Le Mayeur Museum, Denpasar

Le Mayeur Museum preserves the former home and studio of Belgian painter Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès, who settled in Bali in 1932. His art was shaped by light, gardens, textiles, dance, and by Ni Nyoman Pollok, a Balinese Legong dancer who became his wife and frequent model. Their partnership defines the museum’s story, while also revealing the unequal personal dynamics behind some of his work.

The museum is modest in scale, but its character comes from the combination of painting, architecture, and personal history. Visitors can see works on canvas, board, paper, plywood, and woven grass mats known as bagor, showing how Le Mayeur kept painting during wartime shortages and house arrest. His thick, stiff-brush “dob” style gives many scenes a sharp, fluid movement, while preserved details such as Ni Pollok’s vanity and wayang-inspired furniture add a personal layer to the rooms.

The building retains the feel of a traditional Balinese residence, with carved wood, shaded verandas, courtyards, and rooms arranged around a garden. The wooden shutters are carved with Ramayana scenes, including Rama and Sita, while Le Mayeur’s garden adds lotus ponds, tropical planting, and small white coral temple forms to the intimate setting.