Elang Handayana

I'm Elang Handayana. I was born in Garut, West Java, the eldest of three children. After graduating from high school, I moved to Jogjakarta to continue my studies at the university.

I immediately began selling handicrafts from Jogja in my hometown so I could pay my expenses and tuition. Eventually, I focused more and more on wood miniatures. I believe if we stay focused and look after all the details, we will always find a better way, especially if we do everything with wholeheartedly.

"I married a woman who always supports me in my efforts. Marlinda and I now have a lovely daughter. My most precious moments are when I'm with my family. We've been through many difficulties in life, but we've prepared ourselves mentally to be ready for even the worst conditions and we manage to keep smiling when facing problems. Don't give up easily and always make your family a priority over anything else.

"What I like in my musical miniatures is that I can create designs or objects that no one has thought of before. I really like designing. It's quite challenging but the results make us so satisfied and proud. When designing, I've had to learn many aspects concerning the finished sculpture and our goals.

"Today, I work with the help of eight craftspeople and always with the support of my beloved wife.

"Besides modern musical instruments, we also create traditional miniature Javanese instruments like the ukulele, zither and gamelan instruments that we hope will help preserve the tradition and culture of Java and all of Indonesia. We are very happy that we can introduce our culture and traditions to the world by way of our handcrafted designs."