Poland in Indonesia

A total of 180 entries from various regions of Indonesia were submitted by the 1 April deadline, demonstrating both the strong interest in the competition and the creativity of participants from across the country.

On 9 April, the competition jury convened to evaluate all submitted designs. The jury consisted of Ms Barbara Szymanowska, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Indonesia; Ms Ani Nigeriawati, Director of the Public Diplomacy Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia; Ms Poppy Dharsono, fashion designer; Mr Budi Dwi Haryanto, founder of Rumah Batik Palbatu; Mr Swa Setyawan Adinegoro, curator of the Indonesian Batik Museum; Ms Maria Szymańska-Ilnata, curator at the Asia and Pacific Museum in Warsaw; Ms Aneta Marko, curator of the Batik Studio at the Cultural Centre in Słupsk; and Ms Natalia Wójcik-Kubisiak, Public Diplomacy Officer at the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Jakarta.

First prize was awarded to Mr Frangky Kurniawan from Jember, East Java, who received a cash prize of IDR 15,000,000. Second prize was awarded to Mr Rijalul Haq Fadhlurrahman. Four additional designs received special distinctions: those submitted by Mr Muhammad Syarif Hidayatullah, Ms Yayu Nur Alia Robiah, Ms Nurdiyah Yusrin and Ms Haristiani Sholihah.

In cooperation with Rumah Batik Palbatu, the selected designs were transformed into traditional hand-drawn batik (batik tulis), enabling them to be presented to a wider audience. This initiative also served as a gesture of appreciation and support for Rumah Batik Palbatu, which for more than ten years has been assisting and engaging various social groups, including persons with disabilities, cancer survivors and local community members.

During the reception marking the anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of 3 May, held at the Park Hyatt Jakarta on 12 May and attended by approximately 400 guests, an exhibition of the six awarded designs was presented. Four of the winning designers were able to attend the event in person and received their certificates and prizes from the Ambassador.

Fashion designer Ms Poppy Dharsono transformed the winning design into a unique garment for Ambassador Barbara Szymanowska, showcasing an artistic dialogue between the tradition of batik and contemporary design.

We hope that this initiative will contribute to further strengthening cultural dialogue and deepening the friendship between Poland and Indonesia.