Melania Karolina: Learning from First Nation practises to preserve Sumba’s Traditional Crafts
A deep love for Indonesian art and culture inspired Melania Karolina to become a sociopreneur with a mission to preserve Lulu Amah, a traditional handicraft from Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, made using intricate weaving techniques with stainless steel, brass, or copper.
Melania first discovered Lulu Amah by chance during a holiday to Sumba when she came across an elderly woman crafting a pair of earrings using an impressively complex weaving technique. As she dug deeper into the origins and story behind the craft, Melania learned that Lulu Amah was at risk of extinction. Many of Sumba’s younger generation were leaving the island in search of more stable work.
In 2019, Melania founded MANAMU Handwoven, a heritage lifestyle brand that blends contemporary design with the traditional Lulu Amah weaving technique. Every piece is handmade by young artisans from Sumba.
Entering the creative industry was a completely new journey for Melania, who had spent the previous ten years working for a multinational corporation in the energy sector. That’s why, in 2023, she was especially eager to join the Australia Awards Short Course on Enhancing Market Integration with Australia for MSME Business Leaders in Creative and Cultural Industries, hosted by Monash University.
One of the most memorable experiences for Melania was a cultural and artistic presentation by First Nations artists.
“It was crafted in such a way that it engaged all five senses, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the presentation. And the storytelling was absolutely phenomenal,” she said.
The Importance of Storytelling
When establishing MANAMU with a mission to preserve Lulu Amah, Melania realised that storytelling and education were essential to emotionally connect with her customers.
“During the program, I saw how First Nations artists at the Melbourne Museum presented cultural stories in a way that linked different traditions together seamlessly,” Melania shared.
After the Short Course ended, Melania dove deeper into the origins of Lulu Amah. This journey eventually led her to explore Mamuli, another traditional Sumbanese craft which, alongside Lulu Amah, forms part of a customary bridal offering in Sumba. The Short Course also served as an inspiration behind Melania’s new initiative: the MANAMU Storytelling Centre. This centre showcases not only Lulu Amah, but also Mamuli and Sumba’s signature ikat weaving.
“One of the things that inspired me was seeing how information about Aboriginal culture was displayed in map form at a venue in Australia. That sparked the idea to do something similar at MANAMU, because surprisingly, many people don’t realise how close Sumba is to Bali,” Melania explained.
Navigating a Niche Business
During her career transition from corporate professional to sociopreneur, Melania acknowledged that her experience studying a Master of Business Administration and Management at the University of the Sunshine Coast played a key role in helping her adapt more quickly.
Now six years into leading MANAMU, Melania recognises that her target audience is a niche market, with most of her customers discovering the brand through word of mouth. Understanding the importance of networking in growing MANAMU, Melania continues to maintain strong connections with the people she met during the Short Course.
“It was Dr Xin Gu, the Course Leader from the Short Course, who told me about the 10th World Summit on Arts and Culture in Seoul. I’ll introduce Lulu Amah to a global audience,” Melania said.
“Through the Short Course, I also had the chance to meet Dr Kevin Murray, Editor of Garland Magazine. That eventually led to MANAMU Handwoven being featured in Garland, in an article written by Paul v Walters,” she added.
