This is a series of interviews of fabulous people who live, breathe and thrive in Jakarta. We will feature expats and Indonesians who call the Big Durian home in hopes to give all of you a glimpse of what life is all about in Jakarta. I would love to have different perspectives on our Fabulous Jakartan Friday (FJF) so if you would like to be featured, leave me a comment or shoot me an email and I would be so excited to hear all about YOUR Jakarta!

Fabulous Jakartan:  Winarti, the Indonesian Creative and Artsy Mom

Today we are meeting Winarti Handayani. Winarti is an Indonesian artist who not only creates art but lives art. Her prints and paintings are inspired by her children and Jakarta and they are the cutest fantasy-filled prints I have ever seen. Kamalika Artprints is a wonderful concept that is worth checking out. You can find Winarti at many of the bazaars around Jakarta as well as in the Temple Trees, Alun Alun,  some SOGO stores other shops. Check out her etsy shop to buy some of her beautiful decorative prints. They are the perfect for nurseries and playrooms and even a chic office space. I am so inspired by Winarti and her art and it is my pleasure to have her in Stumble Abroad today.

So, here’s Winarti’s Fabulous Jakartan Friday Interview.

Winarti with her gorgeous boys

Tell me more, tell me more

1.  First, tell us a little bit about you. What’s your background? Where did you grow up?
I was born and grew up in Jakarta, the youngest of 3 daughters. I like painting since I was very young and received my training in art from the Rhode Island School of Design in the US. After I got married I lived for some time in Yogyakarta, where my heart truly finds its home.

2. I love your business Kamalika artprints! Your creations are not only cool but they are gorgeous and cute beyond compare!  How long have you had Kamalika for?
Kamalika is a year and a half old. It started when my son was about 1 year old and I was eager to start making art again. Because before my son was born, I used to make larger artworks, travel and paint landscape “plein-air”, using mostly oil paints. When I ended up in the house with a baby, working with oil or acrylic was simply impossible. I didn’t want to have to do with the mess or the poison and I turned to small watercolor paintings which seemed to me more friendly and manageable to be done in between house chores and taking care of a toddler.

Cute Rhino Print

I love this one!

Winarti’s art

3. What’s the best thing that has come from Kamalika?
Making the child in each person smile and happy.

Living in Jakarta

1.    What two adjectives would describe Jakarta the best?
Lively, Colorful.

2.    What’s your biggest Jakarta Love and Jakarta Hate?
Love the culinary. Hate the traffic.

3.    How do you find the sweetness beneath the Prickly Surface of the Big Durian? What activities or things keep you happy and thriving in Jakarta?
Spending time outdoors with my family.

4.    For a first time visitor coming to Jakarta, what would you recommend they try out that is uniquely Jakartan? A specific food, activity, or place?
Try chicken or lamb sate, but if one dares, take a short trip using a Bajaj.

5.    If you were to move somewhere else and not be able to come back to Jakarta, what Indonesian thing would you stock up on?
Sambal (chilli) and casava chips.

Traveling in Indonesia

1. If you could only visit one place in Jakarta while in Indonesia what would it be?
Kota or the Jakarta old district. Lapangan Fatahilah is perfect when you want to take a close look at the Dutch colonial buildings, take a little walk, and if you have time there are a few museums that are just across the streets. Museum Wayang is really worth a visit. Then there is Batavia Cafe –itself an old building- just at the corner. It’s really nice to sit in their second floor dinning with their large beautiful windows overlooking the Lapangan Fatahilah, while enjoing snacks and drinks.

2. What is the best advise to anyone traveling with kids in Indonesia?
Bring lots of wet tissues and antiseptic.

3. Bali or Lombok?
I’ve never been to Lombok so I cannot tell. But Bali is really nice.

4. Yogyakarta or Jungle Trekking in Sulawesi or Krakatau?
Yogyakarta because it is a mini Indonesia. Going there you can have a bit of everything you want to see of Indonesia, people, culture, history and nature.

Jakarta Mama

1. What’s your favorite activity to do with your boys while in Jakarta?
My husband and I love taking my son cycling in the parks. It’s more my husband and my 3 year old son cycling and myself stroll with my 10 month old baby. Jakarta is probably not known for its parks but we hunt for parks, been to several different ones and a few are surprisingly very nice. Our favorite ones are Taman Menteng, Taman Suropati (both in Menteng area) and Taman Tebet.

Greeting card

JakARTa

1. Your prints are truly works of art. Where do you find inspiration?Inspirations are everywhere, anything from conversations with my son to a friend’s profile picture on my cell phone.

2. What is the best place to buy art supplies?
Toko Prapatan

3. There are so many beautiful art galleries in Jakarta. Do you have a favorite one?
I like galleries not just for the works displayed but also for the whole experience of the atmosphere and space. I should say Dia.Lo.Gue has that quality.

4. Where can we find your gorgeous art?
Temple Trees in Senopati, Chic Mart Kemang and Alun-Alun Indonesia.

Greeting Card

Ready for Eid

Cool Airplane Greeting Card

Eating in the Big Durian

1. What’s your favorite Indonesian restaurant in Jakarta?
Soto Bang Mus in Jatinegara, a small kiosk selling a superb soto betawi (meat in coconut milk soup, topped with cruncy emping)

2.What about your favorite “Western” restaurant?
Trattoria

3. What is the one Indonesian dish that everyone should try?
Sop Buntut (oxtail soup)

4. Could you share a short and sweet recipe for an authentic Indonesian dish that your family loves.
Brongkos is my specialty, just because my husband loves my brongkos and when I make it, I make a whole lot of it and eat it for three days in a row, giving it out to families and inviting friends to come.  It is one of the most interesting Indonesian soups because pretty much every herbs and spices known  to Indonesian cuisine are in there.

 Ingredients

• ½ kg of meat, cut in cubes
• Tofu also cut in cubes
• Boiled eggs
• ¼ kg Kacang Tolo (small beans, brown in color)
• Whole chilli padi as many as you like
•  Coconut milk
• 6 pcs of Kluwak (large seed like, black in color.  Simply take out the meat inside the seed. This is used to make other Indonesian black soup, Rawon)
• Garlic, challots, coriander, turmeric, ginger, kencur. Use a blender to make it into puree.
• Daun salam, laos and lemongrass
• Salt and a bit of coconut sugar.

Directions

• Boil the meat in a good amount of water to make enough soup base.
• Boil the beans until they are soft. Usually it takes a long time.
• Then sautee the blended puree with little bit of oil.
• Put all the ingredients in the soup. The last was the coconut milk. Keep it simmered for another ½-1 hour, until the eggs become black.

Thank you very much for joining us in Stumble Abroad today, just one more request:

Describe what life in Jakarta is like in one sentence.

Jakarta can only be colorful when you dive deep into Jakarta. 

Beautiful print