When clay meets modern interior
When clay meets modern interior
Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
People still prefer to have chinaware with modern designs to
serve their guests. Some of them even consider clayware, which
originates in this country, as low-class.
But in the "magic" hands of noted clay designer/painter F.X.
Widayanto, clayware can be turned into objects of art.
Some of his creations -- Loro Blonyo (bride and groom),
Ukelan, Ganesha Ganeshi (god and goddess of knowledge) and Mother
and Child -- were mostly inspired by Javanese fairy tales,
mythology and the Ramayana epic. They have been displayed and
sold at luxury department stores in the city apart from
Widayanto's showroom itself in Sawangan, Depok.
Despite the fact that his creations are based on strong ethnic
themes, his clayware can still be matched with modern interior
designs. It was shown in his recent exhibition at the Archipelago
modern interior design showroom at Plaza Senayan, Central
Jakarta.
One of his latest designs displayed at the exhibition was Peri
Golekan. The collection is of female fairy figures ornamented
with bronze wings and movable wooden hands, inspired by wayang
golek (wooden puppet) from West Java. The shapes and faces of
Peri Golekan figures are similar to his other female figures but
each of the figures wear unique hairdos and traditional costumes.
Some of the figurines adorn a long wooden dining table which
was beautifully decorated with pebbles and wild grass, some
others bedeck a round table for the living room.
For a complete set of Peri Golekan, Widayanto only created 123
unique items which are offered at Rp 2.5 million (US$271.8) per
set.
To avoid rampant piracy in the country, Widayanto also
includes a certificate of authenticity to protect his important
creations and customers.
His other artistic statues are Wara Naga Cuwis (a half man
half dragon figure) and Ajar Asih (a half woman and half snake
figure, portraying a mother holding her baby in her arms) from
his Mother and Child collection.
Some consoles in the showroom are equipped with ethnic bokor
(a traditional dish), embellished with potpourri or tropical
flowers like frangipani and large leaves, senthir (traditional
lamps using coconut oil) or kendi (a pot for drinking water).
For this event, Widayanto also exhibited his huge clay pots
and large dishes. Some of the clay pots, whose prices range from
Rp 1.75 million to Rp 5 million, were ornamented with sintung (a
traditional woven-leave-top fan made of bamboo stick) or large-
leaved plants, like philodendron taken from his own garden.
A section of the showroom's wall was fully bedecked with
dozens of his topeng (masks). According to one of his staff,
Widayanto portrayed the faces of Akim (his employee at the
workshop) and Bu Umi (his cook) and molded them into different
funny expressions with leaves and insects as accents. Each mask
is sold for Rp 100,000.
Four of his wooden-framed charcoal paintings, depicting faces
and a topless rural girl were also among the items displayed.
"I've been drawing a lot lately and will continue to draw next
year. I've done a lot of black and white paintings," said the
designer whose other latest creations, titled Galaxi Vas, were
displayed at Koi Gallery recently.
"It (painting) is not my profession, just a hobby for my
leisurely hours," Widayanto, who also loves gardening and
cooking, added.
The designer also prepared some of his wide ranging,
traditional treats for visitors on the first day of the month
long exhibition.
Among the dishes served include jadah manten (glutinous rice
with savory filling served with bamboo stick), serabi Solo
(traditional pancake, topped with chocolate rice served on a
banana leave), brondong jagung (spiced pop corn), while the
drinks include es mangga (a sweet and slightly tangy drink served
with thinly sliced mango) and teh sereh (hot tea with pleasant
lemongrass flavor).
"Apart from designing, I love doing activities around the
house, like gardening and cooking. Most of the food I cook is
traditional. I try to maintain their traditional flavors and way
of cooking," Widayanto smiled.
Maria Endah Hulupi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
People still prefer to have chinaware with modern designs to
serve their guests. Some of them even consider clayware, which
originates in this country, as low-class.
But in the "magic" hands of noted clay designer/painter F.X.
Widayanto, clayware can be turned into objects of art.
Some of his creations -- Loro Blonyo (bride and groom),
Ukelan, Ganesha Ganeshi (god and goddess of knowledge) and Mother
and Child -- were mostly inspired by Javanese fairy tales,
mythology and the Ramayana epic. They have been displayed and
sold at luxury department stores in the city apart from
Widayanto's showroom itself in Sawangan, Depok.
Despite the fact that his creations are based on strong ethnic
themes, his clayware can still be matched with modern interior
designs. It was shown in his recent exhibition at the Archipelago
modern interior design showroom at Plaza Senayan, Central
Jakarta.
One of his latest designs displayed at the exhibition was Peri
Golekan. The collection is of female fairy figures ornamented
with bronze wings and movable wooden hands, inspired by wayang
golek (wooden puppet) from West Java. The shapes and faces of
Peri Golekan figures are similar to his other female figures but
each of the figures wear unique hairdos and traditional costumes.
Some of the figurines adorn a long wooden dining table which
was beautifully decorated with pebbles and wild grass, some
others bedeck a round table for the living room.
For a complete set of Peri Golekan, Widayanto only created 123
unique items which are offered at Rp 2.5 million (US$271.8) per
set.
To avoid rampant piracy in the country, Widayanto also
includes a certificate of authenticity to protect his important
creations and customers.
His other artistic statues are Wara Naga Cuwis (a half man
half dragon figure) and Ajar Asih (a half woman and half snake
figure, portraying a mother holding her baby in her arms) from
his Mother and Child collection.
Some consoles in the showroom are equipped with ethnic bokor
(a traditional dish), embellished with potpourri or tropical
flowers like frangipani and large leaves, senthir (traditional
lamps using coconut oil) or kendi (a pot for drinking water).
For this event, Widayanto also exhibited his huge clay pots
and large dishes. Some of the clay pots, whose prices range from
Rp 1.75 million to Rp 5 million, were ornamented with sintung (a
traditional woven-leave-top fan made of bamboo stick) or large-
leaved plants, like philodendron taken from his own garden.
A section of the showroom's wall was fully bedecked with
dozens of his topeng (masks). According to one of his staff,
Widayanto portrayed the faces of Akim (his employee at the
workshop) and Bu Umi (his cook) and molded them into different
funny expressions with leaves and insects as accents. Each mask
is sold for Rp 100,000.
Four of his wooden-framed charcoal paintings, depicting faces
and a topless rural girl were also among the items displayed.
"I've been drawing a lot lately and will continue to draw next
year. I've done a lot of black and white paintings," said the
designer whose other latest creations, titled Galaxi Vas, were
displayed at Koi Gallery recently.
"It (painting) is not my profession, just a hobby for my
leisurely hours," Widayanto, who also loves gardening and
cooking, added.
The designer also prepared some of his wide ranging,
traditional treats for visitors on the first day of the month
long exhibition.
Among the dishes served include jadah manten (glutinous rice
with savory filling served with bamboo stick), serabi Solo
(traditional pancake, topped with chocolate rice served on a
banana leave), brondong jagung (spiced pop corn), while the
drinks include es mangga (a sweet and slightly tangy drink served
with thinly sliced mango) and teh sereh (hot tea with pleasant
lemongrass flavor).
"Apart from designing, I love doing activities around the
house, like gardening and cooking. Most of the food I cook is
traditional. I try to maintain their traditional flavors and way
of cooking," Widayanto smiled.