Traditional crafts are often seen as static cultural artifacts—valuable for their heritage but with limited application in modern design. Yet, the intricate techniques and structural intelligence behind these crafts were, in their time, forms of cutting-edge technology. Rather than merely integrating contemporary tools into traditional craftsmanship, can the foundational principles of these crafts themselves inspire innovation?
This question lies at the heart of Cindy Evangeline’s work as an industrial designer. With a deep appreciation for traditional techniques, Cindy approaches heritage crafts not as outdated relics but as evolving systems of knowledge. Her work challenges the assumption that modern design must always rely on new materials and digital tools, instead exploring how the methodologies of the past can shape the future.
One of her most striking projects, Umbul-Umbul, draws inspiration from Janur, a Javanese craft that involves weaving young coconut leaves into intricate, lightweight structures. Rather than merely replicating Janur as an aesthetic choice, Cindy dissected its core principles—its balance of flexibility and stability, its modular construction, and its ability to create organic movement. She then applied these structural insights to contemporary materials, transforming the concept into a modern lantern design that retains the essence of traditional craftsmanship while fitting seamlessly into contemporary spaces.
Her work underscores the idea that traditional crafts were once the “technology” of their time—developed through centuries of refinement to solve practical problems with local resources. The challenge today is not simply to preserve these techniques as cultural artifacts but to adapt their underlying logic to modern contexts. Cindy’s design process demonstrates how crafts can inform new methods of construction, influence sustainable material choices, and inspire innovative approaches to form and function.
Umbul-Umbul stands as a testament to the potential of heritage crafts in contemporary design. Rather than seeing tradition and technology as opposing forces, Cindy's work reveals how the past and present can converge to create meaningful, forward-thinking design solutions. By looking beyond the surface of traditional crafts and into their structural intelligence, she is redefining what it means to innovate—showing that sometimes, the most progressive ideas are hidden within the wisdom of the past.