'Kulit' Explorations of Leather and Barkcloth Webinar

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Speakers : 

• Sagio (Puppeteer and Wayang Kulit Artisans)
• Bernadetha Yasmine Ratribumi (Founder Mupakara)
• Novieta Tourisia (Founder Artist Cinta Bumi Artisans)

 Moderator : Elaine Chan (Secretary-General of AHPADA)

Sagio Puppet is a place where the first wayang, a traditional Javanese puppet, was made in Kasihan, Bantul, Yogyakarta. It is managed by Sagio, a maestro that has pursued the craft of wayang puppetry for the last 30 years. His process of studying the art from his father, Jaya Perwita, and the senior Puppet maker of the Yogyakarta Kraton, MB Prayitno, helped him better know the character of each wayang figure. His deep knowledge, enthusiasm, and love for wayang since the age of 11 has inspired him to produce wayang of superior quality. Sagio Puppet also provides the opportunity to learn about the philosophy of wayang, the story behind wayang, the character behind each wayang figure and the technique to make wayang. 

Mupakara means caring for or guarding in Sanskrit. The spirit of Mupakara grows through the designs which tell once again about the richness of nature and culture in the land we walk upon. The technique of creating the design by piercing the leather, that has become the special characteristic of Mupakara, is also a technique that has been done by artisans in Yogyakarta for a long time. However, now it rarely can be found. Artisans that produce leather goods with this punch technique have gone to other jobs because of the decline in the market. Mupakara saw the potential of the local talents and brought this technique back to culture and fashion lovers.

Cinta Bumi Artisans is a small enterprise that focuses on creating impactful handmade goods and wearable poetry by fusing indigenous wisdom, artisanal craftsmanship and mindful innovation. The core work is on the revival of bark cloth originating from Bada Valley (Central Sulawesi) combined with other natural fibers as well as traditional and contemporary natural dyeing methods. When the pandemic started in March 2020, a massive flood happened in the Bada Valley. 930+ residents lost their properties, including their bark cloth-making equipment and tools which had been passed on through five generations. Through the webinar, we hope to gather some support for our bark cloth artisans and their families.

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" The webinars will be accessible through a minimum donation of USD $5. These donations will go directly to supporting the artisans featured in the webinars; for immediate needs and especially for the purchase of materials needed to continue their craft traditions."

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