Papua’s small businesses and traditional artisans brought the colours, patterns and stories of their communities to Jakarta as representatives from across the region took part in Kriyanusa 2026, a national handicraft exhibition held at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) from September 26 to 30. The event offered a platform for Papuan products to reach Indonesian consumers, introduce regional cultural heritage to a wider audience and explore opportunities beyond local markets.
The participation brought together regional craft councils and small businesses from across of Papua. Their displays ranged from noken bags and bark-cloth crafts to locally developed batik patterns, woven products and other handmade goods. Alongside the products themselves, the exhibition presented the cultural identities and skills of the communities behind them.
For many artisans, the opportunity was about more than displaying merchandise. It was a chance to meet new audiences, understand the national market and consider how traditional knowledge could support sustainable livelihoods. The presence of Papuan exhibitors at a major event in the capital also highlighted the role of local government and business networks in connecting regional producers with wider economic opportunities.
A National Exhibition Provides Insight into Papua
Kriyanusa is a national platform for Indonesian handicrafts, bringing together producers, regional craft councils and visitors interested in the country’s diverse creative traditions. The 2026 exhibition at JCC provided a platform for Papuan representatives to showcase products closely linked to local materials, techniques, and cultural expression.
The participation of different regional councils reflected the diversity of Papua itself. Rather than presenting one uniform identity, the exhibitors brought distinct products and designs shaped by their respective communities.
The Jayawijaya Regional National Crafts Council, known as Dekranasda Jayawijaya, showcased crafts produced by Papuan women artisans, including noken and other handmade items. The Jayapura city delegation introduced Batik Port Numbay, a textile product associated with the city’s cultural identity. Papua Barat’s (West Papua) representatives displayed locally made crafts, while the Puncak delegation promoted batik featuring animal motifs, including the cuscus.
Other participants included Deiyai, which promoted local handicrafts, and Fakfak, whose Brongkendik batik has been presented as a product with the potential to reach consumers beyond its place of origin.
Taken together, the displays offered visitors a broad view of the region’s creative economy. They also demonstrated how craft production can connect cultural heritage with contemporary consumer markets, provided that quality, supply and commercial development receive sustained attention.
Jayawijaya’s Women Artisans Bring Noken to Jakarta
One of the prominent stories from the exhibition was the participation of Jayawijaya’s women artisans. Dekranasda Jayawijaya presented handmade products created by Mama Mama Papua, a familiar term of respect for Papuan women, including traditional noken bags and other crafts.
Noken is more than a practical item. It is a traditional woven bag associated with Papuan cultural life, with forms and techniques that vary across communities. Its use and production connect everyday activities with inherited skills and knowledge.
At Kriyanusa, the products gave visitors an opportunity to see the work of artisans whose craft traditions are maintained through practice and community experience. The exhibition also provided a platform for artisans to showcase their handmade products directly to potential buyers and individuals interested in Indonesian cultural heritage.
Reports from ANTARA Papua and Suara Papua highlighted the Jayawijaya delegation’s participation and its focus on the work of local women. The display placed the artisans themselves at the center of the story, showing how traditional skills can become part of a wider conversation about economic participation.
The opportunity to exhibit at a national event can be particularly meaningful for small producers who have limited access to customers outside their immediate area. Yet market expansion also brings practical challenges, including consistent product quality, pricing, packaging and the ability to fulfil orders. The exhibition created exposure, while the longer-term commercial results will depend on what happens after the event.
Noken Cenderawasih Takes the Runway
Jayawijaya’s participation extended beyond the exhibition booths. Noken Cenderawasih also featured in a national fashion parade, bringing a Papuan craft tradition into a presentation of Indonesian clothing and design.
The appearance helped show how traditional products can be interpreted in different settings while retaining their cultural significance. While a noken may serve daily purposes, its inclusion in a fashion presentation highlights its potential as a contemporary design element.
The parade provided a visual platform for audiences to encounter Papuan craftsmanship in a format different from a conventional product display. It also created an opportunity to introduce regional artistry to visitors who may not be familiar with the communities and techniques behind the work.
The broader challenge for cultural products is to ensure that wider exposure is accompanied by respect for their origins. As traditional crafts enter new markets and design contexts, the role of artisans and local communities in decisions about representation, production and commercial use remains important.
Batik Port Numbay Introduces Jayapura’s Identity
Jayapura’s delegation used the exhibition to promote Batik Port Numbay, a locally associated textile product that brings regional identity into a form familiar to Indonesian consumers.
Batik has a long-established place in Indonesia’s creative industries, but regional producers have increasingly used local motifs and stories to distinguish their products. Batik Port Numbay provides an example of how a city can use textile design to communicate a sense of place.
ANTARA reported that Dekranasda Jayapura introduced the batik at Kriyanusa as part of efforts to promote local craftsmanship. The display gave visitors a chance to encounter a product linked to Jayapura’s identity while broadening awareness of the city’s creative output.
For local producers, the national exhibition offered a potential route to new customers and professional networks. For visitors, it provided an opportunity to see how a widely recognised Indonesian craft tradition can take on distinct regional expressions.
The commercial prospects of such products will depend on more than the appeal of their designs. Producers also need reliable access to materials, skilled workers, suitable production capacity and marketing channels that can communicate the story and value of the product to consumers.
Papua Barat and the Strength of Local Materials
Papua Barat’s participation brought another range of local crafts to the exhibition. Its delegation presented products reflecting the region’s cultural resources and the skills of local makers.
Papuakini and Tabura Pos reported on the province’s presence at Kriyanusa, describing the display as an opportunity to introduce local handicrafts to a broader audience. The participation formed part of a wider effort by regional craft councils to promote products made in their respective areas.
