Oka Narmada

“I was born in Belayu Village, Marga in Tabanan in 1976. Belayu village is a beautiful area, with beautiful views of the river and rice fields. My father was a retired government employee. He died when I was 12 years old. Meanwhile, my mother worked as a weaver of songket cloth and scarves. When I was in elementary school, I did quite well; I even participated in a competition between students at that time. After graduating from elementary school, I continued my education at the junior high school in Tabanan City, and continued to high school in the Mengwi District.

“I started working when I was 18 years old. At that time I became a driver as well as a tour guide. I also worked washing cars and maintaining a billiard business. In 1997 I met an Italian citizen who had a jewelry business in Bali. That's when I became interested in jewelry. I learned a lot from the company I worked for. I also had the opportunity to visit several jewelry exhibitions abroad. That added to my insight into the design and development of jewelry around the world.

“When I first started my jewelry business, I went to Java at the invitation of my Italian boss. We went to a craftsman's house in a village in the Pasuruan area. Because we were busy working into the night, we had to stay there. However, because the place where we were staying did not have a bathroom--we had to go to the river. My boss fell into the river because it was night; it was dark and there were no lights. It was the funniest experience I ever had.

"Now I really enjoy my job designing jewelry. I feel very happy and at peace when the designs I develop get appreciation from our customers. It is infinite satisfaction. In my life I believe that we should be maximal in everything, and optimize the potential to exceed customer expectations. Because customer satisfaction is the main thing for me.

“Of all the jewelry works that I have done, for me the product with the frangipani flower design is the best and the most challenging for my abilities. I designed the jewelry myself. My product designs with a woven flower motif are inspired by traditional Balinese weaving. The collaborative work of housewives who make wickerwork and silversmiths produces silver crafts of high artistic value.

“For the production process I am assisted by 4 members of my family who work with me. In addition, I also employ 15 other workers. I personally manage the work of the craftsmen based on their respective expertise. In my jewelry designs, I use silver and gemstones as the main materials. However, sometimes I encounter some problems, such as some types of gemstones which are quite fragile and need to be cast with care. I usually buy these gemstones from local suppliers, but some of them have to be imported. For silver we sometimes use recycled material.

“I really like traveling, exploring new worlds, new cultures and trying foods that I have never tried. Everything related to adventure is my passion. I also like watching movies and football matches in my spare time. I am married and have four children; three girls and one boy. One of my children is already working, two are still in college and the other one is still in junior high school. For me, children are a gift and a source of happiness and encouragement in my life. My life and days became very meaningful and colorful after having children.

“I am a person who is always passionate about everything, I am also very humorous, and some friends say I am a compassionate person. I heard about Novica from my friend, and I hope they can help market my work. I believe my jewelry designs can compete with other products in foreign countries.”