NOVICA Artisan Arif Bimo
Arif Bimo
I was born in Yogyakarta, a city famous for local and national artists. My father is one of the artists in Yogyakarta who is well known for wayang kulit, or leather puppets, which brought great joy to me, my friends, and my siblings.
“Besides going to school, spending time seeing our parents work during the beginning of their business is a very strong memory for us. Anything related to preserving culture and tradition is very important. My parents know that very well, so they use their business to do that, which is seen clearly in their work. For us, their children, it has turned out to be very interesting and challenging.
The work of artists in Yogyakarta is heavily influenced by local and traditional culture. What my father did became a very influential thing in my life’s career. He is a well-known leather puppet artist in Yogyakarta and throughout the nation. I chose to be a craftsman working with metal and wood materials, highlighting the characters found in the world of famous Javanese puppets. Besides that, masks are characteristic of both traditional and contemporary dance.
"I am the second child of three. My career began when I started helping my father develop his store and ship orders for foreign tourists. With the experience I gained from helping my father, I finally had the idea of having my own business that was still rooted in the same culture and tradition as my father, but using different materials. It was not easy to start my own business; I failed many times, but I always got up and continued to fight. The field that I studied was interior decor and furniture. I am thankful for my father, mother, and family for supporting my business so far.
"The pieces that I offer are unique and meaningful. Not many craftsmen are willing to include cultural values and traditions in their products. Fulfilling the market's desire is very important, but it is also important to give knowledge through each piece’s cultural value so that the consumer can be more appreciative and happy to have it.
"I currently use two main materials, namely wood and metal. So far, I have had no problem obtaining the metal that I use. However, limitations have begun to arise for certain types of wood, and there is also a shortage of regular wood. So, I started using reclaimed wood, which also supports our environment. With 10 workers helping me, we are now creating more interesting pieces to offer nationwide and worldwide.
"I hope that by joining as an artisan with Novica, I can help Indonesian culture and tradition be better known abroad through our pieces."