Usada Bali
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Usada Bali in Ubud is dedicated to preserving the cultural and culinary
uniqueness of Bali. We are a center for Balinese Healing Arts and
offer "Food as Medicine"
Flamenco Breeze with Adien Fazmail
📅 Date: Wednesday, May 13th
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Venue: Usada Bali, Jl. Sugriwa No.4, Ubud, Bali
💰Donation Based Event
Experience an unforgettable evening of soulful, contemporary flamenco as **Adien Fazmail** brings his latest album **“Ciclo”** to life in an intimate live session at Usada Bali Ubud. Immerse yourself in powerful guitar progressions, expressive melodies, and the rich emotional depth that defines Adien’s artistry. Whether you’re a fan of world music, a seeker of inspiring performances, or simply looking for a captivating night in Ubud, this special **Ciclo Live Session** promises an atmosphere where rhythm becomes story and music becomes movement. Join us and be part of a performance you won’t want to miss.
How to Book:
Secure your spot by contacting us through the following:
📧 Email: [email protected]
📲 WhatsApp: +62 811 3860 855
Stay Connected
🌐 Website: www.usadabali.com
📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/
Bhutan: A Photographer’s Journey Through the Himalaya with David Metcalf
📅 Date: Thursday, May 7th
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM
📍 Venue: Usada Bali, Jl. Sugriwa No.4, Ubud, Bali
💰Donation Based Event
This month visual storyteller David Metcalf will take us to Bhutan where he travelled in March this year.
There is so much we can learn from the Bhutanese in terms of sustainable tourism, and I will be speaking about what I learnt from my time there.
This presentation will be suitable for people interested in photography, thinking about visiting Bhutan at some point in the future, or hearing more about this fascinating country.
This presentation shares insights and experiences from my recent photographic journey through Bhutan, a country where tradition, spirituality, and daily life remain deeply connected. Traveling through remote valleys and mountain towns, I focused on capturing authentic moments—from monks in quiet contemplation to farmers working the land much as they have for generations. The journey took me to sacred sites such as Tiger’s Nest Monastery, as well as lesser-visited communities where genuine cultural exchanges shaped the photographic process.
I also attended the Punakha Dromchoe cultural Festival and I will present a selection of images of this colourful and vibrant event.
Rather than simply documenting landscapes and architecture, this experience became an exploration of storytelling, using photography to convey atmosphere, emotion, and a sense of place. In this talk, I’ll highlight key images, share practical insights into working respectfully in culturally sensitive environments, and reflect on what it means to photograph a country that is both timeless and quietly evolving.
How to Book:
Secure your spot by contacting us through the following:
📧 Email: [email protected]
📲 WhatsApp: +62 811 3860 855
Stay Connected
🌐 Website: www.usadabali.com
📺 YouTube: www.youtube.com/
05/05/2026
Explore Bhutan with the beautiful photography of David Metcalf. It’s culture, governance and sustainable tourism. David shares his gorgeous photography and experiences this coming Thursday 7th May at Usada at 7pm. For a preview of what you will discover, read this article and subscribe to our blog.
Click the link below for the event detail.
https://www.facebook.com/share/1CxShT71Gv/
Bhutan Story with David Metcalf Bhutan Story with David Metcalf is a conversation on culture, governance and continuity. At Usada, cultural programming continues to grow through ongoing collaborations with practitioners who brin…
27/04/2026
Philosophy, Power, and Sacred Memory in Balinese Mask Tradition
(Dian Dewi in conversation with Kadek Sudiasa, mask maker and dancer, Bali)
For several years, I have worked alongside Kadek Sudiasa, a Balinese mask maker and dancer, documenting and exploring the philosophy of Balinese masks not only as sculptural forms, but as living presences activated through dance, ritual, and communal memory. What follows is drawn from our ongoing conversations and shared work, and reflects Kadek’s understanding of masks as both sacred objects and philosophical teachings.
Turning the Mountain:
Kadek begins not with masks, but with a mountain.
“Mandara Giri,” he says. “The mountain is turned. The mountain is the head. The head of the island.”
Yet Kadek is careful to say this is not only Hindu philosophy, nor is it limited to religious belief.
“This is only a philosophy,” he explains. “It is not just Hindu. Westerners, anyone, if they are blessed, they can turn their thinking. They can use their mind when facing many challenges.”
Turning the mountain is an inner act, a reorientation of consciousness.
Trials Before Amerta
In Balinese cosmology, when the mountain is turned, forces are released.
“The first thing that arises are the wild horses,” Kadek says. “This is power. Ambition. What I think, what I want, I must have.”
Ambition is followed by poison, the poison of Siwa. These poisons represent trials of desire, excess, and temptation.
“Before there is success,” Kadek reminds me, “there are trials. Tests of ambition. Tests of will.”
Only after enduring these trials does Amerta appear, the sacred nectar of immortality.
“A means not. Merta means to die in Sanskrit. So Amerta is eternal.”
This philosophical arc, ambition, danger, endurance, and transcendence, appears repeatedly in Balinese mask characters, particularly in Topeng Keras...
Read the rest of this article here: https://usadabali.com/turning-the-mountain/
Join us at Usada Bali on April 30th to meet Kadek and Dian.
Turning the Mountain Philosophy, Power, and Sacred Memory in Balinese Mask Tradition Article and Photography by By Dian Dewi In conversation with Kadek Sudiasa, mask maker and dancer, Bali For several years, I have wo…
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Jalan Sugriwa No. 4, Br. Padang Tegal
Ubud
80571
Opening Hours
| Monday | 07:00 - 23:00 |
| Tuesday | 07:00 - 23:00 |
| Wednesday | 07:00 - 23:00 |
| Thursday | 07:00 - 23:00 |
| Friday | 07:00 - 23:00 |
| Saturday | 07:00 - 23:00 |
| Sunday | 07:00 - 23:00 |
