Ciamis bamboo 'artist' tries his luck in Jakarta's tough streets

Text and photos by P.J. Leo

JAKARTA (JP): Piles of grayish brown bamboo poles are stacked on a railroad located at the side of JL. RE Martadinata, North Jakarta. Displayed next to these poles are dark brown chairs, tables and bookshelves, all made of bamboo.

Welcome to Herman's gallery and workshop.

Herman, 56, from Ciamis, West Java, is trying his luck in the hard life of Jakarta by making bamboo furniture.

"I have been doing this bamboo business here for eight months," said Herman, a father of nine; five of his children are married.

Herman used to work as a driver for an intercity bus company. One day, he took a group of tourists from Bandung to Bali. It was in Bali that the idea hit him to start making bamboo furniture.

"While in Bali, I saw how the Balinese could turn bamboo into attractive souvenirs for tourists, both local and foreign. Back in my village, I said to myself, bamboo is easily available. So, why don't I begin creating saleable articles out of bamboo, I wondered," said Herman.

In 1989, his dream to make bamboo handicrafts came true. Along with some of his friends, he established a gallery in Ciamis. He quit his job as a bus driver.

Right from its inception, the gallery was quite successful. It often received orders to construct bamboo restaurants, including their interior decorations, and also chairs, tables and shelves for books and TV sets. Herman and his partners use the tools that the Balinese also use in making bamboo handicrafts, such as crescent-shaped knives.

Unfortunately, over the past few years, business was very sluggish, a condition prompting Herman to leave Ciamis for Jakarta. So, with his self-confidence running high, Herman is now operating his own bamboo handicraft business.

Here in Jakarta he has hired nine assistants, four from his hometown and five from Sunter Agung, North Jakarta. They are paid between Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000 per week. He chose as his business site the section of unused railroad close to his rented house.

"I will move any time the state-owned railroad company or the Jakarta administration closes this area to business activities.

"But, please, of course, don't destroy my products. You know, I chose this spot because I cannot afford to purchase a piece of land for this business. I even stay in a rented house," he said.

Every other week some 100 bamboo poles from Rangkasbitung and Bogor are delivered to Herman's site. The rattan used to bind the bamboo comes from Cirebon.

Herman sells one bamboo chair for between Rp 50,000 and Rp 75,000. One set of living room furniture -- an easy chair, two chairs and a table -- costs Rp 400,000.

Fortune has begun to turn in his favor in Jakarta. He has received many orders, particularly from restaurant owners in North Jakarta, for chairs and dining tables. The bamboo handicraft business has proved to Herman that Jakarta is, after all, not as cruel as is usually assumed.