TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Melissa Sunjaya: Romancing East Indies
Melissa Sunjaya: (Courtesy of Melissa Sunjaya)Inspiring artist and entrepreneur Melissa Sunjaya captures the natural richness of Indonesia in Tulisan, her established brand that has gained recognition worldwide
Change Size
Melissa Sunjaya: (Courtesy of Melissa Sunjaya) (Courtesy of Melissa Sunjaya)
Melissa Sunjaya: (Courtesy of Melissa Sunjaya)
Inspiring artist and entrepreneur Melissa Sunjaya captures the natural richness of Indonesia in Tulisan, her established brand that has gained recognition worldwide.
'I'd like to make Tulisan an 'artist-illustrated editions from the new East Indies' because of my sincere love of our homeland,' Melissa, 39, receiver of Ernst & Young's Entrepreneurial Winning Women 2013 told The Jakarta Post.
Tulisan, the Indonesia word for 'handwriting', is a collection of handmade, limited-edition illustrated prints used on bags, totes and household accessories. Each illustrated edition is based on a story reflecting varying themes of the heart and is complemented by color palettes that are hand-selected to illuminate each soulful narrative.
The business, established with Rp 5 million (US$408), has been running since 2010 with a strong support from Melissa's mother, Didi Hersubeno, an autodidact home decorator, perfectionist and diligent entrepreneur.
History has it that Western countries identify Indonesia as the East Indies, a place somewhere east of India that is rich with natural resources and culture, said Melissa.
'And I've been thinking about that era, where spices, cotton, cocoa, tea and coffee became a part of our national culture ' a signature of our nation's glory.
'I'm keen on building an organization that represents the new East Indies, which is powerful and has a very high level of confidence. Hopefully, [the organization] will bring back the great name of our nation,' added Melissa, who studied Visual Communication Design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, US.
To attain such a vision, Melissa started with Tulisan ' producing illustrated artworks that use local material and focuses on a hand-made production principle with a concern for its ecological impact.
'In the production process, Tulisan is based on sustainable design principles, which are important because Tulisan products should be enjoyed with a minimum carbon footprint,' said the wife of Dominic Symons.
The most successful project in delivering the sustainable and eco-friendly principles is on the development of Pepe Doll, a product which empowers a local community, said Melissa.
'It is a collaborative work with Kampus Diakonia Modern, a foundation that gives care to street children. We provide them with the material, which applies a zero-waste concept,' added Melissa, whose favorite books are Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Siddharta by Herman Hesse and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.
Tulisan products have been exported to the US, Hong Kong and Japan.
'There are at least 40 shops that sell Tulisan products in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other big cities in the US. Nevertheless, we are very selective when distributing our brand internationally,' said Melissa.
The mother of two carefully selects the shops, instead of just aiming for high revenue. Melissa usually joins international fashion trade shows to distribute her products, or focuses on suitable outlets that have similar artistic values.
'The main aim [of our approach] is to increase brand loyalty and personal relationship with our distributors ' it isn't just about short-term sales,' she said.
Melissa and her husband-cum-business partner established Bluelounge Design in 1999, which was a creative studio that offered a consultation service for product, graphic, interior and animation design.
Bluelounge Design's international clients included Panasonic, Airwalk International, Uniqlo, Trina Turk, Herman Miller and Rolls-Royce.
After nine years of focusing on design and branding, the couple had build up enough courage to produce their own products. It began with Bluelounge Design by Dominic Symons in 2004, and then Tulisan by Melissa Sunjaya in 2010.
Tulisan is truly Melissa's calling and she is truly blessed with a supporting husband and mother.
'Tulisan was my dream when I was a child. I've always wanted to create Indonesian hand-made products that have a different touch.'
