Jatiwangi art Factory (JaF)

The Philosophy of Clay: From Industrial Material to Artistic Medium

Founded in 2005 by Arief Yudi Rahman with the local community, JaF was born from an awareness of Jatiwangi's long history as the largest tile industry center in Indonesia since the colonial era. However, as the tile industry began to decline due to the onslaught of modern materials like lightweight steel, JaF emerged to ensure that the residents' emotional connection to the land would not erode.

For JaF, clay is the "marwah" (dignity/essence) of the Majalengka people. They shifted the paradigm of clay from merely a building material (tiles and bricks) to a multidimensional medium of expression. Here, clay is explored radically through fine arts, music, architecture, and even international diplomacy.

Ceramic Music: Sounds from the Earth's Womb

One of JaF's most unique and world-renowned contributions is the development of ceramic music. Through the ensemble Hanyaterra, JaF creates musical instruments entirely made from fired clay, ranging from ceramic electric guitars and drums to clay flutes.

This activity culminates in the Ceramic Music Festival, a biennial event that involves thousands of Jatiwangi residents. One of the most iconic moments is "Rampak Genteng" (Tile Orchestra), a mass orchestra where thousands of people strike tiles in unison, creating a rhythmic sound that shakes the earth. This is not just a musical performance, but a collective ritual to celebrate land sovereignty and strengthen communal solidarity.

International Art Residency Program

JaF has become a global meeting point for artists, researchers, and curators from around the world through its art residency program. International artists are invited to stay in local homes, interact with tile factory workers, and create works that respond to Jatiwangi's local realities.

This program fosters an equal exchange of knowledge. Local residents are not just research subjects but active collaborators. The results of these residencies often take the form of public art installations in open village spaces, murals on factory walls, or high artistic value clay-based product innovations.

Cultural Education and Community Empowerment

Education is the lifeblood of JaF. Through various workshops, JaF teaches the younger generation of Majalengka to be proud of their agrarian and industrial identity. These educational programs include:

1. Clay School: Non-formal education for local children to learn creative clay processing techniques.

2. Village Literacy: Efforts to document the oral history of elders and tile workers in written and digital archive forms.

3. Jatiwangi Artists Cooperative: A creative economy initiative that helps local artisans market handcrafted products that have been given a contemporary design touch.

JaF also plays a role in empowering women through artistic activities involving housewives, from creating unique souvenirs to participating in festival management.

Iconic Festivals and Cultural Events

In addition to the Ceramic Music Festival, JaF regularly organizes events that blur the lines between elite art and folk entertainment:

• Jatiwangi Cup: A unique bodybuilding competition for tile factory workers (jebor). This event celebrates the physique of hardworking laborers who carry the weight of clay and tiles daily. It is a form of respect for the dignity of labor.
• Ceramic Music Festival: Showcasing sonic explorations from around the world using clay as a material.
• Majalengka Biennale: An effort to map artistic potential throughout Majalengka Regency, turning villages into living art galleries.

Cultural Heritage Preservation and the Terracotta City Vision

JaF is not just stuck in nostalgia for the past. They actively advocate for the preservation of local architecture. Amidst the threat of land conversion into large industrial areas, JaF proposes the concept of "Kota Terakota" (Terracotta City).

This vision aims to make Majalengka a region whose development is based on the material and aesthetics of clay. JaF encourages the reuse of local red bricks and tiles in modern infrastructure projects, so that the region's visual identity is maintained amidst modernization. They believe that economic progress does not have to sacrifice cultural roots.

Role in Local Cultural Development

The presence of Jatiwangi art Factory has transformed Majalengka's image nationally and internationally. Majalengka, once merely considered a quiet transit area, is now known as the most influential community-based art innovation center in Southeast Asia.

JaF has successfully proven that cultural centers do not have to be located in capitals or established big cities. By utilizing local potential—namely clay and the spirit of mutual cooperation—they have created a self-sustaining ecosystem. They act as mediators between government policies, investor interests, and the needs of the local community, ensuring that the voices of the residents are still heard in the flow of development.

Conclusion: The Ever-Burning Earth

Jatiwangi art Factory is tangible proof that art has the power to drive social change. Through the skilled hands of its initiators, abundant and inexpensive clay is transformed into priceless cultural gold.

For visitors, JaF offers a profound experience: smelling the earth after rain, hearing the chime of ceramic guitars, and seeing the glistening muscles of bodybuilding workers under the sun. At JaF, art is not something displayed behind cold gallery glass, but something dirty with soil, hot from the kiln, and pulsating with the breath of Jatiwangi's community life. JaF is a home for anyone who believes that a nation's future depends on how strongly they hold onto their homeland.