Gadis Bali (Bali Girl)

To an outsider, Bali is perhaps the foremost representative of Indonesia. More people know of Bali than they do Indonesia. Up to this day, Balinese traditions and arts are well-preserved. Its charm makes Bali not only a destination for tourists but artists too. Among them are Walter Spies, Dullah, and Affandi. Each of the artists who came to Bali captured different aspects of it, be it its nature, culture, or arts. This painting, called "Bali Girl" by S. Zainal, is the result of such interaction.

Within Zainal's work, there appears a figure of a girl wearing a costume meant for doing the Legong dance. Historically, only the king of Bali was allowed to witness the dance. The dance itself came from a Balinese king named I Dewa Made Karna, who saw it done by dancers from the heavens during his meditation. The vision inspired him to task his underling with recreating the dance. In the 19th century, the Legong dance was made accessible to the public. Legong dancers who used to practice within the privacy of the palace's walls were then allowed to practice and train others in their home village. Thanks to that change in policy, we are now able to enjoy the dance ourselves.