Nyoman Suka

Artisan Organization: Nyoman Suka

Country: Bali and Java

"My name is I Nyoman Suka. I was born in Celuk in 1964. The village I was born in has the characteristic of being a village for silver craftsmen. Most of the Celuk villagers work as craftsmen, and the rest work as farmers, like my parents. My parents were very strict people, maybe because their lives were difficult, but also because they lived in the colonial era when Indonesia was still fighting for independence. I am the sixth of ten children. Since childhood I have been used to working hard, helping my elders to survive. However, I had a strong will to study and go to school. My parents were very supportive of continuing my education. That's what motivated me to study harder and keep achieving. However, due to economic problems, I was forced to drop out of college and focus on work.

"I started working when I was 9 years old, helping my parents work in the fields. At first that was all I did every day, on the sidelines of my activities at school. I think education is very important so that we are not easily insulted by people. I have done many jobs, including working as a carver and a traveling souvenir seller, until finally I worked as a silver craftsman. Initially I was taught by my neighbors, who had already started working as silver jewelry craftsmen. I was interested in doing this work because I really like the artistic value in Balinese silver jewelry designs. Every piece of jewelry I design is inspired by traditional Balinese art, such as wood carvings and ancient paintings.

"I really enjoy doing this job, which is also my hobby. I believe that by loving what we do, the results of the work we produce will be very satisfying. I am married and have three sons. The presence of my children makes me work harder, because I want them to continue their education to completion. Now my children have started to help me work. They have begun to play a role in my business, from being involved in design to production processes.

"I hope that the collaboration with Novica can help craftsmen like me to keep their jobs during the pandemic." "