Bapo Lounge Chair illustration, the masterpiece of the ITS Product Design Student

ITS Campus, ITS News – A unique and creative design created by one of the students of the Product Design Department of Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) has successfully penetrated the international scene. Not only won first winner at the Open Call Indonesia Creation (OCIC) 2020, Last October 23, Nur Ameliyah Rizkiyah also got the opportunity to show off her work entitled Bapo Lounge Chair in Milan, Italy, in 2021.

The competition organized by the Indonesian Furniture Designers Association (HDMI) with ABBASOURCE is annually devoted to finding talented young designers throughout Indonesia. After passing a series of selections, several superior participants will be dispatched and exhibit their work at the Future Fair Salone del Mobile, Milan, Italy.

The girl who familiarly called Amel revealed that seven finalists had the opportunity to show their work in Milan. But unlike the others, Amel got a golden opportunity because she was the first winner. Not only did her work depart, but she also went to one of the cities famous for this iconic Gothic cathedral. “The exhibition itself will take place in April 2021,” she said.

Amel said, Her work was inspired by the tradition of Bapukung by the people of Banjarmasin, where ordinary babies carried with hanging scarves. Designed with rattan as an abundant natural resource in Indonesia, this Gresik-based student tries to give a new picture of rattan furniture design to be more contemporary.

Nur Ameliyah Rizkiyah shows the illustration of her work (Bapo Lounge Chair), which is ready to be exhibited in Milan, Italy. 

“What also inspired (the work) is when one of my friends show a photo of a baby and carried using bapukung, I think it was unique, and finally I made an idea,”  said Amel added.

In her design, Amel said, she has explored rattan rod materials that have never been applied before in conventional rattan furniture. This is also a new design innovation, as well as the excellence of the Bapo Lounge Chair. “Here, I try to display a design that still brings the local culture and materials of Indonesia to be better known to the world,” explained the former Head of Innovation and Work Division of the IDE Student Association (ITS Product Design).

She said that Lounge Chair certainly has the primary function of a lounge chair. Hopefully, users can feel the comfort like a baby in a Bapukung sling like the inspiration.

Sketch of Bapo Lounge Chair, the work of the ITS Product Design Student

Amel explained that the organizers of the competition would bear the creation of the Bapo chair. Because this competition is sheltered by ABBASOURCE  furniture business marketplace, of course, it will be commercial by ABBASOURCE’s mission to bring Indonesian products to the global market.

After passing through various stages of curation of design concepts, engineering drawings, description of the manufacturing process, and judging since September 3, 2020, Amel admitted to experiencing some obstacles. Among others, finding out rattan material’s ability when applied in the design that has been made, must know the type of character of rattan material, and still try to include ergonomic elements in the chair. “This has been designed for a long time, it has been made since last January, but then I developed again about eight months until the registration of this race opened,” she said.

Amel hopes, with her participation and her work to one of the largest furniture exhibitions in the world in Milan, she can get a lot of science and design inspiration. “Plus also motivated to continue working until one day can have their furniture brand that is no less worldwide,” said Amel optimistically. (zar/pan/ITS Public Relations)