Thursina IIBS Students Wins T-Shirt Design Competition, Highlights Lumajang’s Local Wisdom
Another impressive feat has been accomplished by a student from Thursina International Islamic Boarding School on March 25. Talitha Shafa, an 11th-grade student at Thursina IIBS High School, won first prize in the Direct Transfer Film (DTF) T-Shirt Illustration Design Competition at the Yuwaraja Karya event organized by Ryo Yuwaraja Lumajang Vocational School (SMK).
Amid the busy routine of her junior year, Talitha took advantage of her free time to hone her craft and participate in the competition. For about three weeks, she worked on her t-shirt design, highlighting icons of Lumajang, such as bananas and horses, to promote the Regency.
Talitha chose these icons for specific reasons. The Lumajang Regency is often identified by its icon, Jaran Kencak, a traditional performance art native to the region. Just like its name—Jaran means horses and Kencak means dancing—Jaran Kencak features a dancing horse displaying its agility while wearing colorful Javanese war armor.
Jaran Kencak is typically performed during celebratory events such as weddings or sunatan (the celebration of boys’ circumcision), accompanied by Javanese gamelan or karawitan music.
“This performance art is native to Lumajang and its surrounding region. That’s why I decided to include it in my design,” explained Talitha.
Meanwhile, bananas are one of the main commodities of Lumajang. People can easily find many varieties of bananas throughout the regency, which served as a source of inspiration for Talitha's winning t-shirt design.
“What I also know is that Lumajang generates a significant income from bananas. That’s why I thought it would be interesting to incorporate both icons into my design. Lumajang is even dubbed the Town of Bananas,” she added.
Talitha revealed that she faced several obstacles while working on her design revisions. Due to some incompatible details, she had to redesign it multiple times until she felt it was ready for submission. She also often looked up references online to help her perfect her design.
“After several rounds of revision, I submitted the design and presented it in front of the judges. I really didn’t expect to be the main winner,” she noted.
In the end, Talitha secured first place with her design. She was awarded a trophy, certificate, and a generous amount of training funds. According to Talitha, she developed her t-shirt design skills through a batik painting extracurricular she did in during elementary school and by participating in visual arts competitions such as painting and calligraphy.
Looking ahead, Talitha encouraged her peers at Thursina IIBS to keep working hard and to make the most of their free time, such as by participating in competitions. “Just because it’s our final years at school doesn’t mean it’s the end of everything; we must still strive for achievements anytime and anywhere,” she concluded.