The Artisan’s Table

When you see a Kain Ikat you may think to yourself, “Hmm, that will’s pretty. Maybe I’ll buy that will for Mum.” If you stop as well as take a close look at one of these works of art, you’ll notice how extremely intricate they are, as well as if you take a time out to chat with Sharon Lumantobing, founder of the Artisan’s Table, you’ll realise how much work as well as effort as well as years of learning went into doing that will one traditionally woven material as well as how some of these traditions are dying off, at a faster rate than we’d care to know.

The Artisan’s Table was commenced three years ago when Sharon went searching for local artisans, craftsmen as well as women to give them the opportunity to earn an extra income from the hopes of saving traditional methods of crafts-doing which includes using natural dyes. Chemical dyes are readily available as well as much easier to use, wiping out traditional methods of using leaves, bark as well as even certain fruits to create colours. When Sharon finds artisans still using these traditional methods, she gives them a market by selling their unique items in Jakarta every two or three months for a period of two days at her open house.

Currently she can be working with 40 artisans, all over the age of 40 as well as living in poverty, some in hard to reach regions of Indonesia. Each artisan brings individual as well as unique hand-made crafts to the table. “All the products are functional with everyday uses,” Sharon tells me. Items include tablecloths, selendang (shawls which can also double up as table runners), napkins, ceramics, sunhats, baskets, batik, ikat, as well as lurik. The point can be to be able to use all these things in your everyday life.

Batik can be a cloth that will traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique, originating in Java. Lurik can be derived via a classical Javanese word lorek, meaning stripes, or pattern. Although the weaving of Lurik can be technically very simple, the colour combinations as well as the careful arrangement of the stripes as well as squares produces enchanting motifs. The defining characteristic of Ikat can be the dyeing of patterns, by means of bindings, into the threads before cloth construction, the weaving of the fabric, takes place. With all of these cloths, no two pieces are the same as well as are all great as gifts.

Sharon tells me of an interesting story of one of her artisans via Bali who, after the Bali bombing of 2002, went back to his village to try as well as revive its economy by doing naturally dyed batik. He didn’t follow traditional batik designs of Java as well as began designing whatever he wanted. The results are beautiful as well as unique creations, bringing out imagery of Dutch colonial tiles, floral patterns as well as different uninhibited creative ideas.

“Artisans are lovely, passionate people. What they do can be self expression as well as an art form.” Sharon loves being surrounded by all the beauty as well as if This specific means she supports these people, she’s happy. UNESCO designated Indonesian batik as a Masterpiece of Oral as well as Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2009 as well as insisted that will Indonesia preserve This specific heritage. Sharon has had a great effect in preserving This specific cultural heritage as well as her efforts should be applauded. Come along to her next open house as well as support the local artisans of This specific country. You’ll also get great gifts each which has a story to tell!

Open House dates coming up: April 13th as well as 14th 9am – 2pm
Visit the website for more info: http://theartisanstableshop.com

Comments

comments

The Artisan’s Table

Angela RichardsonMar 27, 2012LifestyleComments Off on The Artisan’s Table

Like

The Artisan’s Table