Hong Kong, 13 August 2009 - Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta has unveiled its own unique decorative fan, designed by celebrated Indonesian textile artist, Josephine ‘Obin’ Komara.

The fan will be take pride of place in the hotel’s new lobby when Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta re-opens in October of this year.

The fan has a beautiful black wooden frame and finely carved sticks. The red background is the colour traditionally used for celebrations and auspicious occasions, symbolising joy and good luck – particularly in the East. The gold ties in beautifully with Mandarin Oriental’s logo, while jasmine flowers were chosen as the fan motif. Symbolising pureness, exoticism and a sense of ceremony and beauty, jasmine flowers or melati are abundant and widely prized in Indonesia.

The well-recognised fan logo, the symbol of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, was launched in 1985. Designed by Pentagram, a design house based in London and New York, it is representative of the group’s luxurious and elegant image, and yet still reflective of each hotel’s local charm.

Andrew Abram, General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta, says, “We wanted the hotel’s individual fan to embody a distinct sense of place, and to be emblematic of the local environment, and we are delighted with the result.”

“I have a passion for working with local fabrics, and truly enjoyed being involved in this special project with the team at Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta. I look forward to seeing the fan in situ in the newly renovated hotel,” said Josephine ‘Obin’ Komara.

The Group’s fan symbol is deemed the perfect logo – a classic, simple design that denotes elegance, luxury and comfort. It is a symbol that not only serves to connect each hotel to the group, but in turn each Mandarin Oriental hotel is also inextricably linked to its own unique fan. 
 
About Josephine ‘Obin’ Komara
In the late 1970s, Obin decided to breathe new life into Indonesia’s declining handmade cloth industry and began making cloth with the assistance of a handful of local spinners and weavers.

In 1986 she opened BIN house, the first textile shop of its kind in Jakarta. Numerous textile exhibitions soon followed, both in Japan and in Indonesia. In addition to cloth making, Obin has also participated in international forums and workshops on textile making.