Meaning behind BALI Exotic Botanical Mandala Designs

The Balinese way of living, philosophy and spirituality influenced its cultural designs referencing Balinese Hinduism. Harmony and balance are the most common themes which inspired me to bring these teachings to our own western world. The concept idea was to create a series of illustrational designs that inspire and encourage us to reconnect to ourself and our inner peace and joy.
The creative art direction I took referred to their beauty of art of living, colourful exotic plants and flora, and their excellent craftskills. Find out more about the symbolic meanings I've incorporated in the designs in my blog.

The beauty of mandala in balinese wood carving

The Balinese are known for their excellent mastery of artistic and technical handcraft skills. Seeing it with my own eyes, I was fascinated by their creative process in woodcarving and batik painting which is filled with symbolic designs. These skills are passed on from a Master Craftsman/woman to the next generation in local communities. True cultural heritage gems.

They lovingly woodcarve Mandalas and are seen in many interior spaces. These are sacred pieces of artwork which are used to evoke healing, spiritual development, meditation and its design exposes the ornate beauty and sacredness of nature. The circular designs symbolises the idea that life is never ending and everything is connected. It has a focal centre point from which creation is expanding and flourishing with abundance, balanced repetition, creating an overall harmonious feeling.

It’s a spiritual symbol meaning ‘sacred circle’ in Hindu Sanskrit. It is derived from the word ‘mandra’ which means ‘container of essence’ representing a deeper connection to our wholeness, spirit, health, circle of life and harmony. It’s about letting go of resistance and going with the flow of life, joy, compassion, reflecting inwards and moving forward.

Beauty is essential to them as they see it as a gift from the gods. That's why they infuse their wood carvings with a sense of patience, tranquility and harmony they feel and experience every day, little wonder their craftsmanship is always superb.

Bird of paradise symbol

The bird of paradise is known as the ultimate symbol of paradise and freedom. Due to its tropical nature, this flower also symbolises freedom and joy

The Meaning of Lotus in Balinese culture

In Balinese culture, the Lotus flower is the “king of all flowers“ and spiritually represents grace, beauty, purity, rebirth and enlightenment. It is said to be the “lotus flower” of the earth.

If you ever have the chance to visit the temple of Saraswati in Ubud you will be amazed by the abundance of beautiful lotuses!

Canang Sari

The little palm leaf-basket boxes include colourful flowers that have meaning.

“Sari” means our essence or the essence of life. They are crafted everyday filled with new fresh flowers as daily offerings to their temples, streets and shops to name a few. It’s an expression of gratitude and compassion in praise and prayers, creating harmony between nature, humans and gods.

These inspirational aspects guided my creative art direction in designing these exotic mandala Notebook covers celebrating Bali’s Hindu culture, expressing my travel experiences and inspiring us to bring some of their wisdom into our lives.

See my other inspiring blog “BALI BLISSFUL REJUVENATION “ about Balinese Art of Living here >