He gained an MA in fine art from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff in 1993.

[5] From 2007 to 2015 Bala was senior lecturer at the School of Creative Arts and Humanities at University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Carmarthen.

[6] Bala creates his art-work using memorised and imagined maps and landscapes, commenting on Welsh culture.

He was also awarded a Wales Art International travel grant to Galicia in 2004 and Brittany in 2007.

[2][6] In 2012 Bala collaborated with poet, and fellow lecturer at Trinity Saint David's, Menna Elfyn for an exhibition called Field-notes.