Wanted: partner in arts & crafts

Hi there. My wife may be interested. If you can message me your email or whatsapp contact details I will pass them on to her so you can discuss with her directly.

Start at the art exhibition on Thursday; about half of the great and the good from the Indonesian art world will be there for the VIP day at the Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place, Jakarta.
As a note, I went to last year's event and it was somewhere between great and fantastic, absolutely worth a visit.
Tip - Make sure you can get a ticket and get there as early as you can so you have more chances to chat with the artists and network with the big wigs of the industry.
Just to avoid misunderstanding, I'm not a lot as far as the local art scene goes, just a philistine trying to get a little culture in the hope of breaking free from ignorance.

Last post on this thread.

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 23#3326411

Thank you for your reply, is your wife based in Bali?

Hi Fred, thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I can't go to such event as I'm in UK.  Where are you based?

No she isn't based in Bali.

Just for clarification, are you actually looking at importing Balinese handicrafts or are you interested in promoting Indonesian craft-making?

If it is to promote Indonesian craftmaking, for example through holding workshops on batik-making or jewellery-making , then my wife might be interested as she already holds events and workshops both overseas and locally. Last month she held a batik-making workshop in Italy.

However, if you are just interested to import handicrafts and products from Bali into the UK then I'd recommend doing it yourself or finding an agent in Bali to assist you. You should actually visit Inacraft in Jakarta or one of the several Handicraft Exhibitions in Bali or just go to the villages that make the products. That way you meet the manufacturers and can discuss directly with them.

South Tangerang.
I'll be there tomorrow - too good to miss.

For what it's worth, my personal take on this topic is pretty simple…the arts and crafts business here in Indonesia, and particularly in Bali, is already way too over saturated.  I could say the same about the food and beverage industry, but that's another topic.
That being said, the only chance for success in the arts and crafts business based here in Indonesia is a ready and willing marketplace outside of Indonesia.  But even with that in mind, it is nearly “mission impossible” to find new world markets which haven't already been well exposed and where there are no current providers of the products.

Another factor comes into play here. 

While it is true that some years ago this market was dominated by western expats, that is no longer true.  Indonesians, by way of their hearty and intelligent embrace of the internet, have clearly overtaken and now dominate this market.

Ubudian wrote:

While it is true that some years ago this market was dominated by western expats, that is no longer true.  Indonesians, by way of their hearty and intelligent embrace of the internet, have clearly overtaken and now dominate this market.

This is true - I've started to get to know a few of the local art dudes and they're all Indonesian, however the OP is considering exporting to the UK and that could well be an untapped market as Indonesians are not well represented there.

Ubudian wrote:

For what it's worth, my personal take on this topic is pretty simple…the arts and crafts business here in Indonesia, and particularly in Bali, is already way too over saturated.  I could say the same about the food and beverage industry, but that's another topic.
That being said, the only chance for success in the arts and crafts business based here in Indonesia is a ready and willing marketplace outside of Indonesia.  But even with that in mind, it is nearly “mission impossible” to find new world markets which haven't already been well exposed and where there are no current providers of the products.

Another factor comes into play here. 

While it is true that some years ago this market was dominated by western expats, that is no longer true.  Indonesians, by way of their hearty and intelligent embrace of the internet, have clearly overtaken and now dominate this market.

Yes that is all so true. Bali basically exports massive quantities of handicrafts and other products all over the world and that includes the United Kingdom. That doesn't mean there is no chance to break into the market though, there is always room for some competition, but just be aware that the United Kingdom already imports huge amounts of handicrafts from Bali so if you were thinking of importing Balinese handicrafts then it might be best to search for new and original products in Bali and this takes time and luck and even then they are not guaranteed to sell well in your country.

As for paintings, I just wouldn't go down that road as it is a very difficult market to break into and full of risks. Aside from that, China is churning out paintings by the hundred's of thousands so unless you plan to promote a great  (by western standards) artist, I think there is not much chance of success.

"...so unless you plan to promote a great  (by western standards) artist, I think there is not much chance of success."

I totally agree as I have done and continue to do with some of the paintings by my brother in law, I Made Djirna. 

Another point is that with the ever increasing base of wealth here in Indonesia, at the more significant auctions of Indonesian art held abroad (Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Netherlands) the vast majority of that art is being bought by collectors here in Indonesia.  A wonderful "homecoming" if you will!   

I Made Djirna

I wonder if he'll be at the bash tomorrow evening.

I have no idea if he'll be there or not...but if he is, please be sure to introduce yourself to him.   

Have a great time! 

Cheers!

I went to last night's event with this thread in mind so I took the trouble to ask a few questions as to the state of Indonesian art in the UK, and got some positive answers.
The basic local craft stuff is unlikely to do much but the top end art is selling in the UK successfully and there could be room in the market for more people.
The downside is the best stuff starts at Rp60 million so the start up costs are going to be significant but I'm assured the value of these pieces increases at a pretty good rate.

As for the cheap handicraft stuff, I would suspect the only way is to market mail order in a bid to keep overheads low and increase margins. However, the UK market is full of simple stuff at nothing prices so I'm unsure that would do much.

What you describe Fred has been the state of the antiques and fine art market for many decades.  The quality or high level material normally holds it own, even during periods of economic crisis.  The decorative or simply "collectible" sort of material is far more prone to economic realities for the simple reason of less "disposable" income being available within the groups of folks more inclined to purchase that sort of material.

The most significant challenge facing any newcomer to the high level fine arts market is the establishment of reputation.  This takes years, and no sums of money can substitute for the need of having a stellar reputation and impeccable integrity.  Moreover, and I guess this is just human nature, many dealers who have clawed their way so agonizingly painful "to the top" are generally not all that helpful for those trying to achieve the same goals.

Cheers!

Thank you so much for your reply.

Thank you Fred for asking the questions to people!  Your post has been a great help indeed. Unfortunately I don't have that sort of startup money!     So do you think I should forget about this idea all together?

bali1812 wrote:

Thank you Fred for asking the questions to people!  Your post has been a great help indeed. Unfortunately I don't have that sort of startup money!     So do you think I should forget about this idea all together?

Cash is going to be an issue for you.
The cheap end of the market is flooded with a load of Chinese made stuff so you're likely to have difficulties selling anything and the stuff that makes cash is going to need a serious investment.

Forget it? No - Go to art galleries and explore the potential.

https://www.soas.ac.uk/cseas/indonesia-kontemporer/

If one can do it, so can others - hunt around.

I think it is worth it but only if you are prepared to invest the time and effort. The investment doesn't need to be a lot, probably you can begin with just few hundred pounds.

Hi,
I saw your ad wanting a partner in arts and crafts. My wife and I are originally from Barbados in the Caribbean. We have an arts and craft business there. However I am presently working in Bali and my wife has lots of free time on her hands and would love something to keep her busy. She taught several types of ceramic techniques for many years

If you are interested let me know and we can pursue this some more.

Cheers

Ricky and Jo-Anne Johnson