Northern Sukawati merges into southern BATUAN, another ribbon-like roadside development, which was the original home of the Batuan style of painting and is now a commercial centre for all the main Balinese art styles. The public face of modern Batuan is dominated by galleries, a disappointing number of which pander to the least discriminating tour groups. There are some notable exceptions, including the I Wayan Bendi Gallery, named after a contemporary artist whose Batuan-style pictures are justifiably popular all over the world. A few examples of his work hang in the gallery (not for sale), along with a sizable collection by other artists. At the northern limit of Batuan, a plump stone statue of a prosperous-looking Buddha marks the Sakah turn-off to Blahbatuh and points east, while the main road continues

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