUR (BAHASA INDONESIA)

It's Bamboo, It's Us

FRIDAY 14 October 2022

4:30PM—5:30PM

How we approach bamboo, from each individual experience and history, until eventually a personal relationship is formed between design, feelings, ideas and nature that will be integrated with beautiful teamwork in IBUKU Studio, Bali.

Featuring Sharon Julya and followed by IBUKU Studio tour.

In Indonesian language.

IBUKU Studio TALK & STUDIO TOUR (ENGLISH LANGUAGE)

Nature-led Design

FRIDAY 14 October 2022

3:30PM—4:30PM

A glimpse into the way Elora Hardy and the IBUKU Team have created a new design and architectural vocabulary based on bamboo and natural materials. By honouring and embracing nature and complementing it with technology and innovation from the incredible human mind, their nature led design process has redefined sustainable architecture.

Featuring Elora Hardy and followed by a IBUKU Studio tour.

In English language.

Kerta Art DEMO

Traditional Balinese dance (by donation)

FRIDAY 14 October 2022 3:00PM—4:00PM

The performing arts collective is providing an opportunity to learn more about the art of Balinese dance within the traditional and contemporary performance world.

Kerta Art DEMO

Contemporary and Wayang Performance (by donation)

SATURDAY 15 October 2022

7:00PM—8:00PM

An amazing chance to see behind the screen of a shadow puppet performance.

Pithecanthropus STUDIO TOUR

A Guided Tour Behind the Batik Textiles

FRIDAY 14 October 2022

10:00AM—11:00AM

Come see what and how they work on batik in our studio. From taking inspirations of lesser known batik motifs to hands-on techniques of batik printing and stamping, Pithecanthropus invites you to join their journey of discovering Indonesian textiles.

Pithecanthropus STUDIO TOUR

A Guided Tour Behind the Batik Textiles

SATURDAY 15 October 2022

3:00PM—4:00PM

Mistresses of Metal TALK

The Mistresses of Metal: Metal and Women's Empowerment

SATURDAY 15 October 2022

11:00AM—12:00PM

A window into the nitty gritty of what it is like to be a woman in jewelry. Exploring the creative inspiration of our design process, artisanal production and female-preneurship

K U M B H A K Ā R A DEMO

Live Barrel Firing

FRIDAY 14 October 2022

3:00PM—4:00PM

Wrap a bisqued clay piece with materials supplied, to go into the fire. Attendees can then pick up the final piece in the next day or so. A wonderful chance to see some clay alchemy in action!

Ubud Open Studios coming in October 2022!

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Please welcome Elami and Co Productions’ latest creation: Ubud Open Studios!

The Ubud Open Studios weekend is your opportunity to meet the artists and craftsmen, get studio tours & the background story, or answers to questions you’ve always wanted to ask your favorite creators.

Ubud Open Studios means a weekend of exploring Ubud's art studios, meeting the makers, painters and potters while getting a glimpse of their techniques, processes and philosophies. With doors open for two days only, it’s a chance to get an insider's view of Ubud’s unique wealth of creativity and hidden worlds.

If you’d like to register your studio, the deadline is August 24. Tickets will go on sale September 1st.

Ubud’s studios can be quite hidden, but are definitely should be on your radar. Your itinerary might include anything from intimate studio visits to immersive discussions, demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and plenty of opportunities to stop and take it all in. In short, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at Bali’s fascinating creative ecosystem.

Photographers, printmakers, carvers, painters, illustrators, ceramicists, leather makers, textile artists, architects, glass blowers, jewelry designers, costume makers, and more

Why Ubud?

Ubud is a magnet and source of creativity. The Ubud culture is known around the world for its rich artistry, striking performances and craftsmanship.

Ubud’s artists have a long tradition of creating, mastering mediums and techniques, and passing them down through the generations. Ubud was once known for its art and craft studios and this was the main draw for many visitors. We’d love to support a renewal of this in the area with Ubud Open Studios.

You’ll notice subtle handmade beauty almost everywhere in Ubud — from the way an offering sits in a doorway to the gentle hum of giant kites in the windy season — which is why people from all corners of the globe flock here for inspiration. Artists and designers from outside Ubud also contribute to the village’s vibrant art culture. Many set up studios of their own and collaborated with the local artists.