BUY PK ARTWORK
NYAMAN GALLERY | SEMINYAK, BALI, INDONESIA
View Plastik Kembali artworks at PK’s official gallery representative, Nyaman Gallery located in Seminyak, Bali. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., you can also contact the gallery directly to request custom PK artworks.
Harvey Galleries | sydney (SEAFORTH), AUSTRALIA
From 17th October to 9th November 2024, view Plastik Kembali artworks in Elissa Gjertson/Plastik Kembali’s inaugural solo exhibition in Sydney (Seaforth), Australia with Harvey Galleries, “Optimism: Reminaging Waste.”
DALAM | SELONG BELANAK, LOMBOK, INDONESIA
Find Plastik Kembali treasures at the locally-curated DALAM Boutique at Sempiak Seaside Resort featuring local Lombok art, craft, textiles, clothing, jewelry and more. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sempiak Seaside Resort.
FOUR SEASONS RESORT BALI | JIMBARAN BAY, BALI, INDONESIA
View Plastik Kembali artworks – available for purchase – on display and purchase PK artworks in the Boutique at Four Seasons Resort Bali At Jimbaran Bay and TELU Bar.
w RESORT BALI | seminyak, BALI, INDONESIA
View Plastik Kembali artworks – available for purchase – on display and take home PK artworks and sculpture from the Boutique at W Bali Semiyak.
WIJAYA / ISA ART GALLERY, JAKARTA, JAVA, INDONESIA
A select collection of Plastik Kembali artworks are available through the leading art & design pioneers in Jakarta, ISA Gallery.
THE PK STORY
Based in Selong Belanak, Lombok, and led by Elissa Gjertson (top center), the Plastik Kembali team consists of 30 talented, artisan assistants from Lombok.
The Plastik Kembali story started when Elissa Gjertson (top center), moved to Selong Belanak, Lombok, Indonesia in 2018.
Upon experiencing beaches strewn with waste, rivers clogged with plastic, burning rubbish and more, she knew she wanted to make a difference.
Based on her creative background and a lifelong passion for art, Elissa began exploring artistic techniques with waste material and, in 2019, opened the Plastik Kembali (PK) art studio.
Today, with her team of local artisan assistants, the PK goal is to bring recycled art to the world, offering new inspiration to the reality of plastic waste. And, as always, offer meaningful community opportunities for artistic expression and skill-building in the process.
But most of all, PK hopes to share its core mission with the world: Let’s transform one of Indonesia’s biggest challenges – plastic waste – through one of Indonesian’s greatest strengths, folk art.
“Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else.”
- FRED ROGERS
MEET ELISSA
“Optimism. That’s what I want to be known for.”
Elissa Gjertson’s artistic journey has meandered through a variety of forms over the past 40+ years, with a particular interest in global and indigenous art. It was her move to Lombok, Indonesia in 2019, however, that spurred the inception of her new studio, Plastik Kembali, as she explored her interest in creating art from plastic waste.
Today Elissa conceptualises new ways to reimagine waste materials of all types, from plastic and textiles to natural fiber and wood – working closely with her team to translate her concepts into artworks that honour Indonesian artistic traditions. Her creative inspiration pulls from a vast bank of traditional and contemporary folk-art techniques as well as modernist art, abstract expressionism, and color field painting.
Plastik Kembali operates closely with their local community waste infrastructure program, as well as collaborates with plastic banks and recycling centres around the archipelago to source the recycled plastics that become the base materials for all their artworks. Recycled textiles are sourced from hospitality and textile company partners in Java and Bali and from individual donations.
Elissa credits her family for her artistic enthusiasm. A major, formative influence includes learning traditional fibre arts, such as macrame, cross-stitching, and knitting from her grandmothers, aunts and mother. Perhaps this is why Plastik Kembali’s art showcases an affinity for these traditionally feminine art forms that are practiced by various folk artists worldwide.
Today, Plastik Kembali consists of Elissa and her team of nearly 30 artisan assistants, the majority of whom are women. While the collective and their work has grown in scale, their goal remains to address one of Indonesia’s biggest challenges – plastic waste – through one of its greatest strengths, traditional folk art.
HOW PK GIVES BACK
Elissa (center) with members of the local Selong Belanak artisan assistants team, at the PK studio in Lombok.
building new skills
& creating meaningful, local jobs
A core principle of Plastik Kembali is to create meaningful employment and learning opportunities for local artisan assistants — the majority of whom are women — expanding the reach of PK craftsmanship while creating sustainable jobs that offer fair pay, a joyful working environment and community support.
PK has created thousands of meters of our signature “tali” – recycling the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of plastic bags.
cleaning up our beaches, rivers and villages +
empowering trash banks
Plastik Kembali operates closely with their local community waste infrastructure program, as well as collaborates with plastic banks and recycling centres around the archipelago to source the plastics that become the base materials for all their artworks. Recycled textiles are sourced from hospitality and textile company partners in Java and Bali and from individual donations.
Plastik Kembali helps fund ongoing clean-up efforts with a leadership role in the Selong Belanak Community Association.
volunteering with SBCA (Selong Belanak
Community Association)
As active members of the Selong Belanak Community Association (SBCA), Plastik Kembali offers time & resources through clean-ups, marketing support and more. In 2020 PK led the build of the local “Goby” sculpture; in 2023, PK helped lead the creation of the local “Waste Transfer Station” to create a new solution for waste disposal in South Lombok. Ongoing clean-up support is also funded by PK.
PK MANIFESTO
WHAT PK CARES ABOUT
The Plastik Kembali philosophy is simple: make art from waste while doing our part to make the world cleaner, healthier and even more beautiful. Every single day.
01.
Create new & useful value
Originally made from finite resources, single-use plastic has inherent value and can no longer be mindlessly discarded without a second, third or fourth product life. PK is committed to creating new, innovative uses for discarded plastic to add extended value to a material that often has a 100-1000 year lifespan on the planet.
02.
celebrate art & design
PK introduces a new way to transform and view rubbish as a unique material loaded with creative potential. By re-making something uniquely beautiful from plastic waste — literally, turning trash into treasure — PK is committed to leading a new dialogue in the plastic conversation with one-of-a-kind artwork.
03.
contribute a real
solution
Developing nations often bear the brunt of the plastic waste epidemic. Currently, especially in Indonesia & other nations without proper waste infrastructure, many local residents burn rubbish for removal. A portion of PK profits is donated to the Selong Belanak Community Association for waste disposal or, even better, extended, circular use.
04.
collaborate & advocate
In tourism-rich areas like Indonesia, plastic pollution hits doubly-hard as communities must manage waste from both locals and visitors alike. PK is committed to advocating ongoing solutions, working with local & global organizations to find sustainable solutions for local waste management as well as educating tourists on how to leave a lighter footprint.