NOVICA Artisan Eka Asita
Eka Asita
“I was born in Denpasar, Bali, in 1996. My parents were very happy when I was born, because I was the only child. As a Balinese, my father was born and raised in Ubud, Bali. That is why I have the art blood running in my veins--because my father’s family has worked in the arts for a long time. I helped my father carve wood since I was 13 years old.
“My childhood was quite rough. When I was seven, there was a time that my family needed to move to another city because of economic problems. But around 6 years later we moved back to Bali, and my father started to become a wood carver. At that time, my mother experimented using brass and bronze, which turned out to be awesome.
“Then I got interested in bronze and brass statues. From that moment, I would help my parents to create designs and watch the process. Though I was really interested in brass statues, I did not forget my education. I finished my college education in pursuit of becoming a dentist.
“Back several years ago, this kind of statue was not very popular in Bali. But my parents did a beautiful job introducing this kind of statue. We used to have a few helpers, but now we have many people to produce and organize the brass statues. I am happy because my parents’ business has helped our neighbors to get a decent job.
“Now, we have a good shop in Ubud; and thank God, our customers mostly love our products, and some of them even give their compliments. Yet since the pandemic hit, the world and tourists are not allowed to travel to Ubud. My shop was struggling. Fortunately we found NOVICA, who I had heard could help artisans to survive in these chaotic times. We are always trying to improve the quality of our products. Hopefully you will enjoy our pieces as well.”