One distinctive area of interest was the use of traditional materials and techniques, including bark-cloth crafts. Such products can carry cultural significance while also offering possibilities for contemporary design and creative enterprise.
The appearance of Papuan bark-cloth crafts in the exhibition’s wider programme, including their reported progress to the finals of a competition, drew further attention to the region’s artisanship. The recognition provides visibility, although it should not be confused with a guarantee of commercial success.
For local craft producers, the next step is often to translate attention into sustained demand. That can involve improving product presentation, developing consistent supply and establishing relationships with retailers, galleries or other buyers.
Puncak, Deiyai and Fakfak Showcase Regional Designs
The exhibition also gave smaller regional delegations an opportunity to present products that may be less familiar to consumers elsewhere in Indonesia.
Dekranasda, Kabupaten Puncak, promoted batik with cuscus-inspired animal motifs. The use of local wildlife imagery gave the product a recognisable regional theme and offered a way to connect textile design with the area’s natural and cultural identity.
Deiyai’s delegation presented local handicrafts as part of its effort to expand awareness of the district’s creative products. The participation showed how a national exhibition can serve as a meeting point for producers from areas with different levels of market access and business infrastructure.
Fakfak brought attention to Brongkendik batik, a regional product that has been promoted as a way to introduce local design to wider audiences. Its presence at Kriyanusa added another example of how traditional and locally inspired textile production can become part of a broader creative economy.
These displays were not simply variations on a single Papuan style. They reflected the different stories, materials and design approaches represented across the region. Their presence together in Jakarta gave visitors a chance to compare and appreciate the breadth of local craftsmanship.
From Cultural Visibility to Business Opportunities
The participation of Papuan small and medium-sized enterprises, or MSMEs, also had an economic dimension. Exhibitions can help producers test consumer interest, introduce products to new buyers and build connections with potential partners.
Bank Papua has been reported as supporting efforts to help Jayawijaya MSMEs reach national markets. That kind of support can be relevant to the wider challenge faced by producers who have strong products but limited access to distribution, marketing and business networks.
For an artisan, a national exhibition may be the first step in a longer process. A visitor’s interest can lead to a conversation, a business contact or an order, but turning those possibilities into stable income requires follow-up. Producers may need assistance with product standards, branding, pricing, packaging and the practicalities of shipping goods from Papua to other parts of Indonesia.
The exhibition therefore offers an opportunity to connect cultural promotion with business development. Regional governments and craft councils can help by maintaining contact with exhibitors, identifying promising market opportunities and supporting producers as they respond to customer feedback.
At the same time, growth needs to be compatible with the continuity of traditional knowledge. Increasing demand should not place unreasonable pressure on artisans or weaken the cultural meaning of the products. Sustainable development means ensuring that the people who create the goods remain involved in decisions about their production and presentation.
Deiyai’s Ambition to Reach International Markets
Deiyai’s participation also brought attention to the ambition of taking local products beyond Indonesia. Suara Papua reported that Deiyai Regent Melkianus Mote had expressed a goal of bringing the district’s products to international markets.
That ambition reflects a wider aspiration among local administrations to connect regional production with a larger economic landscape. International visibility could create opportunities for distinctive products, but entering overseas markets typically requires careful preparation.
Export-orientated producers may need to address product consistency, labelling, packaging, delivery costs and the expectations of buyers in different countries. Cultural products may also benefit from clear storytelling that explains their origins and the skills involved in making them.
For Deiyai and other participating regions, Kriyanusa can serve as one stage in that process: a place to introduce products, assess interest and build confidence in presenting local craftsmanship to audiences beyond the district.
However, the exhibition did not result in the signing of international export agreements, as the reports indicate. The ambition to reach overseas buyers should therefore be understood as a stated objective rather than a confirmed commercial outcome.
Government and Craft Councils as Bridges
The participation of regional Dekranasda organisations illustrates the role of local institutions in supporting craft producers. These councils can help connect artisans with exhibitions, promotional opportunities and broader networks.
The presence of officials and craft council representatives also gave the event an institutional dimension. Their work can help bring local products to national platforms and support coordination between producers and government programmes.
The visit by Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian and representatives of the national crafts council to the Jayawijaya stand, reported by RRI, highlighted the visibility of Papuan products during the exhibition. Such visits can draw attention to regional participation, although the lasting value depends on whether they lead to continued support and practical follow-up.
For the national creative economy, regional exhibitions can help broaden the range of products and stories represented in Indonesia’s markets. For Papua, they offer a way to make local craftsmanship more visible while strengthening the connection between cultural identity and economic activity.
Conclusion
Kriyanusa 2026 gave representatives of Papua’s MSMEs and craft councils a national platform to introduce their products and cultural heritage to Indonesian audiences. The exhibition presented a diverse picture of Papuan creativity, showcasing the handicrafts of Jayawijaya’s women artisans, Noken Cenderawasih, Batik Port Numbay, Papua Barat, Puncak’s cuscus-inspired designs, Deiyai’s local products, and Fakfak’s Brongkendik batik.
The event’s importance lies in the possibility of connecting cultural visibility with economic opportunity. Exposure can help artisans reach new audiences, but sustainable progress will require consistent product development, business support, fair market access and respect for the communities that preserve traditional skills.
The next chapter will be written in the workshops and communities that make these products as the exhibition ends. Kriyanusa can evolve into more than just a five-day showcase if the contacts and attention generated in Jakarta are met with practical support and enduring demand. It can serve as one step in strengthening Papua’s creative economy while ensuring that the region’s cultural knowledge remains visible, valued and connected to the people who sustain it.
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