Hand-Painted Crocodile Wood Turtle Jewelry Box - Forest Turtle

Artisan Organization: Gusti Ngurah Semarajaya

Country: Bali and Java

"Tuesday, October 26, 1976 was a happy day for I GustMade Sangging and his wife GustMade Endri. That is the day I was born in a remote village in Bali, the fourth of six children. My parents were farmers who could hardly invest in their children's studies.

"At school, my drawing skill was above average. Besides practicing extracurricular activities, I also took a part-time job finishing and adding color to art products after school until late afternoon.

"After graduating from secondary school, instead of going to an art school I studied at a technical school (equal to senior high). Though my brother had promised to pay for my studies, I still had to work as a laborer, for he could not give me enough money. I never liked this kind of work, therefore at night I often did some paintings; these became my private collection.

"One day, a friend of mine suggested painting on a piece of wood and the result was very nice. Since then, I have been crafting a variety of painted wood products, which sometimes I combine with fabrics.""