Jakarta: The National Crafts Council (Dekranas) promotes and encourages superior crafts as one of Indonesia's valuable assets in facing global market challenges. This effort is realized through the Kriyanusa 2023 Exhibition, themed "Superior Crafts, Advanced Indonesia," held on September 13-17, 2023, at the Jakarta Convention Center.
The Kriyanusa 2023 Exhibition serves as a stage for skilled artisans from across the country to showcase their beautiful and creative works. This exhibition not only features unique handicrafts but also highlights boundless innovation and creativity in producing superior craft products.
The Chairperson of the Kriyanusa 2023 Exhibition Committee, Sri Suparni Bahlil, stated that this event is a tangible manifestation of Dekranas' efforts to develop the capacity of craft entrepreneurs, aiming to foster the creation and development of local craft products while preserving the cultural image of Indonesia's regions.
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"This exhibition serves as a platform to support the marketing of products fostered by Dekranasda and provides space for the Nusantara craft industry to continuously foster creativity and innovation to improve business performance and showcase superior products," she explained in a written statement on Wednesday, September 13, 2023.
In an era increasingly dominated by advanced technology and economic progress, Indonesia finds its appeal and strength in an invaluable asset: crafts. In an effort to promote cultural heritage and encourage economic innovation, Dekranas has positioned superior crafts as one of the main pillars in the journey toward national progress.
Superior crafts, representing Indonesia's traditional arts and handicrafts, have become increasingly important in shaping national identity and playing a significant role in supporting the country's creative economy.
"Superior crafts are not just about honoring tradition and culture, but also about creating jobs, promoting sustainability, and generating significant economic benefits for Indonesia," said Wury Ma'ruf Amin in her speech at the opening ceremony of Kriyanusa 2023.
Local Artisans Encouraged to Create Market-Attractive Products
One aspect that draws global attention is the extraordinary creativity embodied in each superior craft product from Indonesia. Local artisans are highly skilled in blending tradition and innovation to create products that captivate global markets. With their creative touch, crafts such as batik, wastra, weaving, pottery, and carvings have attracted consumers worldwide. This marks the beginning of a long journey toward a more advanced Indonesia.
"The government, artisans, academics, communities, media, and all craft enthusiasts must continue working together to develop superior crafts as an invaluable economic and cultural resource," stated Reni Yanita, Secretary General of Dekranas and Director General of Small, Medium, and Various Industries at the Ministry of Industry.
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This also presents investment opportunities to support artisans and the craft industry in growing and competing globally. Additionally, Kriyanusa is a highly anticipated craft exhibition not only in Indonesia but also internationally, as it showcases regional craft products created by skilled and competitive MSME players.
This year's Kriyanusa Exhibition highlights Betawi cultural heritage. "This opportunity is a collective effort to introduce and promote the richness of Betawi culture to the younger generation and the wider community," she added.
Musa Widyatmojo, Chairman of the Kriyanusa Exhibition Organizing Committee, explained that Dekranas applies strict curation for participating artisans. "All participants must present handmade crafts, not machine-made or mass-produced items. Dekranas is also very strict in focusing on Indonesian crafts that use local raw materials," he added.
Handmade Crafts Are a Must
The Kriyanusa 2023 Exhibition will also be enlivened by various events such as talk shows, craft demonstrations, fashion shows, and cultural performances from different regions, totaling 27 collaborative programs involving Dekranas, Dekranasda, ministries, agencies, and communities.
The exhibition is further energized by the Dekranas Award program, which is one of Dekranas' ways of recognizing creative entrepreneurs and artisans with Indonesia's best craft products.
"A total of 377 products have been submitted to the Dekranas Award committee, assessed and curated by professional and independent judges," said Liza Mustafa Abubakar, Chairperson of the Dekranas Award Committee.
The Kriyanusa 2023 event, initiated by Dekranas, is attended by participants from various regions, including artisans fostered by Dekranas/Dekranasda from across Indonesia, as well as artisans supported by ministries, agencies, and state-owned enterprises, occupying a total of 307 booths.
The Kriyanusa 2023 Exhibition is supported by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Ministry of Investment/BKPM, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Communication and Informatics, Ministry of SOEs, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, the Indonesian National Police, the Indonesian National Armed Forces, and is sponsored by PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk and PT Pertamina (Persero).
