Table Artisan

Table Artisan -

 

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When you see a Kain Ikat you may think to yourself, "Hmm, that's enough. Maybe I'll buy for mom. "If you stop and take a close look at one of these works of art, you will notice how extremely complex they are, and if you take time to talk with Sharon Lumantobing , founder of the Artisan's Table, you will realize how much work and effort and years of learning went into making that a traditionally woven material and how some of these traditions are dying at a rate faster than we care to know.

The Artisan table was started three years ago, when Sharon went for local artisans, craftsmen and women to give them the opportunity to earn additional income in the hope of saving traditional methods of craftsmanship decision which includes the use of natural dyes. chemical dyes are readily available and much easier to use, erasing the traditional methods of using leaves, bark and even some fruits to create colors. When Sharon found craftsmen who still use these traditional methods, it gives them a market by selling unique items in Jakarta every two or three months for a period of two days at his open house.

She is currently working with 40 artisans, all aged over 40 and living in poverty, some in hard to reach areas of Indonesia. Each artisan brings individual and unique handmade crafts at the table. "All products are functional with daily uses," Sharon said. Items include tablecloths, Selendang (shawls that can also double as table runners), towels, ceramics, bobs, baskets, batik ikat and lurik . The point is to be able to use all these things in your daily life.

Batik is a fabric which traditionally uses a wax resist dyeing technique manual from Java. Lurik is derived from a classical Javanese word Lorek , meaning scratches, or pattern. While weaving Lurik is technically very simple, color combinations and careful arrangement of stripes and squares produces enchanting grounds. The critical feature is Ikat dyeing patterns, by means of links, in the threads before the fabric construction, weaving of the fabric takes place. With all these rags, no two pieces are the same and are all great as gifts.

Sharon told me an interesting story of one of his Bali artisans who, after the Bali bombing in 2002, returned to his village to try to revive its economy by naturally dyed batik . He did not follow the traditional batik designs and Java began designing what he wanted. The results are beautiful and unique creations, showing images of Dutch colonial tiles, floral motifs and other uninhibited creative ideas.

"Artisans are beautiful, passionate people. What they do is self-expression and an art form." Sharon loves being surrounded by the beauty and if that means that it supports these people, she is happy. UNESCO designated Indonesian batik as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2009 and insisted that Indonesia preserve this heritage. Sharon has had a great effect in the preservation of this cultural heritage and efforts should be applauded. Come to the next open house and support local artisans of this country. You will also have great gifts each with a story to tell

Open House dates to come: 13th April and 14 9:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Visit the website for more information: http://theartisanstableshop.com

 

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