IO – Ceramic art is a branch of art where ceramics are used to make anything from traditional to contemporary artworks and handicrafts. Since long ago, ceramics have been very popular as decorative pieces. Ceramics are made from material such as clay which change permanently after being heated.
Ceramics can be used to make eating utensils such as plates, cups, teapots, and jars. Ceramics can also be used for decorations such as ceramic statues. Floors to wall decorations also frequently use ceramics. Ceramics can be made plain, colored, painted, or engraved.
Indonesia is known as a nation with a thousand cultures. As a result of the various cultures, various cultural products have appeared. Ceramics are one of the oldest cultural artifacts in existence, as can be seen from the large amount of pottery left over from ancient times.
This is a factor for businesses which make ceramics in their respective regions, taking into account their own regional cultures. Ceramics are not originally from Indonesia, but with the creative hands of Indonesian artisans, ceramic crafts are able to break into the international market.
One well-known sculptor and ceramic artist is F. Widayanto. Widayanto established Rumah Keramik (House of Ceramics) in 1997 with an area of 1.5 hectares in Depok. Interestingly, his collection of art and his ceramic studio has become an education tourist destination. Visitors, consisting of school children and foreigners to whole communities have come to learn about ceramics in F. Widayanto’s Rumah Keramik.
Elementary school students can train their creative and rough motor skills by crafting ceramics, such as was attempted by Karakter Jakarta Elementary School. Children were invited to create with clay, through molding, coloring and glazing items.
The tourist destination consists of seven buildings with one main house containing various handicrafts made by Widayanto. Three houses on stilts are used for guests to stay the night and an outer hall is used for tourists to make ceramic handicrafts.
(Yoga Agusta)
