The ceramic museum, called Rumah Model and that displays the artist’s pottery masterpieces, is part of the attractions inside Rumah Keramik (Ceramics House) F Widayanto in Depok, West Java.

The collections in the museum include artistic statues, reliefs, canvas paintings and ceramics face scratches.

Among the statues are those of Drupadi and Dewi Sri from the artist’s past solo exhibitions, which are believed to have helped elevate Widayanto (also known as Yanto) into the top ranks of Indonesia’s ceramics art world.

He has held more than a dozen solo exhibitions, beginning with Wadah Air (Water Container) in 1987. He also brought his Topeng (mask) collection for a showing in Darwin, Australia, in 1996.

Drupadi Pandawa Diva in Jakarta in 2013 was his last solo exhibition. A year later, he received an award from the government as Indonesia’s best ceramics artist.

His craftsmanship legacy can be found at the Basillica of Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel, in form of a ceramic Virgin Mary statue attired in traditional batik and kebaya and displayed along with other Virgin Mary statues from around the world.

After a nearly seven-year hiatus, he was planning another solo exhibition themed Madam Mary this year, but it was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Apip, who is in charge of Rumah Keramik, said preparations had been underway, including the production of the exhibition items, which had reached 50 percent completion.

“In such a condition we had to consider safety because visitors would usually come in the thousands. We also had to think about marketing, which would certainly be affected by the pandemic,” he said.

The pandemic also forced Rumah Keramik to close down for three months before reopening recently.

First built in 1994, it has since expanded and currently takes up an area of 9,000 square meters with facilities that include wooden cottages, a restaurant, a meeting room, a gallery, a pottery workshop and the museum.

Pottery learning center

While buying an item from the museum will prompt visitors to dig deep into their pockets, the gallery provides items that are moderately priced.

The shelves inside are lined with pottery of all shapes and sizes: glasses, mugs, plates, ashtrays and other paraphernalia.

On the upper-ground next to the museum is a workshop where visitors or retreat guests can try crafting clay.

Molds are available in various forms and sizes. The molded clay will be put in the sun for four days before being heated in an oven for five hours in 900 degrees Celsius. Coloring is applied to the pots before they are heated for the second time for 16 hours.

Workshop participants will have to wait almost a month before their crafted pots are delivered to them

“Apart from showing them the making process and giving them the chance to try themselves, we also give them a bit of knowledge about pottery in general as well as that of Pak Widayanto’s artworks,” Apip said.

Widayanto’s widely acclaimed ceramics craftsmanship has drawn commercial interest from a leading electronic companies in Indonesia that is said to help in the production, maintenance and marketing.

“We have agreed to the deal, but the cooperation is to go operational pending the results of an examination process,” Apip said.