Made in Indonesia: A Tribute to the Country's Craftspeople
By Warwick Purser

Any stroll through the streets frequented by people in Indonesia’s tourist centers or markets throughout the country will uncover thousands of hand-made products, many of them of questionable design and quality. Most people’s judgment of Indonesia’s handcrafted products is based on this experience. What is much less known, however, is that Indonesia contains some of the world’s most talented craftspeople who are busy producing high-quality products that sit on the shelves of the finest shops in the world.

Made in Indonesia: A Tribute to the Country’s Craftspeople by creative entrepreneur and longtime resident Warwick Purser, celebrates the remarkable products manufactured in Indonesia and the people who make them. Made in Indonesia features over 200 photos by Rio Helmi – one of Indonesia’s most celebrated photographers – and illustrates the distinctive and high-quality ranges of items made in Indonesia for well-known retailers the world over. This book is a valuable tool for hotel and residential designers and developers as well as the public and private sectors to use in its efforts to find new markets for Indonesian products.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Warwick Purser founded Out of Asia, one of South East Asia’s
largest exporters of hand crafted products, nearly ten years ago. Residing in the village of Tembi on the outskirts of Yogyakarta, Warwick creates and produces hand-crafted interior accessories for the finest shops in the international market. Often referred to as Indonesia’s Jim Thompson, Warwick in the last decade has managed to do to Indonesia’s local handcrafted products what Jim Thompson did to Thai silk in the 60s. He sees his role as forming the all-important link between the international market and the skill of Indonesia’s craftspeople to whom he has dedicated this book.

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Rio Helmi, born to an Indonesian diplomat and Turkish mother, thinks of himself as "pan-Asian". He has been capturing images of Asia since 1978, constantly adding to a richly textured portolio that celebrates the region’s people And places, contemporary lifestyle. Now one of Asia’s leading photographers, His work is often seen in books, magazines and documentaries. Shows of Rio’s still photography have been held in San Francisco, Sydney, Jakarta and Bali.

Sneak peek: Spreading artistic legacy of Indonesia's skilled craftspeople

Hand-crafted items, no matter their quality, often earn the misnomer "handicrafts", which brings to mind cheap souvenirs peddled to tourists looking for a memento of their trip to take back home, regardless of craftsmanship or sometimes, authenticity.

A new book to be released this coming week , Made in Indonesia, by Equinox Publishing and sponsored by HSBC Indonesia, is set to redefine the artistic standards of hand-crafted products made by Indonesian craftspeople in Indonesia.

Written by Warwick Purser, owner of leading exporter Out of Asia and Warwick Purser Lifestyle, who has been recognized for his decades-long contribution to promoting the country's hand-crafted items to overseas markets, the book is aptly subtitled A Tribute to the Country's Craftspeople.

Accompanied by 180 color images of a broad range of such products captured by renowned photographer Rio Helmi, Made in Indonesia explores the heritage of Indonesia's skilled craftspeople and the international-quality items they create.

"I'm not sure that many people here are aware of the magnificent, world-class items made by Indonesian craftspeople, and that they are exported to leading outlets abroad," said HSBC Indonesia CEO Richard McHowat.

These exclusive stores include Harrods and Marks and Spencer of the United Kingdom, as well as Marshall Field's and Crate & Barrel in the United States.

"I think it's going to be a very exciting book ... that will inspire the minds of people" to feel proud of their country's skills heritage, said McHowat.

Covering products ranging from glass to stone, from woven water hyacinth to pandan leaves, and contemporary designs made from steel and recycled materials, the 160-page book is "not just a pretty book, but also a kind of sales guide", underlined McHowat, who is a personal fan of hand-crafted furniture and accessories.

Each photograph identifies the manufacturer of the product, and the index contains a list of the 23 suppliers featured in the book and their up-to-date contact information. These suppliers were selected in accordance with three criteria: one, the products are made in Indonesia by Indonesians; two, they consistently export overseas; and three, they have the capacity to supply in quantity.

For HSBC Indonesia, which marked its 120th in the country last year, the book project was a rare opportunity in keeping with its roots in financing trade and today, in providing start-up capital and accessibility to international markets to small and medium enterprises. It also fell in line with the tenets of the bank's corporate social responsibility, which focuses specifically on education, environment and community.

"HSBC is a strong believer in that the success and ongoing profitability of the bank is dependent on the success of the community in which we operate," said McHowat.

For Purser, this book is another means by which he can continue to support his adopted community in Tembi village, which he says is like "one big family".

He has not only harnessed the skills of craftspeople in the village and provided employment, but has also established a foundation, a library and other community-oriented facilities to ensure its sustainability.

Meanwhile, the book will be distributed worldwide, and so serve to expose the superior quality and original designs of Indonesian crafts and craftspeople around the globe.

