For art lovers, Bali holidays offer the opportunity to uncover a plethora of contemporary artists and unique galleries. The resort of Ubud is literally teeming with art galleries, museums and workshops, with some establishments even selling on the work of their artists. This can be a great way to pick up an interesting souvenir or two on your Bali holidays. Here are a few of the more interesting galleries worth visiting.

Puri Lukisan The name literally translates to ‘Art Palace’ and if you are an art lover, on your Bali holidays, you’ll want to spend some time walking around this museum. The idea was spearheaded around 40 years ago by a group of artists and patrons from the Ubud Royal Palace. The idea was to create a secular institution for art, which, in turn, would help legitimise the practice on the island. Puri Lukisan is set in a peaceful garden surrounded by beautiful statues and serene lily ponds. As all the paintings in the gallery are arranged in chronological order this also makes viewing them a lot more pleasurable. Komenka Gallery Komenka showcases art from young Indonesian artists and can be easily distinguished from Ubud’s other art galleries by its strikingly simple architecture.

Whilst downstairs is currently taken up by a group collective, upstairs is devoted to the work of Made Djirna, a young Balinese artist whose work is particularly memorable for representing the position and activities of women in Bali. Agung Rai Museum of Art Agung Rai has been an avid art-collector since he was a very small child, so as you can imagine his lifetime collection needs a fairly spacious museum. As galleries go, the place is huge and, although its main focus is on art, it also contains one of Ubud’s best restaurants. However, the museum offers a lot more then just divine food and contemporary Balinese art.

It also boasts a gamelan orchestra, regular dance performances and a hip Italian café bordered by rows of neatly rolling rice fields. Café Tutmak This funky café showcases the work of one newly emerging artist at a time. Each exhibition lasts between one and six months and runs alongside a permanent exhibition by the installation artist, Lotte Hannetz. Lotte’s famous installation is a number of full-size dangling chairs, swinging overhead in the breeze.

The piece is actually a subtle jibe at Indonesian’s excruciating sense of the relative level of things, and also refers to a common Balinese joke about the number of mobiles and windcharms bought by visitors on their Bali holidays. Ibah Gallery The Ibah Gallery is located a little on the outskirts of Ubud, and is the showcase for the “Bali Kangin-Kauh Group” a collective of incredibly talented artists.

One of the artists, an Englishman, has worked on various album covers for the band, Pink Floyd, and has a resumé that also includes work on the Beatles’ ‘Yellow Submarine’ film. However, the work in this gallery is contemporary Balinese and mainly concentrates on painting the many forms of energy that surround the human form. Nyoman Sumertha Fine Art Gallery If you enjoy the work of Claude Monet, then you’ll definitely want to visit this highly respected art gallery on you Bali holidays. The gallery focuses on the work of Jason Monet, a larger than life character, who is alleged to be a descendant of Claude. N.B: Galleries mentioned are likely to change without prior notice