“Keep going and never stop.”

For Surya Aditya Putra, founder of SWEDA, this favorite quote of his has become a mantra, and it has taken him around the world. This summer, it brought him and his team to the National Mall for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, where they showcased traditional Indonesian silver craftsmanship to visitors every day in the Streetwise tent.

SWEDA is a jewelry brand, but its ethos encompasses much more than that. It is a vehicle for sustaining the techniques and artistry of Putra’s elders in Kota Gede, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

“I started the brand because I just love to wear jewelry,” he said. “But at the time, it was hard to find the kind of jewelry I wanted. My hometown is a silver industry city, so I had the idea to make a design, give it to my neighbor, then he made it. I was wearing it every day, and my friends would notice and want it too. I started to think it could be good as a business, but also as a way to continue the silver tradition of my hometown.”

sting on a heat-resistant brick.

The artisans of SWEDA create work that is not just handcrafted and rooted in cultural tradition but also distinctively modern in its aesthetic, blending their heritage with the modern influences of youth subcultures: graffiti, street art, lowrider culture, and more.

“If we want to keep the tradition alive, we have to mix it with modernity,” Putra shared.

When you look at SWEDA’s website or social media channels, you can immediately feel a certain energy—one that is pulsing with the vibrancy of youth, the innovation of street art, the intangible West Coast coolness that many brands dream of achieving but never quite hit the mark. To promote their presence at the Festival, SWEDA collaborated with graphic designer Al Maodudi to create a multi-panel comic strip (an artistic medium often associated with young people) about the step-by-step process that goes into creating one of their pieces of jewelry.

.S. Capitol Building, the Washington Monument, and a small airplane. The rest of the poster is divided into a grid of comic panels, each illustrating a step in the process of creating silver jewelry. The panels detail steps like shaping metal, soldering, cleaning, polishing, and a person wearing the finished jewelry.

Since its founding in 2014, SWEDA has collaborated with celebrities, musicians, artists, brands, and communities across the globe, including U.S. lowrider clubs. For Putra, the most meaningful collaboration to date was their partnership with MotoGP, a global motorcycle racing championship with an annual event in Indonesia that draws massive crowds and attention.

Much of SWEDA’s growth, especially in international markets, has come from fostering mutual artist-to-artist respect.

“When I see people or artists who I love on social media, I’ll just DM them: ‘Hey, I love your work, keep it up, let me know if you want any custom jewelry,’” Putra shared. “They always give me a good response. They often want to pay, but I say, ‘I’m an artist like you. I don’t need money. I just love your work.’ What happens is we end up doing an exchange. They’ll share their logo or art. It’s more a personal relationship, not just business.”

Keeping humanity at the forefront of the work is a throughline in everything SWEDA does. “The first time I came to the United States by myself, I just wanted to feel the energy and learn about the culture,” Putra said. “I met my clients, and now I have what feels like family around the world.”

ay of silver rings is on the table in the foreground.

e peace signs.

Speaking about their participation in the Festival this year, he emphasized how meaningful the relationships and connections have been, both old and new.

“This trip I can bring not only my crew but even my friends from high school,” he shared. “It feels amazing. I love the energy. I love the vibes. We’ve met so many people with different backgrounds.”

“We’ve also got great energy from Cita, who has roots in Java,” he added, celebrating the new relationships that have blossomed from the Festival. Indonesian American artist Cita Sadeli, aka MISS CHELOVE, is based in Washington, D.C., and joined SWEDA in the Streetwise tent both as a presenter and doing live painting throughout the Festival.

In addition to sharing traditional silver craftsmanship with visitors, SWEDA team members Hernawati Tri Budisusanti and Taufik Hidayat took to the stage in the Festival Foodways kitchen to prepare gule, a rich and aromatic stew made with tender meat simmered and infused with spices like turmeric, coriander, and cinnamon in a fragrant coconut milk broth.

The word sweda, from Old Javanese, means “fingers”—a tribute to the artisans who shape each piece by hand. Whether it’s silver pendants or a traditional stew, the artisans of SWEDA are using their hands to shape the future of culture on their own terms.

Grace Bowie is the social media specialist for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.