The Kemala Story
Kemala is a home business based in Jakarta run by a wife & husband duo: Dian Elvira Rosa and Ibnu Najib. We are inspired by classic Indonesian design with a contemporary twist. Through Kemala, we offer high-quality, functional, and consciously-made goods. We work fairly and ethically with our artisan partners across Indonesia. Focusing on local and sustainably-sourced materials, Kemala’s products have been well-loved both locally and Internationally, with a clientele from all around the world including Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Australia, Japan, and a number of European countries. The brand name Kemala, meaning ‘a shining and beautiful stone’ in Bahasa Indonesia, is a tribute to Dian’s late paternal grandmother, Batin Kemala, who was a single mother and a fierce business woman. Her tenacity, honesty, and passion are constant inspirations for Kemala’s way of doing business. Indeed, since its start in 2014, Kemala has grown rapidly and organically, now working with 6 ceramic and woodwork communities involving up to 100 craftsmen and women throughout Java and Bali.
Our collections are created with the nature of the raw materials in mind, highlighting their character and natural qualities. Initially, Kemala’s collections comprised fabric-based products such as cushions and woodenwares made from solid teak wood. Slowly, with more craftspeople working with Kemala, we were able to expand the collection to incorporate other natural materials such as clay for ceramics, water hyacinth for our natural fibre baskets, and brass & glasswares. Kemala tries to see the beauty and function in everything and thus, some of the raw materials we use often come from offcuts, high-quality materials leftover from mass production. By doing so, Kemala hopes to create beautiful goods that take into consideration our impact on the environment, and made with expert hands.
In mid-2019, Kemala was chosen by the Australian government to participate in a 2-week short course titled the “Women Trading Globally” programme. The course brought some 20 women entrepreneurs from Asia for 2 weeks to learn about best practices in international trade and carried out site visits to select Australian companies led by women entrepreneurs. The course was run by the Export Council of Australia (ECA) and has been so valuable for Kemala’s plan to expand internationally to niche markets in Asia Pacific and Europe. Furthermore, in late 2019, Kemala was competitively selected to participate in Indonesia’s largest annual trade expo (Trade Expo Indonesia), specifically as part of the flagship Ministry of Trade pavilion. Kemala was able to establish many contacts with buyers overseas during the event.
Our journey has taken us to experience many new encounters with both craftspeople and the materials we work with, and we are excited to see what the future holds. By having a special piece from Kemala, we do hope that we can bring more joy and warmth to your everyday endeavours.