I come from Guelph, Ontario, Canada, a small town near Toronto.
Now I live in a small desa near Gianyar. I guess you
can say I am pretty much a small town person.
What is your professional background?
I am a certified elementary and high school math teacher.
I have no formal training in the arts, I stopped studying
art in junior high.
How did you end up living and working in Bali?
I spent a few years backpacking around Asia, funding my travels
by teaching in Japan and Korea. Landed in Medan, Sumatra
in 1991, and after slogging it overland through Sumatra and
Java, landing in Bali was really like reaching Nirvana, with
all the selection of food and bright sunny rooms, and amazing
culture. Bought a bit of silver jewelry that trip, which I
sold in the subway station in Tokyo. When it was all
sold, came back for more, and eventually Bali became a second
home.
Are you a silversmith yourself? Where did you pick up
silversmithing?
I am a silversmith, but after many years of practice, I am
still learning. I studied silversmithing in Celuk by
means of an apprenticeship, and found teachers by going door
to door looking for somebody willing. I learned Bahasa Indonesia
in the process, as none of my teachers spoke a word of English,
which made it interesting in the early days. I was staying
in Ubud at the time, and rode a pushbike down and back to
Celuk everyday. The locals on the way thought I was
nuts.
How is Balinese silver jewelry different from silver jewelry
in Western countries?
Well, a lot of the silver jewelry for sale in Western countries
is Balinese jewelry! There is a huge amount of production
for export on this island. The difference with Balinese silversmithing
is that 99% of the production is hand made, with no casting
involved. Casting jewelry is made in a sort of mold, so reproduction
of pieces can be in the mega thousands. Handmade jewelry is
usually more unique pieces and a lot lower numbers of production.
That makes jewelry made in Bali special.
When buying silver articles, what should the buyer be aware
of? Are tourists ripped off/cheated when they buy silver
jewelry on Bali?
Many people look for the stamp 925‚ meaning 92.5% pure
silver, when they buy a piece. The problem is that bad quality
silver can just as easily be stamped 925. Sometimes
a piece of jewelry will be stamped, but actually be a lot
lower percentage of silver, with more mix. It is hard
to tell by looking only, and so the buyer can be ripped off
that way.
What is the best place to buy silver on Bali? What is
the best wholesale shop on the island?
Back in 1991 I used to buy from Yusuf Silver on Jalan
Legian in Kuta as it had the biggest selection around.
It is still there today, but now there are dozens of other
places too, all with a great selection, in Kuta and surrounds,
many more in Celuk, and also in Ubud. It really depends
on what style you are looking for when considering the best
place to shop. We sell our designs, both retail and wholesale,
in our own small shop in Ubud, Studio Perak Toko.
I think it is a great place to buy if you like jewelry with
a rough handmade look.
What are the differences in learning silversmithing in Bali
and learning it in the west?
One big difference in our classes to those in the west is
that our students complete a finished piece of their own design
in the first three hours that they study. Courses in the west
tend to make students practice basic skills such as filing
and sawing for weeks before they actually get to make something.
Also, the tools and equipment we use are very basic, the same
as your average Balinese silversmith uses, including a gasoline
torch powered with a foot pump. If students want to continue
learning themselves after studying with us, they can set up
a work table without spending a fortune on fancy equipment
they don’t really need. After all, silversmithing
was around before the age of machinery, and some of the loveliest
pieces are made with very simple tools.
In your mind, what is totally unique and special about Studio
Perak?
It’s a great place to hang around! All that creative
energy is inspiring. When a student comes in with a design
to make their dream piece of jewelry, we all sit down and
figure out together how we are going to make it. All during
the process, their piece is black, but when it is finally
done and polished shiny they are so surprised and happy!
They really can’t believe that they actually made it
themselves.
How does someone learn more about Studio Perak?
Drop by Studio Perak on Jalan Goutama in central Ubud and
talk to Ketut about your dream design, or contact me tel.
0361-945749, email:studioperak@yahoo.ca, or check out our
website at www.studioperak.com.
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please
contact : pakbill2003@yahoo.com
Copyright@2005 Al Hickey
You can read all past articles of Siapa
at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz
