I Ketut Lasia

B. 1945

I Ketut Lasia is a Balinese painter who blends local artistic traditions with Christian themes. He's the youngest son of a Hindu rice-farming family and discovered his passion for painting while watching village artists as a child. After apprenticing under painter Wayan Turun, he mastered the Balinese style. In 1967, a meeting with a Dutch pastor sparked his interest in Christianity and changed the direction of his life and art. His conversion cost him acceptance in his village, yet he continued to paint and live according to his faith.

Lasia uses his art to tell Biblical stories through the lens of Balinese culture. He paints Jesus and other figures as Balinese men and women, set in familiar local surroundings and rendered in the island’s ornate traditional style. Through his paintings, Lasia shares his belief that creativity is a gift meant to honor God. Despite facing economic hardship and family opposition, he remains devoted to his calling—to paint, to tell stories of faith, and to bring the Gospel into Balinese visual language.