Rangda is the demon queen of the Leyaks in Bali, according to traditional Balinese mythology. Terrifying to behold, the child-eating Rangda leads an army of evil witches against the leader of the forces of good — Barong. The battle between Barong and Rangda is featured in a Barong dance which represents the eternal battle between good and evil.Rangda is a term in old Javanese that means "widow".

Rangda is important in Balinese culture, and performances depicting her struggles with Barong or with Airlangga are popular tourist attractions as well as tradition. She is depicted as a mostly nude old woman, with long and unkempt hair, pendulous breasts, and claws. Her face is traditionally a horrifying fanged and goggle-eyed mask, with a long, protruding tongue.

Bali is a Hindu island, and it is suggested that Rangda may also be closely associated with Durga. She has also been identified with the Hindu but tribal mother warrior goddess, and Kali, the black mother goddess of destruction, transformation and protection in Sanskritised tribal Hinduism.

While Rangda is seen as fearsome and by many as the personification of evil, she is also nevertheless considered a protective force in certain parts of Bali, much like Kali is seen as a benevolent mother goddess of fertility and destruction in Northeastern India in Assam, Tripura. The colors associated with her — white, black and red — are identical with those associated with Kali. Her iconography is similar to that of both Kali and Chamunda, who are closely related.

Rangda was linked to the legend of Calon Arang and also the legend of divorced and exiled Javanese queen Mahendradatta. The name Rangda in old Javanese and Balinese language means "widow".

Prior to the 20th century, Balinese wood carvings were not intended for decorative home use as they are today. These hand-carved creations were mainly used in ceremonies, temples, and palaces. Ceremonial figurines depicting deities and masks were made to ward off evil spirits.

Balinese wood carving started about the 11th century with Buddhist and Hindu influences. It wasn’t until the 14th century that it flourished along with painting, gold and silversmithing, and stone carving by artisans of the Majapahit Kingdom, of which Bali was a colony. During this period, Hindu influence prevailed and continued the tradition of portraying religious mythology in art.

During the 1920s, Bali became an artist enclave with the arrival of western avant-garde artists such as Walter Spies of Germany, Rudolf Bonnet of The Netherlands, and Donald Friend of Australia. They helped create a renewed interest in wood carvings, and their influences later became adopted into the local wood carving designs and techniques.

The 1930s brought about a peak of creativity as young artists began honing their craft, taking advantage of the rising surge of tourism on the island. Visitors drawn to the tropical paradise were intrigued by the intricate wood carving craft, and many bought exotic souvenirs and prized pieces to decorate their homes and estates. Dutch traders introduced the carvings to The Netherlands, where its popularity increased into a sizable demand. Commercialization of the craft grew internationally, allowing local artisans to expand their artistic expression in creativity and techniques.

During the transition years of the 1930s and 40s, wood carvings reflected Balinese modernization. Art deco influences continued well into the 1970s. Guilds such as the Pitamaha Artist Guild was instrumental in the development of modern Balinese wood carving.

Ubud became a center for art in the 1930s, under the patronage of the lords of Ubud, who rose to power at the end of the nineteenth century. Prior to the 1930s, traditional wayang style paintings from other villages may have been found in Ubud, but was more influential in the nearby village of Peliatan, which is nowadays classified as part of Ubud. Significant Ubud artist were already adapting versions of the wayang style by the end of the 1920s, notably Ida Bagus Kembeng of Tebesaya, who may have studied with relatives in nearby Tampaksiring village.

I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, who had come to Ubud under the patronage of its ruling lord, changed from being an architect and sculpture to executing outstanding drawings around 1931. Anak Agung Gde Sobrat of Ubud also began to paint around this time. These and other artists were given materials and opportunities to sell their work by the resident European artists Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet. They developed experimental styles which European commentators identified as a new, modern type of Balinese art, differentiated from the traditional art which is governed by strict rules of religious iconography.

Under the patronage of the Ubud royal family, especially Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati, and with Rudolf Bonnet as a chief consultant, the Pitamaha Art Guild was founded in 1936 as a way to professionalise Balinese painting. Its mission was to preserve the quality of Balinese Art in the rush of tourism to Bali. The board members of Pitamaha met regularly to select paintings submitted by its members, and to conduct exhibitions throughout Indonesia and abroad.

Between 1936 and 1939, Bonnet organised significant exhibitions of this modern Balinese art in the Netherlands, with a smaller exhibition in London. Pitamaha was active until the Second World War came to Bali in 1942. Ubud artists who were members to Pitamaha came from Ubud and its surrounding villages.