Honggo puts Asmat motifs in his clay works
Honggo puts Asmat motifs in his clay works
By Imran Rusli
JAKARTA (JP): "Crazy ceramics!" cried a group of female
students, pointing to a ceramic displayed at the handicraft
center of Pasaraya Big and Beautiful in Blok M, South Jakarta.
"Really crazy," they raved.
The object of all this craziness was the works of clay artist
Honggo, whose Asmat-style pieces have won the hearts of many
ceramic collectors.
A saleslady at another handicraft counter said "Honggo Asmat
ceramics give everyone the giggles."
Honggo started into ceramics in 1991, out of desperation.
"It was actually a form of acute protest," he said.
He had first started a landscaping business in Cipinang, East
Jakarta, after quitting the Indonesian Arts Institute of
Yogyakarta in 1976.
His success as a ceramic artist came after spending a brief
time in the cradle of the West Java pottery industry, Plered. He
stumbled into the ceramic handicraft industry while browsing for
a garden lamp in the village.
There Honggo met Haj Marzuki, an old hand in the Plered
ceramic industry. The elder brought back what Honggo had learned
about ceramics in his arts school days. He quit landscaping and
joined Haj Marzuki's ceramic business.
Honggo perfected his knowledge of ceramic handicraft making in
Haj Marzuki's workshop. But, after a year's work, he was still
not satisfied. Something was missing, he felt.
"There was no progress in the figures and motifs of Plered
ceramics. It has been static for decades. They are afraid of
improvisation and prefer to stick to staid and plain motifs. I
don't know how often I tried to persuade Haj Marzuki to be more
innovative. It was all to no avail," said Honggo.
In 1991 he personally plunged into ceramics. With only Rp 5
million (US$2,127) he began his now renown line of Asmat
ceramics. The primitive and exotic Asmat heads and figurines
relegated the other motifs from Nias and the Dayak hinterlands to
the back of the workshop.
"The Asmat design stands out more," explained Honggo.
Strangely, Honggo has never set foot in Irian Jaya.
"I found the Asmat designs in the Irian Jaya pavilion of Taman
Mini Indonesia Indah," he admitted shyly.
He read everything about the Asmat and studied the smallest
details in pictures and statuettes of the Irian tribe. He then
opened his Honggo Keramik showroom on Jalan Raya Basuki Rahmat in
Cipinang, East Jakarta. He had three assistants.
Honggo participates in exhibits because "promotion is
important," he said in an apologetic manner. Ever since he
started, he has joined in four KIDI (what does it stand for?)
exhibits, went to the Osaka Fair in 1993, a similar exhibit in
Singapore the following year. He has held six exhibits at the
annual Jakarta Fair.
"I joined the Irian Jaya kiosk on a 70:30 consignment basis,"
he said of his Jakarta Fair display.
Honggo ceramics, which sell for between Rp 1,000 and Rp
200,000 ($0.44 to $85), are marketed by PT Primamakmur Langgeng
Lestari and PT Piranti. Honggo's products have already made
inroads in the Asian, European and the American markets.
"The products yield a monthly income of Rp 150 million, and it
is still increasing," said Rini, the marketing manager of PT
Primamakmur Langgeng Lestari.
Unusual designs
The diminutive form of Honggo ceramics stands out. Weighing
only 100 to 250 grams, they come in the image of fearsome heads
or miniatures of curvaceous women complete with ethnic adornments
like colored beads, grass belts and necklaces, or gigantic iron
earrings and nose rings. Some have ponytails and carry bamboo
tubes with Asmat relief carvings.
Honggo says the decorative accent of the figures should give
any family or sitting room a lift over popular knick-knacks.
"The ceramic figures can be used as hanging decorations, or
attached to a wall, standing on a rack, or inside a glass
cabinet," pitched Honggo.
Most of his ceramics are the original earth-brown of the clay.
"The color accentuates the primitive lines of the product. That's
what makes it exotic," he said.
Secret mixture
Honggo protects his business very well. He refuses to divulge
how his products are made. He only gave away that he uses clay
from Plered and Sukabumi, West Java. No details, as to what went
in the clay mixture, baking period and temperature, were
revealed.
"Sorry, I have to be careful about copycats of my work. They
are quite aggressive. If I told you my trade secrets, it could
spell the end of my business," he said.
Ironically, near copies are now being made in Plered, the very
place that rejected Honggo's first designs.
"They don't want to progress further than that. They are
satisfied with being copycats. They never made sound efforts to
become genuine artists," he said.
His observances of the local ceramic cottage industry fills
him with dread. Honggo therefore drills the importance of being
creative into his 28 handicraftsmen.
"They should be able to stand on their own and develop the
special art of Indonesian ceramics. I don't want them to be
satisfied with their present fee of Rp 350,000. This country has
a rich variety of ethnic models and styles that are waiting to be
utilized in ceramic art," he said.