Hammered Gold Plated Bracelet with Art Glass Beads 'Java Forest Path' Item ID: 2677073480

"I was born in Jakarta in 1992. My family describes me as a visionary artisan but I describe myself as a love-based warrior. I thank God for being surrounded by entertaining best friends who make my life happier. I am still unmarried, with a new long-distance boyfriend.

"At this point, I can say that I will never force my future children to do the same exact thing that I do, unless they have their own resolve and willingness to continue what has been built. If this does happen at some point in the future, I'll be very happy. I graduated with a degree in interior design and, ever since then, I've learned a lot about design from books and everyday life.

"My parents have always been my most loyal and logical supporters, no matter what. No one in this world will ever compare. They are two hard workers who were smart enough to leverage quite legitimate educational backgrounds back in their day. They have the greatest fighters' spirits inside them that inspire me every day. They both taught me to always be patient and strong, no matter what life throws at me. They also taught me to have faith in everything. And they taught me to never stop dreaming, despite my human imperfections. They say I must put my faith in God first, and work three times as hard if I really want something.

"I was dealing with a lot of problems in my early 20s, and I was finally diagnosed with ADD when I was 25. It was an emotionally draining and painful experience. Since then I keep trying my best to understand my symptoms and develop the best patterns, recording everything I do. Dealing with my own monsters and breakdowns was the hardest thing to master. My greatest motivation is to not give up on myself easily. I have always said to myself, 'If I really have to live with this ADD for the rest of my life, I am going to embrace it as well as any other struggles in order to survive.'

"Looking back to those difficult times in my life, I feel blessed and grateful to be given the greatest life journey. I have been dealing with this internal struggle for years, and it was really hard for me to open up and share my true feelings. I had reached a point of depression and was gradually seeking a way to climb out. Recently, I learned that it is easier to just be proud of myself and be confident with whatever I am. I am trying to feel content with whatever I have. It gives me the greatest result. I have started to become more open and grateful, which makes me feel better. 'Honesty saves everyone's time' is my personal philosophy.

"My work combines modern and indigenous designs with Asian culture mixed with European techniques and aesthetics, especially Italian. They became endless resources and inspirations for my work. I am trying to communicate a simple mindset to modern people through my work. We redefine a heritage craft and cultural tradition from Indonesia, transforming them into contemporary jewelry that anyone can wear. In this way, we try to remind modern people of their sacred roots, wherever they are today.

"We use traditional hand tools and methods, like the ancient and famous filigree technique. I started by using base metals, such as brass and copper, and am willing to evolve to any kind of source material that I can work with. I'm willing to challenge myself to improve my technical knowledge and be better each day. My dream for the future is to be able to produce my own materials with my own special treatments, generating a more sustainable cycle of local materials.

"Two artisans help me work. We just started to organize things and make things simpler. We spent a very busy year and a half trying to find a perfect rhythm. We started from scratch. We were all over the place, and had no committed artisans. We have recently decided to start over. We try to teach the local community just how easy and pretty it is to live simply. I have arranged a master plan to face and survive everything. I also support UNICEF and a few other charities.

"You may find out more about me while wearing our designs. I leave my heart in every piece of jewelry."

Rilya Krisnawati received the Asephi Emerging Award in 2019.