What a show!

Over five days, from 13th August to 17th August this year, the fourth annual Jia CURATED exhibition made quite the impression in Bali and beyond, with local and international visitors flocking to the beachside event.

Jia CURATED, first established in 2022, was bigger and better than ever, with more than 250 brands and practitioners participating in an exploration of this year’s theme, ‘Nature Weave.’ The co-founders of Jia CURATED, Budiman Ong, Rudi Winata and Yang Yang Hartono, are to be congratulated for curating such a diverse assembly of architects, designers, object makers and businesses in a celebration of local and Southeast Asian design that marked this as a very special exhibition.

Not only were there myriad unique pavilions, talks, installations, performances, food and drinks, but the authentic nature of the event ensured that Jia CURATED stood out from the crowd.

This year Jia CURATED was located at Pengembak Beach in Sanur and the setting of sand, mangroves, river and forest was intoxicating. Jia CURATED was of place and the perfect setting for dialogue and discourse, creative inspiration and design innovation.

While there were a multitude of exhibits that pushed the boundaries of originality, all embraced ideas of sustainability, and there were many exemplary installations that, through substance and form, had the all-important wow factor.

Lamitak, Jia CURATED’s main partner for the event, created a pavilion that was truly a celebration of its product: high-pressure laminates that boast a swathe of green credentials. Sample squares of laminates in various colours were attached to the outside walls of the pavilion and reflected the idea of shingles, while inside, the story of the product was communicated through graphics and imagery.

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Sungai Design showed just what can be achieved when a family who love the environment work together to clean up the place where they live. Siblings Gary, Sam and Kelly Bencheghib have turned an idea of sustainability into a design studio and, in the process, collected waste from many of Bali’s waterways. In their installation there was a curated group of objects and furniture – from chairs to shelves, carafes and plates to sound speakers and thongs, and everything in between – and the astounding fact is that everything is made from 100 per cent recycled river plastics.

Budiman Ong established his studio, Ong Cen Kuang, some 18 years ago, coming to prominence with the Alur collection of lighting products. The bespoke lights are handmade from zippers and the range features pendants, standing and table lights. This year, Janur, an outdoor range, was launched at Jia CURATED and comprised two pendants and two standing lamps. In the exhibit, the materiality of the lights presented as an ethereal presence, placed atop long, curved stands alongside a small pathway. It was one of the most visited installations, becoming an Instagram favourite while also displaying Ong’s talent for innovative, handcrafted design.

Along with the local talent, Jia CURATED invited designers from other countries to participate, and Current at the 2026 Taiwan Pavilion showcased an array of wonderful object makers from that country. Meanwhile, TOMORROW displayed the talents of 11 young designers and 10 heritage manufacturers from the Philippines, showcasing the diversity of Filipino craft.

Project Benih was launched this year as a platform for planting ideas, collaborations and developing creative relationships. Artisans and designers including Alvin Tjitrowirjo and Budiman Ong from Indonesia, Jin Kuramoto and Shogo Kishino from Japan, and Chang Po-Chieh and Shikai Tseng from Taiwan, among many others, presented their work alongside artisans and manufacturers.

Built in a matter of days, Suar from Studio Aliri was an architectural response to the limited ground that defines Indonesian cities. Conceived for the 2.4-metre by 4.8-metre site at Jia CURATED, the structure was constructed from glulam rubberwood and rose up through the surrounding trees as stacked platforms. A sensational tree house.

At the far end of the exhibition site was Architecture in Scale, comprising 25 models from architectural practices, situated on pedestals and randomly placed among the trees. A guided tour by curator Charmaine Chan, Design Editor, Culture, South China Morning Post, brought many of the architects to the fore as they explained their designs and visions. Among the illustrious practices that participated were andramatin, CHANG Architects, SHAU, KENGO KUMA + Associates, IBUKU Studio, Inspiral Architecture and Design Studio and DDAP Architects.

One of the most spectacular exhibits was from OAKEN, a fragrance business that develops and manufactures perfumes, incense and body creams, among much more. The bunker-like pavilion was perched on a slope and all walls were made from blocks of pink Himalayan salt. The structure, designed by Spatial Sonata with TUSCANY, an Indonesian stone consultancy, glowed in the sun and drew crowds day and night.

While there were multiple exhibits and many people, it was heartening to know that the natural surroundings were left intact, with no trees removed or trimmed. Exhibitors designed their installations around the vegetation and the interaction of the manmade with nature ensured that the pavilion designs were even more interesting.

Materiality was key to Jia CURATED, with rattan used in all manner of lighting and furniture, marble as Venetian blinds, and recycled timbers and reused waste all given a showcase on the design stage.

As Budiman Ong commented, “It’s quite natural that every year we’re trying to improve ourselves, and we edit, we pivot, saying, ‘What do we lack? What can we do more of? What program can we do?’ So we keep adding to that. But I think interest is growing and that keeps our ambitions alive.”

He continues, “We started with a retail space and within two years, we had about 40 brands under our wings, and suddenly we had people that we needed to highlight. Then we thought, okay, maybe we can turn this into a festival. The idea was just to have a nice time, not indoors but in a mini forest. And then we decided to pivot and appeal to a design crowd. We decided to have a theme that we can curate and we saw that the crowd had shifted – so, we have done something right.

“But we are always thinking, what can we do to make it much more interesting? And then we realised something: that by putting all these people from here and from other countries together, we are stronger. And I said, ‘This is something good that we have to hold on to.’ So, it keeps growing and growing.”

Well, this year Jia CURATED has been a sensational success: more talented architects and designers, bigger crowds and a raising of the profile of design within Indonesia and beyond. Budiman and his colleagues have set the bar high in 2026, but there is no doubt that 2027 will be even bigger and better.

Jan Henderson was a guest of Jia CURATED.

Jia CURATED
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