Blessing Ceremony for Paon Usada and Cucu Melaspas, Usada and a New Hearth. Today we gathered at a new extension of our Usada hearth in Campuhan. For a Melaspas ceremony to mark the beginning of the next exciting chapter for Usada Bali. In Bali, a Melaspas ceremony purifies and consecrates a newly completed building before […]
At Usada, cultural programming continues to grow through ongoing collaborations with practitioners who bring lived experience into the space. David Metcalf, photographer and visual anthropologist, joins as a community partner, presenting regular photography highlights alongside cultural talks drawn from his travels. His work offers a grounded lens into place, culture, and continuity. This month, we […]
Nyepi: Stillness and the Renewal of Balance is part three of a three part series based on a talk by Anthropologist and cultural expert Jean Couteau ‘Nyepi Uncovered’ at Usada Bali. After movement, procession, and expulsion, Bali enters stillness. People often describe Nyepi simply as the Day of Silence. Within the wider ceremonial cycle, however, […]
Exploring Bali and its culture with John Couteau Pengrupukan and Ogoh-Ogoh: The Expulsion of Disorder is part two of a three part series based on a talk by Anthropologist and cultural expert Jean Couteau ‘Nyepi Uncovered’ at Usada Bali. Following the cleansing of Melasti, the focus shifts. If Melasti returns accumulated imbalance to its source, […]
Exploring Bali Culture with Anthropologist and cultural expert Jean Couteau Melasti: Reutrning to the Sea before Nyepi is a three part series based on a talk by Anthropologist and cultural expert Jean Couteau ‘Nyepi Uncovered’ at Usada Bali. A Shift Begins. In the days leading up to Nyepi, something begins to shift across Bali. Villages […]
A Conversation with Made Suryasa In Bali, knowledge does not exist in isolation. Architecture reflects cosmology. Healing reflects philosophy. Art reflects devotion. Made Suryasa embodies this interconnected intelligence, not only as a mask maker, but as a cultural thinker navigating tradition in a global age. Born in Dangin Puri Kaja, Denpasar, Made was shaped by […]
