Championing the spirits of community and sustainability in interior design with JCK

Written by Siti Fatimah Ayuningdyah | Read in Indonesian

Earlier this month, Jia Curated Kiosks (JCK) were back with their second iteration, and brought to light the theme of “Material Alchemy”. The event, which featured a long, immersive weekend of art, culture, space, tastes and performances, took place at Plataran Canggu, Bali on 9-11 December 2022.

This initiative, founded by Budiman Ong, Rudi Winata and Yang Yang Hartono, first came into the scene back in July, bringing 3,500 visitors during the three-day festival. All items and designers showcased in this event are those already featured and curated by Jia by OCK platform, hence the “curated” in the name. Jia by OCK has retail stores in Canggu and Jimbaran.

Also showcased throughout the weekend in different parts of the exhibition are lamps designed by one of the founders himself, Budiman Ong, under his OCK (Ong Cen Kuang) line, which is a nod to his Chinese name.

The theme “Material Alchemy” is chosen to highlight the importance of material selection and combination for all products and designs. According to the organiser, by way of exploration, pairing different materials or ingredients together, one can surprise even ourselves with the trial and error findings and can reach far beyond our imagination.

Right in the centre of the event and festivities is the Jia Pavilion, which was developed in collaboration with Dirga from DDAP, an Ubud-based architectural designer, and Kayu Lapis Indonesia, an integrated wood company with over 40 years of experience.

The Jia Pavilion is a space created for guests to experience design comfortably, featuring the works of more than 20 Indonesian designers and 30 home decoration brands, along with material showcases from the organiser’s partners, Aerobu and Sandei. Aerobu in particular is a line that produces custom cushions, specialising in outdoor products. The products are available near the booth during the event, so visitors can directly test them out.

The pavilion is carefully designed to give off a welcoming experience for visitors, likened to visiting a dear friend’s home. The difference is that every item in the “house” is available to purchase! Visitors can interact with the items and touch and experience them first-hand.

Not only homeware items, there are also beautiful paintings by painters such as Irene Febry, Adine Halim and William Tan displayed in the pavilion. The paintings were curated by Olen Riyanto. Lucky visitors may also get to interact with the designer of the pieces.

A well-nuanced festival, highlighting local craftsmanship

The organiser uses a modular and prefabricated system for Jia Pavilion as it is more sustainable; it uses less energy, is zero waste and faster. After the event, they are looking into second life for Jia Pavilion, to repurpose it so it does not become a waste.

There are different nuances of the festival, encompassing art (workshops and showcases), culture (Pasar Rakyat), space (Jia Pavilion), as well as tastes and performances (F&B vendors, food tasting, and live performances).

The Jia Pavilion is where the designer items are displayed, separated into “living room”, “outdoor patio”, “bedroom” and “bathroom”. There is also a retail space that is connected to the space, selling homewares such as dining sets, aromatherapy, decorative ornaments and carpets.

In Pasar Rakyat, one can find gems from local SME’s, from arts and crafts to food items, and visitors can pay visits to the art workshop tents nearby. Then there is the F&B area to enjoy some bites and drinks while being entertained by live performances.

The styling of the Jia Pavilion is done by Yang who was in charge of all the material and product display during the festival.

An event for homeware enthusiasts and designers

While Indonesia has seen an influx of consumer events lately, there have not been many choices for interior design events, particularly outside Jakarta. This is a gap that JCK hopes to fill, by bringing a sense of community to the industry and making the festival welcoming to the general public alike.