Seraphina Dominique I.

Just create your own career, You can be Anything You Want

“Just create your own career. You can be anything you want” is the philosophy Seraphina Dominique, alumnus to UPH’s Product Design cohort 2000 holds. Her education in both product design and Politecnico di Milano in 2006 for masters adds to her concept design, decorator, and entrepreneurship skills.

For Seraphina who is now equipped with experience in the design industry, job opportunities in related to design is growing rapidly. “After graduating from design school, one actually did not have to pressure themselves to be a designer. We can also be a visual merchandiser, decorator, and even balloon artists! These entire emerging careers are demanding a lot of design-based graduates. So you can just create your own career. You can be anything you want!” Seraphina says with enthusiasm.

Seraphina is entrusted to work with various clients, including L’oreal Indonesia, Estee Lauder Group, Unilever, and Paragon Indonesia. “My project ranges from event decoration to exhibition booths. And sometimes, art installations too,” she adds.

No wonder that she gains trust for big project, not to mention Nusantara building decoration or ‘Kura-Kura’ building at MPR/DPR complex for Joko Widodo and Ma’aruf Amin’s inauguration as Indonesia’s President and Vice President 2019-2024 period, Sunday October 20th 2019 afternoon. Seraphina admits to be lucky enough to be entrusted by the general secretary of MPR to do this particular project.

Alongside of her partner, Patricia Kantika, under Studio Dekorasi Petite Helper, Seraphina admits that the preparation was done only in a week’s time. “It was Sunday when they contacted us, and then the following Wednesday when we had to be at MPR Building,” she admitted, as quoted from IDNTimes.com.

Jokowi and Ma’aruf Amin’s inauguration theme was archipelago. Therefore, Seraphina and team merged the diverse Indonesian culture into a flower decoration. “We compiled thatch to represent Papua, used Batik to accentuate a few spots, and chose several plants and flowers to represent Indonesia as a whole in different sequence. We just wanted to present something different in this project,” she adds.

Seraphina’s skills are no doubt amazing. Not only did she create flower arrangements, but also an eye-catching instagrammable spot once you entered MPR building. “My aim was to elevate the decoration so that the guests had a memorable night as they arrive for the occasion,” she elaborates.

The main material in Jokowi and Ma’aruf Amin’s inauguration is thousands of locally produced fresh flowers. One of the flower arrangements, in fact, caught everyone’s attention: a huge flower arrangement that has RI 1 and RI 2 on it along the main escalator. Seraphina explained that they used roses as the basic material of different colors dominated by red and white. Underneath those flowers are Kastuba plants as a garden. Other than flowers, there are a lot of leaves involved such as sapodilla leaves, reeds, deer antlers, Papuan ferns and kastuba too. “The leaves add a more festive note to the dominantly red and white color event,” Seraphina adds.

Through her work, she wanted her décor to carry a message of peace and unity in all the diversity. Furthermore, she hopes that Indonesian youth will further be an inspiration for others. “Be a blessing for others!” she exclaimed.