Art from Bali and Indonesia
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PITA MAHA
(great spirit)


PITA MAHA, founded in 1934, was an association for artists on Bali. This assocation originated at the insistence of Rudolf Bonnet (1895-1978), a dutch painter. The aim of the association was two-fold:

1. To improve and maintain the quality of Balinese art objects by weekly inspections.

2. To promote the selling of high-quality art by organising sales exhibitions outside Bali.

In the committee who on a weekly basis inspected the artwork (mainly carvings and drawings) were Rudolf Bonnet, Walter Spies, and I Goesti Njoman Lempad. The mastercarver Ida Bagus Poetoe Taman was chairman of the association. In 1942 the association was abolished because of Worldwar II.
  The PITA MAHA association organised during her existance 10 exhibitions:

1934Batavia21 apr 1934 -19 mei 1934
1936Jogjakarta26 mei 1936 -04 jun 1936
1936Batavia10 sep 1936 -20 sep 1936
1936Bandoeng22 nov 1936 -28 nov 1936
1937Batavia02 dec 1937 -12 dec 1937
1938Bandoeng20 nov 1938 -27 nov 1938
1939Batavia03 feb 1939 -12 feb 1939
1940Batavia29 okt 1940 -20 nov 1940
1941Bandoeng11 okt 1941 -19 okt 1941
1954Medan28 mei 1954 -31 mei 1954
     
The next artists were members of PITA MAHA:

