The traditional design of West Java

West Java holds many interesting traditional design from batik pattern to street vendor’s design, thus combined with Kriya Nusantara incredible craftmanship in metal works and European style.

Pierrick Romeuf worked with Iman Setyadi who is junior designer at Kriya Nusantara and Handoko Hadiwijoyo, senior designer at CV Kriya Nusantara.

I am trained as a furniture designer, and as artistic director. My background is marked by my professional experiences in Finland (Studio Suppanen) and Japan (Nendo). Since 2012, I develop my independent design business by working with companies in the Rhône-Alpes Auvergne region. I have always been working with craftsmen so I was very lucky to be part of that workshop in Kriya Nusantara in Bandung, Indonesia.

THE PROCESS

Designers worked for 2 weeks to purpose two standing lights for European markets. The goal they have was to confront design and local culture. At first, they were looking for an object that could match Kriya Nusantara's skills. They ended with a choice of lightings developments. A good opportunity to add details and decorative elements with engraved metal parts. Lamps are iconic in the sense that they are not only functional products.

Many trials were done: different concepts experimented, primary 3d models and rendering, size adjustments and several reviews. We ended up with two products.

Tahu Gejrot (spicy tofu) inspired by the street vendors instruments. It's a table lamp made of wood and copper. At first, you won't be able to see the pattern, but when you switch it on, the “motif” appears as a reference to Kriya Nusantara's skills. The shape is very simple but contains details of bendung and assembly subtlety.

• Intensitas is a table lamp offering interactions, it plays with ray and shadow, in reference to shadow puppets.Its pattern “megamendung” is inspired by batiks from West Java. When you turn the handle, you play with the light intensity. So the making has to be precise, so that the movement is smooth.

THE DNA : Fern

Inspired by the natural wonders of rainforests, the fern plants give aesthetically strong point in the design’s shape and pattern.

THE METHOD : Flooring

The mix between weaving, carpentry, and joining techniques, combined altogether creates a motif called “the fern” in France, which is used notably in marquetry.

THE TEAM : Pascaline de Glo de Besses, designer / Alex Kurniawan, owner of Kayu Manis' factory

THE DESIGNER : Pascaline de Glo de Besses

THE PROCESS :

Indonesia is a territory rich in raw materials with an open trade on the world. Discovering new species, materials, techniques, manufacturing or printing for example ... it is enriching a vocabulary that, crossed with my western eyes, founds the basis of the Design Asean workshop.

The objective was therefore to make an inventory of fixtures, a rapid analysis of uses and from the first days on to multiply the exchanges with the craftsmen to seize their potential and to imagine together a project with industrial reach .

The workshop consisted of exchanging our experiences, identifying the socio-economic context in which the project will be introduced, collaborating on the development of the product, on its development through manipulations, tests, models to finally reach a prototype."