The Urban Scarecrow

Category: Apparel

The Urban Scarecrow tackles the socio-economic and environmental decline of conventional Indonesian agriculture. Currently, the country is confronted with a dual dilemma due to the yearly loss of as much as 70,000 hectares of productive farmland to urban development, which is exacerbated by a youth migration in which almost 90% of farmers' offspring decline to take over the land.In this situation, the conventional scarecrow has been transformed. It no longer serves to safeguard crops from threats but now acts as a psychological deterrent that pushes the youth away from uncertain rural poverty and towards the tangible opportunities of urban life. The scarecrow has turned into an empty symbol for a missing labor force. I chose this inspiration to highlight a silent crisis endangering our national agricultural framework and cultural legacy. It is essential to view the scarecrow not merely as a historical countryside object but instead as a pressing reflection of a divided society. With this idea, I aim to highlight the loss of our agricultural identity and the vacant lands that remain. I aim to stir a feeling of yearning for the peaceful fields we are departing, calling to mind the human efforts that have nourished us through the years and motivating us to cherish their narratives before the terrain becomes entirely hushed.