Bali is an island home to rich, unique family bonds and culture unlike anywhere else in the world.
Hosting over eight million international visitors in 2023, tourism is the root of Bali’s economy. However, through the 2020 pandemic, folks like Kevin who I met described their families selling all their personal belongings to survive as employment ceased overnight.
Today, Bali’s tourism economy has come to the light at the end of its tunnel. Indonesian families flock to the island and its west coast for entrepreneurship – whether catering to the island’s guests or those supplying its service economy.
Bali’s exterior of its tourist city centers like Seminyak, Canggu, and Ubud are painted with spas, tattoo parlors, and gift shops with repeating products: each vying for their share of the economic pie. Beyond that shell, storefronts, warungs marketed to the Balinese and flourishing Hindu-dominant and Muslim faiths create a colorful and dynamic environment.
I’ve always had a fascination with capturing scooters and mopeds. While sedans and SUVs dominate the roads in North America, on scooters, there’s no metal cocoon to hide within. Moods, energy, laughter, and familial cargo are visible to the world. It creates an environment of connectedness and patience not found in my hometown of Vancouver.
This editorial collection of candid street photography images brings themes of working culture, family connection, youthful pastimes, and scooter commutes. My visit to Bali and Lombok in December 2023 came ahead of Indonesia’s January 2024 presidential election, with its unique campaign posters (photographed on Lombok island) documented in this series.
I invite you to scroll through this digital zine that’s designed to be viewed on a desktop computer or landscape-oriented mobile phone.
