Art Fallen from Heaven offers a new perspective on the origin of modern Balinese sculpture in the 1930s and an overview of its evolution from 1932 to 1973. Thoroughly illustrated with photos of traditional and modern sculpture as well as historic photos, this exhibition volume provides an overview of the artists association Pita Maha (1936-39) and many of its members.After Bali was subjugated by Dutch colonial rule, patronage shifted from the ruling monarchs to tourists and the Western art market. This new patronage, bringing with it the concept of 'art for art's sake,' ushered Balinese woodcarvers into the world of contemporary artistic endeavors. Koos van Brakel examines the important role Pita Maha played in positioning the previously unknown woodcarvers as artists. He also discusses key developments in the postwar era, 1950-2020.

Koos van Brakel, former keeper of the collections of the Tropenmuseum and the Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen, works as an independent researcher. He is trained as an art historian and has curated many exhibitions, including ones on Dutch East Indies paintings, and has published widely on the collections of the Tropenmuseum.