Bali's craftsmen hope for better business in 2003

Tri Vivi Suryani Contributor Denpasar, Bali

I Gusti Ngurah Cakra Yasa looks very sad sitting on the verandah of his workshop in Sedang village of Abiansemal, Badung, some 10 kilometers north of Denpasar.

The craftsman was staring wistfully at the rows of wooden statues and piles of other handicraft items untouched by customers since Bali was hit by terrorist attacks.

The Oct. 12 bombings in Kuta brought misery to all the people of the island. While families of victims suffered the most, other people in Bali, such as small-scale craftsmen, were also thrust into very difficult times.

Cakra Yasa has been producing high-quality artworks and selling them to collectors and art lovers for 40 years. His golden days were in the l980s, when foreign tourists and art lovers flocked Bali to hunt down exotic items and souvenirs, such as those displayed in his spacious showroom and studio in the village.

"My life was full of joy and hope. I worked like a horse because we received continuing orders from my customers coming from India, Germany, France, Italy and other countries," the artist recalled.

The times have changed, as have his life and fortune. Since the Gulf War in l991, which negatively affected global business, Cakra Yasa's business also started to decline.

"Nobody wanted to make long-distance air travel and the number of tourists coming to Bali dropped drastically. This was the first disaster faced by small-scale businesses on the island," he explained.

Another catastrophe was the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center (WTC) and the Pentagon in the United States. "Again, all holiday-goers and businessmen canceled their planned trips to Bali and importers dropped their orders," he said.

As a devoted Hindu, Cakra Yasa could do nothing but pray and hope that all would be well. His prayers were answered, and a few months after the WTC tragedy, international travelers began returning to Bali on holiday and on business.

The village of Sedang and the entire community were happy and relieved, as their lives are supported by the handicraft business.

The village is located between Bali's provincial capital of Denpasar and the famous village of Ubud, considered the artistic and cultural center of Bali. Visitors heading to Ubud would most likely pass the village and might stop by to look for works of art and traditional craft products. A large number of tourist busses also take this route and stop at the village.

The price of woodcrafts sold at the village may be cheaper than those on offer at opulent art galleries and art shops in the Ubud area. Cakra Yasa sells woodcraft and woodcarving statues at between Rp 125,000 and Rp 300,000 for a 80 cm statue. However, he also offers hand-made, international quality, one-meter-tall statues at prices of over Rp 10 million each.

"My customers have never questioned the prices of my items because they were mostly art lovers who valued all artistic creations," he said.

The village also benefited from the arrival of foreign and domestic tourists, as many sell various forms of handicrafts and other items wanted by the guests.

"This past October was the height of the peak season for Bali tourism. Thousands of visitors arrived in Bali and my business began to flourish again. Who knew that a few days later, a terrorist attack would shatter all our dreams?"

Cakra Yasa said he has made only 25 percent of his normal income. At present, he distributes his art works and handicraft products to small galleries and shops in Sukawati, Ubud and other art centers in Gianyar regency.

"I really expect things to get better next year. Otherwise, our business would totally collapse," he added sadly.

In Karang Asem, East Bali, the province's other renowned art center, numerous small-scale wood carvers and craftsmen have also been affected by the terrorist bombing.

I Komang Sugiarta, owner of small-scale wooden handicraft producer PT Mitra Fajar, complained that the bombing has badly affected his company, which produces various wooden products such as furniture, kitchen appliances and other household and interior decoration items.

"Actually, I have a very healthy market, especially in Japan. My products are made of high-quality woods, such as teakwood. But many of my clients have not come to Bali for security reasons," Komang said.

In order to survive, Komang has switched his target to the local market. "We have received about 40 percent of our total revenue from local clients," explained Komang.

"I have to work hard to keep this business alive, and I am very concerned now over the fate of my 45 workers. I really hope that the year 2003 brings prosperity to us," he said, full of hope.