Brown Pandan Leaf Hand Woven Baskets (Pair), "Java Tropics"

"I was born in Jogjakarta in February of 1987. My father is a journalist who loves social interactions, while my mother is a kindergarten teacher. I'm the third of four children.

"Jogjakarta is a city with so many cultures and traditions. Here we also have many areas popular with tourists, so we meet people from many countries. There are many different races, faiths and cultures in the place where I live, but we know how to respect others, and show tolerance to others.

"Even so, I once found myself in a very difficult situation with the woman I was to marry. Our parents all disagreed with our relationship, because she and I were born into families with different religions. But at last, we were able marry with renouncing our own beliefs.

"After graduating from college in Jogjakarta, I worked as a barista in a coffee shop, then moved to Central Java, where I began learning to craft handbags and home décor accents woven from natural fibers.

"I use materials like pandanus, paper, coconut shells and jute along with cotton fabric to line our handbags. They all are easy to find here. The inspiration for my designs come from trends and exhibitions, but I make my work different from the rest and assure that the quality is better. Two other artisans work with me."