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or the last 10 years, 39-year-old Daniel David has consistently worked toward reviving Sikka traditional textiles by encouraging villagers to reconnect with nature.

As chairman of the Sanggar Bliran Sina Art workshop in the village of Watublapi village, 20 kilometers from Maumere, the largest city in Flores, Daniel is in fact following in his late father Romanus Rewo’s footsteps, preserving his ancestral textile weaving heritage. He is concerned this heritage will soon disappear with the influx of products made using modern machinery.

One of his great cultural endeavors is to introduce and promote Sikka Woven textiles, the village’s women weavers and the arts and culture of Flores to national as well as international audiences.

From April 15 through May 15, Daniel — through his Sanggar Bliran Sina Art workshop — the House of Sampoerna and Swiss Contacts are organizing a month-long Sikka and Flores textile and cultural exhibition at the House of Sampoerna Building in Surabaya, East Java.

A.A. Dian Ekawati, the project and sponsorship director of the organizing committee, told The Jakarta Post prior to the event that the exhibition’s main objective was to raise people’s awareness about the beauty of Sikka textile and the urgent need to preserve it.

“Indonesia has abundant textile arts in addition to batik and songket. It is time for us to look to other textile producing areas and help those who are trying hard to stand up amid modern influences,” shared Dian. The exhibition consists of Sikka traditional textile arts, a photo exhibition of Flores nature, arts and culture, a Flores art and cultural parade, a seminar and workshop on traditional textile production and dyeing, as well as a radio talk show.

In addition to his involvement in national and international exhibitions, Daniel also established a cooperative unit in 2006 to help women weavers get easier access to financial assistance.

“When women produce ikat textile, they help improve their families’ living conditions,” explained Daniel.

The cooperative unit was established to boost villagers’ standards of living.

“This is a grass-root movement for the betterment of the people’s social and economic welfare,” he added. Traditional Sikka warp-ikat textiles are actually worth quite a bit. At a recent International Traditional/Ethnic textile exhibition in Amsterdam, a piece of Flores textile went for US$90 and up to hundreds of dollars per piece depending on its quality. Famous Indonesian designer Oscar Lawalata has also been very keen to use Flores textiles in his latest clothing designs.

In Oscar’s talented hands, a piece of Flores textile was tailored into an haute-couture dress.

Daniel stated the efforts to revive traditional textile would also help preserve the environment.

“We use natural-based dyeing materials free from any hazardous chemical ingredients.”

Going back to nature is not only good for the environment but also for the health of women weavers. Many of them are pregnant and breastfeeding. Using chemical materials seriously harms their bodies and minds.