Page 59 - BSAM 2018 Q2

The Indonesian Bonsai Society, Gianyar Chapter held a Bonsai Exhibition from 7 to 15 of April 2018. The title of the exhibition is: “Ayuning Taru Taksu Mautama” Indonesia National Bonsai Contest, Gianyar 2018. It is
a Balinese phrase that means the beauty of prominent wood to represent plant or bonsai. The Indonesian Bonsai Society has more than 150 chapters all over the country. In one year there could be three or four national exhibition in a year. Gianyar is a small town some 15 km from Ubud, the famous tourist area in Bali.
During this event, 350 bonsai are exhibited in the Astina open field in the center of the town. The bonsai come from Java, Bali and some islands in East Nusa Tenggara.
Indonesia is a very large area with different rain fall and humidity from the West to the East. Bali is in the East of Java with less rain fall, rich sun shine with hot temperature. This makes some plants more popular than plants that grow in the West. Santigi or Pemphis acidula is the dominant species in this exhibition. Pemphis loves a lot of sun shine so it grows very well in this area. Pemphis ramification is very beautiful, so that most of the winning trees are of Pemphis species.
Ficus is the next popular species. They are mainly Ficus microcarpa, compacta and ampelas. Other species exhibited are: Premna, Sabinea, Streblus asper, Malphigia glabra, Acacia, Tamarindus indica, Wrightia and one or two Casuarina. Because it is a competition, people concentrate on species that can perform very well in terms of their beauty.
This is a national exhibition, so that there are four classes exhibited. The most junior is called Regional for the trees that have never been exhibited before. If they achieve qualifying marks, they are entitled to join the Madya class in the next exhibition. In Madya the use of wire in some minor branches is still tolerated. If the plant achieves qualifying marks, they are entitled to go to Utama in the next exhibition. A plant that achieves qualifying marks for three times in Utama class can go on to the Bintang class.
In this exhibition, BCI gave three awards, one for Madya, one for Utama and one for Bintang. All of them are Pemphis acidula.
Besides bonsai exhibition, there is a bazaar selling bonsai and the accessories, bonsai demonstrations by artists from Bali, Malaysia and Philippines.
Facing page;
Top: Michael Siow from
Malaysia is designing a
Pemphis acidula
Left inset: unity in bonsai shown by Malaysian, Philippines and Indonesian bonsai friends.
Right inset: Budi gave BCI Award to Komang Sudjana from Mataram, Lombok
Bottom inset: Philippines and Malaysian artists are doing bonsai demonstrations.
Bottom; Winner of Madya Class and recipient of the BCI Award of Excellence. Santigi (Pemphis acidula), by Hary Sulistyo, Bondowoso.
Madya Class: the use of wire in some minor branches is still tolerated
April/May/June 2018 | BCI | 57