In conjunction with the launch of Made in Indonesia, an exhibition will be held in the lobby of the World Trade Center, where suppliers featured in the book will display a select range of products for two weeks, accompanied by their representatives.

Made in Indonesia product exhibit will be held at the World Trade Center on Jl. Sudirman from Sept. 26 through Oct. 9. The exhibit is open to the public except on Sept. 28, when the book will be unveiled during a private function. Made in Indonesia will be available at most major bookstores on Sept. 29.

Taken from The Jakarta Post

Bookmark: At home with Indonesia
By Thang D. Nguyen

While Made in Indonesia has many great pictures, they are not the key feature of the book. Rather, they accompany and help the author explain and illustrate in his own words how Indonesians make world-class handcrafted products, using natural and recycled waste materials and, of course, their hands.

Simply put, it is nothing less than amazing to see in this book how bamboo, palm trees, seashells, recycled newspapers and steel are turned into elegant, stylish and classy handbags, shoes, picture frames, dining ware, furniture and a variety of interior accessories in the hands of Indonesian craftspeople.

While there are many books about Indonesia -- ranging from history, politics, puppetry (wayang kulit), coffee and clove cigarettes (kretek), to the nightlife in Jakarta and "crazy" foreigners (bule gila, or bugil) living in the country -- there has not been one that is devoted entirely to Indonesian craftsmanship. Thus, the timing of Made in Indonesia makes it a significant publication.

What is more significant about this book, though, is the story of its author, Warwick Purser, and how he has come to build "Out of Asia", an exporting business of handicrafts made in Indonesia to markets worldwide.

About 10 years ago, Mr. Purser -- a lanky Aussie who describes himself as an Indonesianized bule -- came to Tembi, a village area on the outskirts of Yogyakarta, central Java, where he saw an opportunity to build an enterprise that would be profitable and benefit the local community at the same time.

"When I first moved to Tembi, the streets were unpaved. Many of the houses [there] were sadly in need of repair. Many families could not afford to buy day-to-day basics ... or provide education. It would seem that there were very few assets that could ensure any degree of continuous and sustainable living," he writes.

There was, however, one asset: "the ability Indonesians have to create almost anything and everything with their hands. Tembi was no exception. However, while the skills were there, they were not being properly utilized. My challenge was to revitalize this talent in an effort to improve their standard of living."

Today, Out of Asia produces handcrafted accessories for some of the finest shops in the world and employs thousands of Indonesians. So, in doing well as a business, Out of Asia does good for the community -- that which we call corporate social responsibility or socially responsible investment.

But what is most significant about Made in Indonesia is that it helps bring Indonesia to the world in a positive way and thereby contributes to a better, more informed understanding of Indonesia as a nation of great diversity, whether it be natural resources, cultures or otherwise. Despite its geography, diversity and greatness, Indonesia is probably the least known or understood -- if not the most misunderstood -- nation in the world.

For many people in other parts of the world, Indonesia is part of Bali, if they know where the latter is. How many people know that Indonesia is the world's fourth-most populous country, the largest archipelago, the largest Muslim-majority nation and, more importantly, the third-largest democracy?

For one thing, the poor understanding of Indonesia in the world is because of the lack of a largely overdue public relations campaign that promotes (or sells) Indonesia abroad to tourists, investors, and people who, otherwise, could be interested in visiting, doing business, or living in Indonesia. Seriously, how can Malaysia be more "truly Asia" than Indonesia, given the latter's wealth of natural resources and diversity?

What's more, people in many parts of the world, especially Australia and the West, tend to have a negative image of Indonesia. For them, the name Indonesia is a synonym for terrorism, corruption, or radical Muslims, among other things.

While Indonesia does face these immense challenges, there are success stories about it that the world often doesn't hear; positive qualities about it that the world often doesn't see; and nice Indonesians that the world often doesn't meet.

For the most part, this is because what is shown of Indonesia in the international media is usually bad news, which, of course, sells better than good news.

And because of this so-called CNN effect, people will remember and associate Indonesia with such terrorist attacks as the bombings of Bali, both in 2002 and last week, of the JW Marriot Jakarta Hotel in 2003, and of the Australian Embassy last year.

But how many people have seen on TV or read in the news about the successful transformation of the world's largest Muslim-majority nation in the past seven years from 32 years of dictatorship into the world's third largest democracy?

And, for that matter, a few years from now, how many people will remember the Asian tsunami that devastated Indonesia, among other countries, last December?

This is why Made in Indonesia is a timely, relevant, and therefore, meaningful book. Not only does it celebrate Indonesian craftsmanship and introduce it to people all over the world, it also shows positive aspects of Indonesia that they don't know or haven't seen.

Mark Twain once quipped: "Wagner's music is better than it sounds." The same is true with Indonesia: The world just has to listen more attentively!

Taken from The Jakarta Post