25 students from 14 countries learn Jepara wood carving

Jepara (ANTARA) - A total of 25 students from 14 countries have been given the opportunity to learn the distinctive wood carving art of Jepara Regency, Central Java, directly from local carvers. The students learned carving at the Jepara Wood Carving Gallery on Thursday, accompanied by 23 carving instructors.

Chairman of the Jepara Carving Preservation Foundation Hadi Priyanto expressed hope that direct interaction between foreign students and carvers would introduce Jepara carving culture to the international community. “We hope they can become cultural ambassadors for the people of Jepara in their respective countries,” he said.

He explained that the sustainability of Jepara carving art requires strengthening regeneration. The interest of the younger generation in learning and continuing carving skills, he said, needs to be continuously fostered. Therefore, introducing carving art to foreign students is expected to help maintain the sustainability of this cultural heritage.

One student from Afghanistan, Sayed Rahman Hamid, admitted it was his first time holding a chisel to learn wood carving. Aisha Jumma Mussa, a student from Tanzania, acknowledged that before attending the training, she had searched for information about Jepara carving art on the internet. After trying it directly, she assessed that carving requires perseverance and special skills.

One instructor, Rumini, said participants were first introduced to Jepara carving patterns before learning the basic stages of carving, while the basic techniques taught were ngrancapi, nglemahi, ngekoli, and nyoreti.

The training was part of the 2026 Buja Sejana 2 Summer Course organised by the Postgraduate School of Semarang State University (Unnes). Activity coordinator Wati Istanti said the programme invites students to learn maritime culture through three months of learning using a blended method. “So that students do not only know online, we teach offline so they can see and practise directly,” she said.

Her team is open to further cooperation opportunities with Jepara carving practitioners. Such cooperation could involve universities, businesses, industry, SMEs, government, and practitioners.