From Batik-Ulos Hybrids to Digital Paintings

Text by Bambang Asrini Widjanarko Photos by Agung Tabiat

The Indonesian people's strong creativity is an effective way to face the global economic crisis, as can be seen in design houses and graphic studios that offer solutions through local products.

Have you ever imagined that a Batak woven shoulder cloth, ulos, which tend to be rather hot and scratchy because they're made from traditional fibers, could actually be both comfortable to wear and attractive to look at? Yes, it's possible, if it has the touch of a creative designer.

And not only ulos, but batik as well has been "cross-bred", in a modern A-line mini-dress with an upright collar that you'd be proud to wear at an evening party.

These local products, with fascinating designs employing clever stylistic combinations, come from the Kama Art Works, which refers to them as Batak-Java pieces in an Ethnic-Romantic style.

We even see a three-piece women's ensemble that combines ulos weaving and batik cloth – a vest, blouse and long trousers, perfect for a cocktail party. As well as using this Batak-Javanese combination of fabrics, it is also clearly inspired by Arabic and Chinese lines and forms, giving it a very sleek, elegant look overall.

A similar combination is applied in men's formal attire, in a design that matches the ulos motif of vertical stripes, combined with antique Javanese batik.

Kama Art Works, in Kemang, South Jakarta, also works with another production design house to create classical Javanese furniture with paintings in various motifs "printed" on the surfaces. Partition screens, tables and chairs become unusual and enticing, with flower and tendril motifs seeming to emerge from the teak. In some pieces, even photographic images are crystallized into the natural character of the wood; but it seems that these pieces are meant more as art objects than as purely functional furniture to sit on or eat at.

For these designers, creativity seems to arise in inverse proportion to the severity of the economic crisis. They have agreed to remain optimistic and keep creating new works. After all, Indonesia's culture doesn't depend solely on natural resources, or on quickly consumable goods.

And as designers dedicate themselves to creating new products that are grounded in our traditional heritage, the government should help promote them. The private sector is eagerly awaiting the details of the government policies proclaimed this year to provide greater growth opportunities for the creative industries.

Getting back to our local designs, we also find a wide range of more popular merchandise, such as trendy T-shirts with catchy slogans to appeal to young people who fancy themselves "funky".

Even more inspiring are the digital print works and graphic designs for books. Kama Art Works won a 4th Asian Print Award in 2006, and a Gold Award in Shanghai. They have also worked with Kisah Publishing to produce book designs, employing a very interesting printing technology. This is one of their leading product lines: art books, CD covers, company logos and other attractive designs, printed in a characteristic style that combines colors, patterns, and the creativity of local cultures.

The owner and creative director of Kama Art Works, Rotua Magdalena P Agung, notes that all their design works are ready to use and mass produced, though certain works are produced in limited editions. Though she draws a distinction between interior design elements such as furniture, wall decorations and photography, and the "fine art" to which she continues to devote herself, Magda believes that one important part of appreciation for the existence of art is the continuing effort to bring art works into daily life. In her view, art is successful when it can be both appreciated functionally and enjoyed esthetically.

Magdalena Pardede recently held her sixth solo exhibition at the Hotel Four Seasons, Jakarta, presenting her digital paintings with the theme "Unforgotten Paradise". She says her digital paintings are the result of her struggle to put forward a style of traditional art wedded with modern art, which the art community usually refers to as "contemporary" art. Her digital paintings offer the certainty of digital printing technology combined with artistic elements of graphic design and photography.

For the digital photography works, her design production house often collaborates with senior photographers in various commercial or non-profit events. Part of Kama Art Works, Magda says, is Kama Budaya, which is committed to creating events or producing special books that trace the careers of Indonesia's artistic and cultural maestros. For example, in 2008, they took part in arranging a performance by an elderly yet still lithe virtuoso of classical Cirebon dance, Mimi Rasinah.

Indonesian society clearly has the creativity needed to face the global economic crisis; our local designers have proven this by creating a variety of products that offer an impressive range of unusual solutions.