Putu Muliawan

Artisan Organization: Putu Muliawan

Country: Bali and Java

"My name is Putu Muliawan and I was born in Bali in 1986, the youngest of five siblings. As a child, I helped my parents around our family farm. My friends describe me as a diligent and honest man.

"I'm married and have a son. He gives me more spirit to fight and inspires me to work harder so I can give him a better future.

"My hometown, located on northern coast, is known for weaving palm leaves. I helped my uncle weave table runners, place mats, coasters, bags and many more items. I used my earnings for my school tuition and to buy food.

"After graduating from high school, I started my own workshop and sold weavings for more than 11 years. Today, woven tableware is not as popular anymore so I decided to begin creating wooden dishes. Together with four assistants, I craft tableware in sono, teak and sawo woods, which are food-safe. They are sanded or simply coated with olive or coconut oil to enhance the natural wood grain.

"My tableware is inspired by the preference of our shoppers, and I create new designs based on their requests.""