Suparto wins designer award
JAKARTA (JP): B. Suparto of Yogyakarta took first place in the country's first ever beauty case designer competition here Friday evening, beating out 19 other finalists.
The 50-year-old's hexagonal case won him Rp 1.5 million (US$176).
The case, titled Mahkota Bunga Kuncup (The Crowned Bud), was made of fiberglass and cardboard and had attachments of triangular-winged casings with a soft, brown leather exterior.
The head of the Indonesian Jewelry Designer Association (IPAPI), Runi Palar, said Suparto's designer case was easy to open and practical.
"It's not just about luxury designs... it should be practical, elegant and easily mass produced for export," Runi said.
"His design looks both affordable and elegant."
Suparto, who was awarded the trophy and prize money by Director General of Cultural Affairs Edi Sedyawati, teaches interior design in Yogyakarta.
He said he felt a little "weird" winning the award at such an old age and refused to comment on the victory.
"It took three days to design the case, but the prototype itself took a week to make," Suparto said.
Second prize went to Ibnu Banuharli of Yogyakarta for his beauty case, Gunungan Wayang, while Himawan Ariadi of Yogyakarta took third prize for Bunga Piramida (The Pyramid Flower), a metallic, conical design sectioned into quarters with hooks at each end.
Upon pulling down the hooks, a miniature cushion is revealed.
Like Suparto, both the other winners were awarded Rp 1.5 million.
Runner-up prizes went to Lusiana of Jakarta for Gunungan Emas (Gold Mountain), Aga Leonard of Jakarta for Lingkaran dan Kotak (A Circle and a Box) and Lilik Amin Sucokro for Orbit Dan Bunga Matahari (Orbit and the Sunflower), a simple, elegant burgundy case with gold sunflower designs on its cap. Their designs won them Rp 300,000 each.
The event was organized by IPAPI and the World Gold Council in collaboration with Jakarta's PT Gold Martindo and PT Itama Raya Gold Industri from Surabaya, East Java.
The 20 finalists were selected from 62 designers nationwide.
A few of the 90 designers who entered the contest confused the term Kemasan (beauty case) with Keemasan (gold jewelry), leading them to send designs of gold jewelry instead of beauty cases.
The event's panel of judges comprised of the wife of former minister of education and culture, Atie Wardiman, owner of the Femina group of magazines, Pia Alisjahbana, Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) fine arts professor Jusuf Affendi, Runi Palar, World Gold Council representative Marcia Moniaga, gold traders Johnny Salmon and Widjaya, Suara Pembaruan reporter Tuti Gintin and small enterprise representative M. Suaidi Mas'ud. (ylt)