Our story of Bali

The people

Bali - nicknamed the Island of the Gods is approximately 7,550 miles from the Isle of Wight and the journey takes 23 hours. It’s an island with a population of 4,000,000 and most people live in tight village communities with large extended families. The Balinese have strong spiritual roots and despite the large influx of tourists over the years, their culture is still very much alive. They worship a unique blend of Hindu, which is partly made up from Buddhist, Javanese and ancient indigenous beliefs.

Balinese people strongly believe in magic and the power of the spirits and base their beliefs around this. Bali is situated between Java and Lombok and boasts a tropical climate with just two seasons (wet and dry) with an average temperature of 28c.

Unique crafts

Local artists started to develop their own individual styles and are equally adaptable and innovative in tackling new ideas. Oasis has influenced them in redesigning or adapting pieces to suit its UK customers.

“The craft people have traditionally worked for themselves, they are masters in their respective arts and use materials from renewable sources and fashion them with regard to the environment.” Traditionally, arts and crafts from Bali followed strict aesthetic and religious guidelines, but with the arrival of European artists at the beginning of the 20th century, this soon began to change. Alan and Bridget have formed close personal ties with these people and take pride in building up strong relationships.“The people we purchase from are paid directly by us which ensures all money goes directly to them.”

Teak root furniture is made from the waste of the tree and these pieces combine simplicity, style and environmental consciousness. For those who seek a piece of furniture that will undoubtedly become a talking point, reclaimed teak is hand-crafted using wood reclaimed from buildings, old furniture and such, and embodies the traditional methods and modern design. Java fishing boat furniture is made using reclaimed wood and is simply bold and beautiful. This captures a spirit of dynamic creativity and modern design, while being a functional a piece of art.

Carvings made from Suar wood are also available - from dolphins to elephants, abstract men to Buddhas, the designs are always changing. There are many paintings available at Oasis, created using acrylic or oil paints on canvas.

There is metalware hand-crafted into models and styles and painted in a range of colours to complement your home. Bali also produces a lot of beachwear including sarongs and scarves as well as shrugs, beads and custom jewellery.

Alan and Bridget pay a packing team to wrap, box and pack the sea container which is shipped over land to Surabaya, where it is loaded onto a feeder vessel, which docks at Singapore. It is then loaded onto a container ship bound for the south coast on England. The container is then off loaded and brought to Oasis. The full journey takes approximately 28 days with a container arriving every five weeks – the staff are always excited at the arrival of new stock.

From Bali to you, a unique journey