Flores Handicraft on Display in Collaborative Exhibition at Jakarta Restaurant
Jakarta. Bali-based boutique and gallery Canaan held an event in Central Jakarta on Wednesday (21/02) to promote handicraft from East Nusa Tenggara's Flores Island to a wider audience.
The event, dubbed "Canaan in Flores," was held in collaboration with social enterprise Du'Anyam and Kaum restaurant to support rural communities and female artisans.
"In partnership with Du'Anyam, we want to showcase our collaborative merchandise, which will be available for purchase," said Emmelyn Gunawan, the founder of Canaan.
Meanwhile, the Kaum culinary team, headed by chef Antoine, created a special menu using authentic ingredients and cooking methods from Flores.
The featured menu, which includes ikan kakap kuah asam, lawar teri segar, jagung bose and sorghum rempah, will be available at the restaurant on Feb. 21-22.
"Besides the crafts, we also want to introduce traditional food and coffee from Flores. This is interesting, as we don't see many restaurants in Jakarta that sell food from the island," Emmelyn said.
Works by Indonesian fashion and lifestyle photographer Chris Bunjamin were also on display during the event, along with merchandise by Canaan and Du'Anyam.
Chris said the photographs were taken during his trip to the island in August last year.
"As a lifestyle and commercial photographer, I wanted a project that challenges my perspective. This project showcases my vision and stories in creating a finer body of work in a unique and adventurous way," he said.
Supporting Local Artisans Across Indonesia
Canaan, which is known for showcasing locally made products from Bali, Sumba, Flores and Toraja, also prides itself in its curated products that show a mix of traditional craft and modern innovation.
Besides operating as a traditional retailer, Emmelyn said the brand is also responsible for providing a better living environment for its artisan partners and less privileged communities.
"We realize that many of our artisans and creative communities living in villages across Indonesia are lacking proper education for themselves and their children," she said.
Emmelyn said proceeds from the sale of the photographs and merchandise would be donated to the Hoshizora Foundation, a nongovernmental organization dedicated to creating an equal opportunity for every Indonesian child to obtain a proper education.
The proceeds will go to the children of Du'Anyam weavers under the new Hoshizora partnership program.
Dedicated to empowering women and improving maternal and children's health in Indonesia, Du'Anyam provides additional year-round income opportunities for women of childbearing age by leveraging existing, yet underutilized skills, in local communities.
"Increasing their financial means to access better nutrition and health services. We don't want to give them what they want, instead we train them to get what they deserve," said Azalea Ayuningtyas, co-founder and chief executive of Du'Anyam.
"To provide them with sustainable alternatives, we decided to empower these women to do what they love to earn a living," she added.
Based on the organization's evaluation, education is one of the top-three expenses for these women.
"By providing scholarships to them, we believe they can worry less about educational expenses for their children and allocate their incomes towards nutrition for their families," Azalea said.
The more than 450 women in 17 East Flores villages who currently work with Du'Anyam have increased their incomes by up to 40 percent.
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