Kitchenware providing some flash in those pans

Maria Endah Hulupi, Contributor

The kitchen does not have to be a design no-go zone. Modern kitchenware promises to provide comfort, convenience and, most importantly, style in the home, even if there is still a lack of appreciation of its qualities among some.

Well-designed kitchenware acts as an accent to a kitchen or dining room when not in use.

In the UK, as well as in other European countries, contemporary kitchenware products are highly valued, and considered art objects of everyday life.

They give designers opportunities to explore new designs, materials and techniques while also providing people with quality and original items.

"Well-designed items have beautiful looks and durability. They may follow fashion trends but (because of space limitations) people would rather have products with multi functions, which fit their living environment well," UK designer Jhan Stanley said in a discussion on British trends in kitchenware at Aksara bookstore in Kemang, South Jakarta.

Despite the relatively expensive price, kitchenware can be used to add a touch of art to the eating ritual, with the owners enjoying sharing them during gatherings with family and friends.

That is the case in the West, but here contemporary kitchenware rarely gets the kind of appreciation it deserves, sometimes left to gather dust as an "object" but not put to use.

"People appreciate contemporary design because they can see the spirit of past eras being revived in new designs," explained architect/writer Alwi Sjaaf, adding, however, that "most local people buy well-designed items only to display them in their kitchen".

According to Dudy Wiyancoko, a design researcher from Bandung Institute of Technology, many still view kitchenware merely as a tool for eating.

"In developed countries, kitchenware is a reflection of lifestyle and individuality. It's a medium of expression," Dudy said.

Such ignorance may stem from the cooking and eating tradition here, in which people ate with their fingers from simple, easily available items such as banana leaves.

Dudy said the tradition was inherited from our Hindu ancestors and their social divisions, when sharing of eating utensils was prohibited.

Culinary expert William Wongso said the tradition of eating with the fingers was actually a complicated method of creating a desired proportion between the rice, the accompanying dishes and the condiment, before eventually putting the food into the mouth. It's a balance that may be hard or even impossible to achieve when eating with utensils.

Just as the European dining tradition has its own etiquette, the local tradition led to the creation of a set of manners, including the exclusive use of the right hand for eating and in social interaction, and the designation of the left as "unclean".

Foreign influences brought the fork, spoon, knife and plate to the dinner table, and the tradition of sit-down gatherings.

"What happened was that we absorbed the (eating) tradition and culture from other countries. As a result our contemporary style is a very multicultural one. I'm afraid that in the future, our children will not be able to recognize our own (cultural) identity," Dudy said.

But many people still consider eating simply as filling an empty stomach.

"Many people are not used to appreciating the ingredients, the food presentation and the labor of the cook," said William, who is also president of the International Wine and Food Society.

Despite the public's lack of appreciation of design, there is a growing trend to have two different kitchens in a home -- a wet one and a usually well-designed pantry.

The wet kitchen is used to do most of the cooking activities, such as preparing elaborate, local style meals, while the second, which absorbs Western influences, is more of a showroom to represent status and luxury, and is rarely used.

"We need to honestly admit the difference (between local and Western ways of cooking), because the Western kitchen is not suitable for our traditional ways of cooking. Modification is needed so that our kitchen can conveniently accommodate activities, like nguleg (using a mortar and pestle)," said writer Imelda Akmal.

Dudy and William were speakers in a recent discussion on food, culture and identity, while Imelda and Alwi appeared at the discussion on contemporary lifestyle and UK design.

Stanley, whose work is on display in the Contemporary British Kitchenware exhibition, participated in both discussions, organized as part of the ongoing exhibition.

The event features the works of dozens of British designers, showcasing various shapes -- from sculptural, imaginative, contemplative to the unpretentious celebration of the imperfections in craftsmanship.

Some products are inspired from things as simple as everyday objects but created with a touch of humor, purity, personality and style.

Among the works are Edmund de Waal's small upright teapot from porcelain with a simple wire handle, with its crooked shape showing the designer's fondness of visible imperfections; Dai Rees' stylish feather quill and silver bowl, and William Warren's interesting fold cutlery set of stainless steel.

David Clarke's contemplative work -- dubbed the promenade of pears -- will turn any table into a focal point, just like Stanley's elegant glass salad servers.

"Purity of line and form is central to all my products as is the beauty portrayed by a virtuous material. I no longer use color as I feel this interrupts the essence of the design. The spirit of the material is fundamental to the design concept," Stanley said.

The exhibition is at Aksara Kemang, Jl. Kemang Raya No. 8b, South Jakarta, until Oct. 18.