Novieta Tourisia

Hi, I'm Novieta.

I'm the founding artist, teacher, and writer behind Cinta Bumi Artisans.

I'm a lifelong learner who, after a 10-year tenure of being a tourism and hospitality marketing communication practitioner, shifted to the path of being an artisan, natural dyer, and home gardener. 

Born in Jakarta and grew up in some regions in Indonesia, I decided to move to Bali in 2009 and have been nesting here until now, with Ubud being my home.

I studied tourism, and after graduated, I pursued a career specifically in tourism and hospitality for a decade. I've always been a crafter and writer since I was a child, and despite my tourism profession, I never left my passion for arts and crafts behind and continued to practice instead. 

In 2013, while running a research work on culture and community-based tourism in Central Sulawesi, my long-stay experience with the indigenous people of Pamona and Lore communities unexpectedly bridged me to my true life purpose through artisanal craftsmanship. While finalizing the research, this new path was slowly but surely developed and I began to shift.

I continued to deepen my knowledge and skills in artisanal craftsmanship while traveling from village to village in Indonesia. I learned natural dyeing from mother alchemists in Central Sulawesi, natural dyers in East Bali and ikat weavers from East Sumba; weaving bamboo baskets in Dulumai; weaving and twining fern stalks into bracelets in Besoa Valley; carving wood in Tana Toraja; and finally learned to make, dye and paint barkcloth from several barkcloth artisans in Bada Valley, where our barkcloth comes from.

These are amazing souls, humble teachers who have constantly inspired me, patiently taught and trained me, fed my mind, heart and soul with the deep meaning of intangible cultural heritage. They neither had academic degrees nor they teach at universities, but they are true heritage-guardians and saviors whose skills, practices, and knowledge are intergenerationally rooted from centuries ago and have stood the test of time.

My journey has shaped my practice, which involves a variety of surface design and craftsmanship explorations by combining traditional and contemporary textile and fiber art processes, including barkcloth-making (beaten bark), immersion-dyeing, batik, bundle-dyeing (eco-printing), mono-printing, block-printing, hand-weaving, hand-stitching, and hand-embroidering.

The inspiration of Cinta Bumi Artisans designs is taken from essential details I have continued to find during travels and in my day-to-day life. I am especially intrigued and empowered to create wearable poetry based on the interconnections between humans and nature, and the intra-connection between humans and themselves.

I believe that the closest and wisest place to start making a positive change is at home, from our deep within. Through Cinta Bumi Artisans, I have the ability to share my creative journey with you, and I sincerely hope that we can walk together, make a positive change, one step at a time.

Source: Cinta Bumi Artisans.