Bali's craftsmen hope for better business in 2003

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.