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In Malang, Jokowi and Prabowo made into matchstick miniatures
Created in three days, the matchstick profiles of Jokowi and Prabowo are 25 centimeters in height, with a thickness of 6 cm.
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Following the news of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Prabowo Subianto being named this year’s presidential candidates, the artist decided to create a miniature matchstick representation of their faces.
(JP/Aman Rochman)
T
hirty-seven-year-old Khilmi Ardiansyah can usually be found at home unboxing packages of matchsticks and picking out the ones in similar size. Dozens of miniatures of mosques, temples, animated figures are neatly displayed on a rack in his living room in Pandanlandung village, Malang, East Java.
Creating miniature matchstick artworks is a hobby for Khilmi, who first began making the figures six years ago.
Following the news of Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Prabowo Subianto being named this year’s presidential candidates, the artist decided to create a miniature matchstick representation of their faces.
Read also: Gede Mahendra Yasa: Into an epic of miniature realism
“I want to create something different that is also creative and nice to look at,” Khilmi told The Jakarta Post on Saturday, adding that it usually took 3,000 matchsticks to create a miniature.
Created in three days, the matchstick profile of Jokowi and Prabowo is 25 centimeters by 18 cm in size with a thickness of around 6 cm.
“First, I printed out a photo of their profile on a paperboard as a medium to put on the matchsticks. Second, I cut the upper part of the matchsticks and cover them with wood glue, then placed them on the face sketch on the paperboard. Lastly, I created shadow textures, curves of facial lines, eyes and hair by burning the matchsticks’ composition,” said Khilmi, who makes a living as a merchant.
The aforementioned miniatures required 250 packets of matchsticks, costing Rp 500,000 (US$35).
“I’m planning to give this to Pak Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto, as a form of my appreciation to them as […] Indonesian leaders.”
Calling the miniatures priceless works of art, Khilmi said many interested people have asked him whether they were for sale.
The artist is currently looking for good photos to create miniatures of the faces of the vice-presidential candidates Ma’ruf Amin and Sandiaga Uno. (kes)
