Hi, I’m Nadya, a full-time graphic designer at an online news outlet based in Jakarta, and freelance illustrator who is open for all visual works! I illustrate artworks, merchandise, comics, product designs, murals—you name it. I also work for some editorial illustrations in my office. I like listening to other’s conversations while working, it boosts my hand to draw. But no, don’t you dare touch me if I am cooking something from scratch. I’m a wife of a writer so our home is filled with paint & books. Recently I learned to cook Indonesian food with so many spices & herbs. And—oh, I’m expecting this year! Yay!

Depok is a large suburban, crowded city & suitable for living in the neighbourhood. Located near the capital city, Depok has its own communities, especially art. We got public spaces for murals, our mayor usually has activities for local muralists. I grew up with the city, seeing its development until it became one of the big cities in Indonesia. Majority of Depok’s population is adherent to Islam. And it has so many shopping centers; malls, malls, malls everywhere!

Since it’s the suburbs, Depok got so many green colors a.k.a TREES! In such a tropical country, trees really help me to breathe. I didn’t say I hate the sun but hey, living in around 103.1 °F (highest record in Indonesia so far: 104 °F) EVERYDAY could make your head spin like a wheel, and you can’t concentrate on your activities, and so on. I love breezy places, and trees make it real.

Worst part, traffic jams. We Indonesians believe in this: you work in the capital (Jakarta), you live in suburbs (Depok, Bekasi, Tangerang, etc.), and it really causes traffic jams especially after office hours. (Psst, I read along some Indonesian, Jakarta-based artists’ interviews in this page & almost everyone talked about this traffic jam haha)

Yes, especially my husband. He’s been my ‘art director’, though he’s a writer but he could stimulate my imagination through his story/opinion on my work brief. Both of us worked in creative industries which most Indonesians still underestimated for being a settled job choice. Fortunately, we’ve got included in some local creative scenes so we’re both happy feeling supported by our friends.

Solo exhibitions, merchandise store, my own illustrated books, to have a riso machine—everything I want is to make people happy by seeing my works. But the recipe for making good art is to be satisfied with your own art first, right? 😉

Tbh I really suck at collaborating with other visual artists—I’ll destroy their arts absolutely haha but hey I love it when musicians, writers, or other artists come to me to support their works.

MOOD! I’ll start working if my mood’s working, too. My working speed is so sloow it’ll give you a headache for waiting for its results, but when my mood (+caffeine +sugar rush) strikes, girl, I can show you the world, shining shimmering splendid…

Strong, tough, educated, with feminist beliefs, I had my own luck surrounded by them. Most of my friends are active in women’s rights movements.

I didn’t get influenced much, but I had one person that affected my drawing spirit. There’s one aunt who painted so much when I visited her house. She did realism just for a hobby. 10-year-old me was amazed seeing her paintings, so big, colorful, and looked so real. I wanna be her, I said in my mind. She gave me coloring sheets when my family decided to go again—we had been on our trip to Lombok & just spent a night in her house in Malang). Maybe it wasn’t a turning point for me to become an illustrator but it got warm spots deep in my heart when remembering the starters.

Depends on my mood that day. I could listen to music with soft, calming, unique tunes, like bossa nova (never tired of listening to Gilberto), the next day I listen to Ariana Grande or some Indonesian pop. Count pop-rock bands like Panic! At The Disco, too, because I grew up with them.

I like dimsum! I’ll go to Haka Dimsum in Kemang, Jakarta, and spend so much money in there haha

My drawings, in mural forms, is on a 19 meter (62.3 ft) ceiling that has a 6 meters (19.7 ft) height. With a tight deadline & schedule, dangerous spot, I couldn’t do it all alone so I hired artisans to help me. That moment was when I had realised as an artist I must have other skills when other people/third parties are included.

Foot! Mouth ulcer is my frenemy, if I had one I couldn’t draw at all!