Chedi Club Ubud Opens Window on Balinese Art with In-house Classes

Noted illustrator Bruce Granquist partners with boutique resort for ‘Art Afternoons’

UBUD, Indonesia (22 August 2012) — The Chedi Club Tanah Gajah Ubud lit a new pathway into Bali’s heritage July 25 when the 20-villa resort launched the first of an ongoing series of classes on Batuan art and painting.

Led by noted art expert and illustrator Bruce Granquist, ‘Art Afternoons’ traces the history and development of the highly regarded Batuan school of art, revealing links between Balinese culture and daily life and the village’s various art forms.

The classes have debuted as a complement to the resort’s Explore in Style package, a new group-wide initiative from GHM that helps guests delve deeply into the customs and traditions of select regions.
 
In Ubud, the four-night offer takes in a range of cultural excursions, including a visit to the Arma Museum, home to a large collection of works from Bali’s three schools of art.  

For guests seeking a more in-depth understanding of Bali’s artistic heritage, the Chedi’s Art Afternoons aim to demystify Batuan paintings, one of the island’s major art styles. Granquist’s class at the Chedi is the first of its kind to be launched by a hospitality property in Bali. 

“For a long time, all the arrows pointed to the Chedi Club as the place to get up close with Balinese art,” said Simon Spiller, the resort’s general manager. “Now, with the help of Bruce Granquist, we’re giving guests the story behind the pictures, and with it, access to the creative soul of the island.”

The 20-villa Chedi Club Tanah Gajah, Ubud was built as the private retreat of Hendra Hadiprana, an esteemed Indonesian architect and interior designer, and owner of one of country’s largest private art collections. More than 100 paintings and sculptures collected by Hadiprana grace the walls, pedestals and plinths of the Chedi’s five hectares of lush gardens, quiet ponds and traditional Balinese architecture.

Priced at IDR 200,000, the hour-long discussions are on an introductory level and guests do not need to have a background in art in order to participate. The resort intends to hold the classes one to four times monthly. 

The Chedi has added to its stock of art a watercolor map of Ubud and its environs, painted exclusively for the resort by Granquist. Amid the fertile paddies, rivers and forests, guests can pinpoint restaurants, places of interest and walking trails leading away from the resort. On the reverse side Granquist has mapped the entire island of Bali.

Granquist, who has illustrated more than two dozen books, including Introduction to Balinese Architecture, Balinese Temples, and Bali - A Traveller's Companion, first set foot in Bali in 1986. He spent three years researching, writing and illustrating Inventing Art: The Paintings of Batuan Bali, an in-depth volume on the art of Batuan, a village 10 kilometres south of Ubud. The book was published last month.
 

ABOUT GHM ‘EXPLORE IN STYLE’ PACKAGES

In addition to the Chedi Club Tanah Gajah, GHM resorts throughout Asia have recently launched their own ‘Explore in Style’ packages. Those are:

The Strand Yangon, an iconic colonial mansion in the capital of Myanmar. Valid until March 31, 2013, the three-day / two-night offer features a guided tour of Yangon’s art galleries and antique scene, plus lunch at the historic House of Memories restaurant.

The Chedi Muscat, a 21-acre garden oasis in the shadow of the Hajar Mountains. Highlights of the two-night package are a tour of Muscat, and dolphin watching in the Gulf of Oman. Offer is open until December 2012. 

The Chedi Chiang Mai, the only 5-star hotel along Thailand’s scenic Mae Ping River. The design resort has fine dining, therapeutic massages and cultural tours anchoring a three-night package, available until the end of October.

The Nam Hai Hoi An, Vietnam’s premier seaside resort. Three private tours of the culture-rich centres of Hoi An, My Son Sanctuary and the former Imperial City of Hue are included in the package, good through December 2012.

The Club at the Legian Bali, a private villa on shores of the legendary Seminyak Beach. The Club’s four-night offer — including chauffeured shopping tour, massage and personal butler – is valid until March 31, 2014.

ABOUT GHM

Established in 1992, GHM (General Hotel Management Ltd.) is known for conceptualising, developing and operating an exclusive group of hotels and resorts. With an expansive portfolio and more projects in the pipeline, GHM prides itself in providing guests with an unrivalled lifestyle experience.

Each GHM property is an original. A symbiotic relationship between the hotel and the local culture enables GHM to provide guests with a genuine, close-up experience of the best each destination has to offer. The signature GHM style melds contemporary interpretations of Asian designs and distinctive local touches to create inspired, memorable spaces.

GHM’s portfolio includes:

•      The Legian Bali, Indonesia 

•      The Club at The Legian Bali, Indonesia

•      The Nam Hai Hoi An, Vietnam

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