 |
| sumber: attalicious.wordpress.com |
Stained glass, despite being a part of Indonesian art, was never
popular. But in Brian’s hand, it’s gaining both local and international admirers,
including Disneyland which uses his artwork in Hong Kong.
Born in an entrepreneur family, Brian decided to start his
own business instead of taking over his father’s Honda motorcycle company which
has been running since 1980s. He says he has no desire in that field.
“I have a totally different business from my parents. I love
art. Some people, in the year that I’ve just begun my stained glass [business],
tend to underestimate artists, art workers and even the artworks. Singers and
painters are one of those art professions. About 20 years ago, people wanted
their children to be doctors or professors than art-workers,” he explains.
Aware about the challenge, he turned his business to the
property industry which was booming at the time. Developers were his first
clients. He wasn’t doing work only for individual homes but also for houses of
worship such as mosques and churches.
“Stained glasses are important ornaments in church or
mosque. It’s like a mosque’s drum. Without it, those houses of worship aren’t
complete.”
Managing over 400 employees, including 280 art workers in
his factory, is not an easy job. Doing a business that’s based on a hobby,
Brian was never concerned with promotion plans. He didn’t have any, even to
increase the company’s profit. Passion is more than enough to keep the business
running and growing.
“But not everyone likes stained glass,” he admits. For him,
picture or visual art is a feeling. So, precision is the most important in
creating stained glasses. As a man who has spent over 31 years in the business,
Brian is able to detect flaws in the current products.
“To minimize the number of products being rejected, we use
computer to design.”
Hong Kong Disneyland
Creativity is an asset. People who has creative mind can
utilize whatever they have, even scrap goods. Brian and his team turn scrap
fabric into artistic art work. In his factory, located in Cikupa, Tangerang,
the wall is artistically decorated with icons of animals, human, and buildings,
composed by putting together hundreds and maybe even thousands of scrap fabrics.
“Those are made by my team’s creativity,” Brian explains.
Talking about the team, he sent one of his staff to study in
the US. Upon his return to Indonesia, his staff pointed out the incorrect
techniques they’re currently using in making artworks. So Brian changed the
technique for the next production. That staff is still working for him now.
“There are some old staff who are still here, including the guy who was sent to the US. Although some of them were hijacked by competitors, but thanks God, they came back to work with me. [There] they did not get what I can give to them.”
Human resources quality seems to be the most important thing
for him, aside from the product quality. No wonder, Disneyland, offered him a
stained glass project.
“I flew from Beijing to Hongkong, and sat next to Dr. Tao Ho,
President of The Hong Kong Institute of Architects. When he found out that I
was a stained glass art maker, he wanted to visit my factory. And as the story goes,
Disneyland made a deal to do a project with me,” he recalls with a smile.
Brian never allows anyone to ruin his artwork. When someone stuck
a chewing gum on his Disneyland stained glass artwork, he cleaned it up. Unfortunately,
a security suspected him doing vandalism.
“When I told him that I was the art-maker, he did not
believe it,” Brian laughs.
Disneyland, according to him, is very appreciative to an
artwork. They even didn’t negotiate price. As long as it’s been recommended by
people who worked for Disneyland, they
couldn’t care less about how much money they should spend on an artwork.
Foreign people avoid problems caused by missed schedule
because it will make multiple effects such as paying more than what they have
budgeted for the project. So, hiring professionals is the key to minimize the
risk. They will do it even though they must pay a high price for it.”
Business and Art
Stained glass has niche market both in local and
international world. Houses of worship developers, hotels see Brian’s products
as an added value. His brand, Eztu Glass Art, has been introducing this
‘foreign art’ to the clueless public. And all that efforts are showing great
results. A Bali-based Dutch artist said he used to only see colorful glasses in
church, but now he’s seen them in homes too.
“Stained glass fits those who suffer from dust allergy.
Different from curtain, dust doesn’t stick to the glass. So it’s a great
alterative for the windows when doctors recommend them not to use curtain.”
Creativity can be copied. In this business, design is one
important asset that often got pirated and claimed original by others.
“My designs were sold in lower prices in Indonesian biggest
online forum. About 90 percent sellers in the websites are pirating my works. But
it’s okay. Everyone has their market
share. People with higher income wouldn’t want to buy counterfeit goods. They’d
prefer Eztu Glass product.”
For this Merias Cahaya
author, art is the heart and business must follow passion. Problems are just
common item, not a special one. He even treats problems as side dishes. But he
advises that it’s important to be able to anticipate.
“Expect the unexpected,” he suggests.
How about competitor?
“Creating something unusual is the key to success.”
(Soewarna Digest 17th Edition)