NamePhotoFull nameInfo about the artistBorn - DiedDomicileImportantPita_MahaArtwork
BAWAClick for more info about this artistIda Bagus BawaHis name appears in the catalogue of the first Pita Maha exhibition in Djogjakarta in 1936. He was represented with 5 carvings.(.... - ....)MasClick for more info about this artist
BIMAClick for more info about this artistA A Gede Oka BimaTwo statues from him were displayed during a sales-exhibition in Batavia in 1937. the exhibition was organized by the Pita Maha group.(.... - ....)MasClick for more info about this artist
BOENClick for more info about this artistIda Bagus Njoman Boen (.... - ....)BatuanClick for more info about this artist
COKOTClick for more info about this artistI Nyoman CokotExtraordinary and innovative woodcarver who lived and worked his whole life in the litle mountain village DJATI, close to SEBATOE. . His carvings were variations of demons. With Ida Bagus Njana he is one of the most famous woodcarvers on Bali. Rudolf Bonnet acquired many of his carvings which he donated to the Volkenkundig museum in Leiden(Netherlands)(1886 - 1971)DjatiClick for more info about this artist
DOYOTANClick for more info about this artistI DoyotanImportant carver in the thirties.Famous carver for art deco birdcarvings. He introduced sitting-person-carvings. An example can be seen in the Puri Lukisan Museum in Ubud.(1884 - 1994)MasClick for more info about this artist
GELEBUSClick for more info about this artistDewa Putu Gelebus (.... - ....)BatuanClick for more info about this artist
GELGELClick for more info about this artistIda Bagus GelgelHis name appears in several exhibition catalogues of the Pita Maha group. One may conclude therefore that his work was of outstanding quality.(.... - ....)SanurClick for more info about this artist
GELODOGClick for more info about this artistIda Bagus Ketut GelodogVersatile artist, singer, musician, dancer, woodcarver, painter. His father was the famous Ida Bagus Ngurah, who provided his children with a thorough cultural upbringing. Innovative artist who experienced with different styles and forms.(1912 - 1978)MasClick for more info about this artist
GEREMBOEANGClick for more info about this artistI GeremboeangAccording to Bonnet he is the most creative carver of a new group of carvers that tried new styles during the thirties in Batuan. He started as a maker of Topeng-masks and temple-statues. But later he developed his carving sklills and excelled in ordinary life subjects like mother and child, sitting old man, musician. Geremboeang-statues are very rare and costly. During a recent art auction in Singapore (May 2010)a Geremboeang-sculpture fetched 25.000 euro(1912 - 1985)MasClick for more info about this artist
GERENDENGClick for more info about this artistI GerendengHis name appears in the catalogue of the first Pita Maha exhibition in Djogjakarta in 1936. He was represented with 2 carvings.(.... - ....)MasClick for more info about this artist
GEROEDOEGClick for more info about this artistI GeroedoegHis name appears in the catalogue of the first Pita Maha exhibition in Djogjakarta in 1936. He was represented with 5 carvings.(.... - ....)TebasajaClick for more info about this artist
GREDAGClick for more info about this artistIda Bagus Oka Gredag (.... - ....)unknownClick for more info about this artist
KINTOENClick for more info about this artistDewa Kompiang Kintoen (.... - ....)BatuanClick for more info about this artist
KISIDClick for more info about this artistI Kisid (.... - ....)BatuanClick for more info about this artist
KONAKClick for more info about this artistI KonakHis name appears in a catalogue of a Pita Maha exhibition in Bandoeng, November 1936. He was represaented there with one carving.(.... - ....)MasClick for more info about this artist
MANDAClick for more info about this artistKtut Manda (.... - ....)unknownClick for more info about this artist
MODOLClick for more info about this artistI ModolHis name appears in a catalogue of a Pita Maha exhibition in Bandoeng, November 1938. He was represented there with one carving.(.... - ....)unknownClick for more info about this artist
NGOERAHClick for more info about this artistDewa Gede Ngoerah (.... - ....)MasClick for more info about this artist
NGOERAHClick for more info about this artistAnak Agoeng Gede NgoerahParticipant of the second Pita Maha exhibition in Batavia 1937.(.... - ....)MasClick for more info about this artist
NJANAClick for more info about this artistIda Bagus NjanaProbably the most known woodcarver on Bali. Produced in his younger years traditional carvings of high quality. Later he changed to fat images of women where there was no longer attention for detail but for the perfect line. He always worked with the structure of the wood. The TROPENMUSEUM in Amsterdam has a large collection of pre-war carvings of him.(1912 - 1985)MasClick for more info about this artist
OKAClick for more info about this artistDewa Gede OkaHis name appears in the catalogue of the first Pita Maha exhibition in Djogjakarta in 1936. He was represented with 3 carvings.(.... - ....)MasClick for more info about this artist
PATEREClick for more info about this artistI PatereTalented and accomplished carver and painter. Only in his later years he started to make woodcarvings. He lived and worked in Batuan, at that time the centre of artists in Bali. Because he died young his sculptures and drawings are extremely rare. (1900 - 1935)BatuanClick for more info about this artist
POEGEHClick for more info about this artistIda Bagus Poegeh (.... - ....)SanurClick for more info about this artist
POENDOETClick for more info about this artistI PoendoetHis name appears in the catalogue of the first Pita Maha exhibition in Djogjakarta in 1936. He was represented with 2 carvings.(.... - ....)TebasajaClick for more info about this artist
POETOEClick for more info about this artistAnak Agoeng PoetoeThis name appears in a exhibition catalogue of a Pita Maha sales-exhibition in Batavia , september 1936. He was represented there with 4 carvings.(.... - ....)SanurClick for more info about this artist
RAKAClick for more info about this artistAnak Agung Raka (.... - ....)unknownClick for more info about this artist
RAKAClick for more info about this artistDewa GD RakaHis name appears in the catalogue of the first Pita Maha exhibition in Djogjakarta in 1936. He was represented with 4 carvings. the carving on the photo was in the possession of Rudolf Bonnet. Later he donated this carving with several others to the Volkende Museum in Leiden, Holland. (.... - ....)PeliatanClick for more info about this artist
RANGKUSClick for more info about this artistI RangkusWell known carver of animal-statues. Lived and worked in Nyuh Kuning, near Ubud.(1922 - ....)NjuhkuningClick for more info about this artist
REGEGClick for more info about this artistI RegegHis name appears in the catalogue of the first Pita Maha exhibition in Djogjakarta in 1936. He was represented with 3 carvings.(.... - ....)BadoengClick for more info about this artist
RENTEGClick for more info about this artistIda Bagus Kompiang Renteg (.... - ....)BatuanClick for more info about this artist
RODJAClick for more info about this artistI RodjaBrother in law of I Geremboeang. Very talented artist who as one of the first Balinese artists made beautiful Art Deco statues. Started his own gallery in the fifties in Mas which is still there. He got politically engaged which at the end cost him his life.(1917 - 1965)MasClick for more info about this artist
SANDEHClick for more info about this artistI Sandeh (.... - ....)TebasjaClick for more info about this artist
SEDENGClick for more info about this artistI Njoman SedengHis name appears in the catalogue of the first Pita Maha exhibition in Djogjakarta in 1936. He was represented with 2 carvings.(.... - ....)MasClick for more info about this artist
SILURClick for more info about this artistI SilurExpert in animal carvings. His portrait was painted by Rudolf Bonnet in 1956. His carvings were distributed and sold through the Pita Maha group. (1912 - ....)Njuh KuningClick for more info about this artist
SOTONGClick for more info about this artistIda Bagus Ktut Sotong (.... - ....)unknownClick for more info about this artist
TAMAClick for more info about this artistI Tama (.... - ....)NjuhkuningClick for more info about this artist
TAMANClick for more info about this artistIda Bagus Putu TamanBrother of I Patere. Became member and chaiman of the Pita Maha selection committee which determined the quality of the carvings and drawings. Like his brother a very talented carver. His carving of a sitting old man, now in the collection of the "VOLKENKUNDIG MUSEUM" in Leiden-Holland resembles that of the famous Geremboeang carving.(.... - ....)BatuanClick for more info about this artist
TAMEClick for more info about this artistI TameSpecialist in animal carvings. The carving on the picture was donated by Bonnet to the Volkenkunde Museum in leiden, Holland.(.... - ....)NjuhkuningClick for more info about this artist

 
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