Turtle-Themed Suar Wood Wall Welcome Sign from Bali, "Turtle Home"

“I was born in 1999 as the first child of three. After I was born, my father became a wood craftsman, and made various types of wood sculptures. I have always been interested in wood sculpture; even when I was little, I used to help my father polish his pieces. When I was in junior high school I would often help manage my father’s art shop. My parents have always been here to support and teach me so that one day I can also be successful. My father not only taught me how to make wood sculptures, but also how to run a business.

“There once came a time when my father’s income could no longer support us. Those times were very hard. My father even considered quitting his trade to find another job. Luckily, we did not give up, and we encouraged father to keep doing what he did best. That’s when he decided to borrow some money to build his own shop and sell his own pieces.

“I experienced some embarrassing moments while I was in charge of my father’s art shop. One day, a foreigner came to the shop, and he was in love with a particular sculpture. When he asked for the price, I called my father to ask him the exact price. My father did not answer my call, so I decided to make up the price. Once the customer had agreed to the price and paid for the sculpture, my father messaged me, telling me that the price was higher than I told the customer. I told the customer about my mistake, and he was very understanding. So, he paid the right price. That moment was embarrassing for me, because I felt like a bad shop owner.

“From that moment on, I learned a lot about my father’s art shop and designs. My father always encouraged and supported me. There are some things my father would say that I remember to this day. The first is, ‘Loving what you do is the key to being happy in anything you do.’ The other is, ‘Do not waste time, because wasted time cannot be replaced.’ Through these words, I learned to manage my time as best as I can and to love my job.

“I have also experienced challenging moments in my work. Since my father and I like to go fishing, we sometimes like to make fish-themed sculptures. Making fish is not hard, but making them look alive is difficult. But today, fish sculptures are our specialty.

“We work with four male artisans and three female artisans. We typically work with suar and jempinis wood. By joining Novica, I hope that my handicrafts can be seen by foreigners and that they can appreciate my work. Joining Novica is a huge step.”