Havoc and Bright Lights

These entire year and six months has been an entire roller-coaster ride for me. I get in a long queue; preparing on every little inches of risks I'll make, and thinking about how I can manage to do all of this things in a jiff. Then, as the ride starts to move, dozens of thoughts and regrets came to my mind as I say, "Oh no, what have I done?" followed by a humongous BAM! (or insert any other sound effects you may find amusing). Life turns around and around and hits me on the stomach, or perhaps every inches of my body.

Life in Southern Jakarta: Seek-a-Seek Graphic Design Festival

It's been a month since I live far away from home (technically, it's just 37-ish kilometres from Tangerang, but think about the traffic jams and many other unexpected things in the road). It was hard at first, living a totally different lifestyle than my usual campus-home life, but I actually made this far!

Anyway, lots of things happened in a month during my life in the Southern Jakarta. From experiencing Uber for the very first time, ordering foods with Gojek (you should be surprised that I never use this super effective way to get food back in Tangerang), impromptu visits to some unexpected places, and many other things! One of the most interesting things was (and still) being a part of the biggest Graphic Design Festival in Indonesia held by Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace, the place where I'm curretly having my internship in: Seek-a-Seek!

Seek-a-Seek is a graphic design event that features around 70 graphic designers, from graphic houses to independent graphic designers in an amazing, breathtaking, exhibition. The exhibition itself covers up a lot of aspects in graphic design, from typography, editorial, print medias, branding, and also multimedia. Various workshops were also held for the first three days of the event. If you decide to linger around longer (like I did) you can enjoy some live performances. And oh, did I told you that you can purchase some goods at the art market?

I was in the documentation team when the exhibition's opening was on, so I would love to share some of the photos that I took. I was so surprised that a lot of people are very enthusiastic with this event about graphic design. I love on how graphic design is practically everywhere in our daily life. From, our favourite chocolate milk packaging, the giant billboard we saw everyday, the signages that took us to the toilet, until the little brochure that people gave us while we're having a walk.

I was here last two weeks ago with some of my friends, who were currently also on their internship in the other graphic houses in the Southern Jakarta. It was so exciting to meet a lot of new people and also expert graphic designers in this event. This place is a giant melting pot for us to interact and networking with each other within the same field in graphic design.

All of the participants in this festival came from the graphic design background. Those eye candies in the art market were made specially by graphic designers. Man, I could buy all of the products because they're just too beautiful and well-made!

It was a completely new experience for me to attend and be a part of this festive celebration of graphic design. This also pump me to be more and more passionate in my graphic design, which is what I'll be doing for the rest of my life! For those who missed it, don't worry! The exhibition is still open until the next Sunday! Feel free to come and visit the exhibition in Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace; open from 9 AM to 6 PM! 

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Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace

Jl. Kemang Selatan no. 99A

Jakarta Selatan

Featured Exhibitors:

Ampersand • Another Design Company • Artnivora • Ayang Cempaka • BD+A • Brownfox • Butawarna • Cecil Mariani • Design Lab • Detego • Digital Nativ • DM ID (WIR Group) • Each Other Company • Edo & Edo • Emir Hakim Design • Eva Winata • Feat Studio • Fresh Creative • Fullfill • Furyco • Gema Semesta • Graphichapter • Gumpita Rahayu • Halfnot • Hanny Kardinata • Idea Buzz Asia • Inkara Brand • Irfan Hendrian • Ismaya Design Lab • JED Creative • Jordan Marzuki • Kotasis • KYUB Design • LeBoYe • Majalah Tempo • MakkiMakki • Makna Creative • Maksimedia • Maria Putri • Mata Design • Mendiola Wiryawan • Monoponik • Noote Netoo • Nusae • Octo Design • Omnicreativora • Panji Krishna • Paperwork • Paprieka • PoLa Artistry • POT Branding • PTT Family • Ramanda Hadi • Ritchie Ned Hansel • Rubicube • Sanrok Studio • Studio Satu Collective • Sciencewerk • Sita Subijakto - Headline • Studio 1212 • Studio Kudos • Studio Minor • SUNVisual • Swargaloka • Table Six • Thinking Form • Thinking*Room • Tre Design • Vaith Design • Vincent & Nana • Visious Studio • Visual Cast • Wanara Studio • Way Kambas • WHIR • Whitespace

Semester 7, Checked!

Four months of thesis-writing and stay at home weekends, checked!

Visual studies on A2 papers made in a month, checked!

Thesis defense number one, checked!

Time for year-end holiday, for sure.

September Higlights

#1: Bucket List Checked - Having my artwork displayed in an exhibition outside my uni.

This is a simple artwork I submitted for ISI Yogyakarta's biennially event, Diskomfest. This year's theme is about Future Food. The inspiration came from how we see social media as a facility where we can find where to eat next and it goes on and on until it became a lifestyle nowadays. 

The event itself was so exciting. It is interesting that the event took place in a market. I never seen or attend an art event in a market before. 

#2: No more student council... and being a committee in campus activities.

Au Revoir, Academic division and HMDKV! 

Thank you for the amazing year and glad to have you all as a team.

#3: Initiating a new business.

My two friends and I finally (have the guts) to open for business, which is still, related to graphic design, illustration, photography, and videography.

Yes, since we're open to business, don't hesitate to email us: hello.eurekadesign@gmail.com

#4: Finally choosing a topic for my final uni project.

Too fast, isn't it? I can't believe I will have my first concept presentation for final project by the end of the year. There will be also massive paper writing and revisions for this semester.

And yes, I will do a (big) illustration project for my final. Wish me luck!

Sixth Semester

Hello! It's finally August, and we know what it means: Another two weeks semester break! After spending most of my times in front of my laptop, tweaking on the three musketeers (that infamous Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and inDesign), I finally had the time to shut my eyes for a bit and loosen up the tense I had for the past months.

So, for this time, I would like to share a bit about semester 6 recap and some projects that I've made. Basically, this semester is a little bit easier than the previous semester, thanks to the group works in every each of the subject. I got some of the best people to work with, so they really help me through the semester. Another interesting thing for this semester is I can finally pick subjects for electives. I decided to pick painting lesson this semester because it is an interesting subject and it's been a long time since I made my last painting. Time to awake those need-to-paint sense inside of me!

For the elective, I made 5 paintings from many art movements; realism, abstract expressionism, cubism, and dadaism. By the end of the semester, the final will be an exhibition, showcasing some of the curated works of students. I had the chance to be the part of committee and be the one who design the publication and then finding the name of the exhibition. So, for this exhibition, I named it MERAKI, which is a beautiful Greek word that means "to do something with soul, creativity, or love and to put something of yourself into what you're doing". It perfectly matches with paintings, because, yes, paintings are made with soul, creativity, or love and you put yourself into it. Thanks to a fabulous blog named otherwordly for providing me some beautiful words to use (and Valen for introducing me to this kind of world!).

The exhibition was held during the finals week, which is last week, from 3rd until 7th August. A total of thirty works are displayed for the exhibition. I contributed 3 of my works for the exhibition, which were a dadaism, cubism, and absract expressionism works.

For my dadaism entry, I made a painting about racism in Indonesia, especially based on my own experience. Basically, it's about how I feel about racism, which is somehow... captivating, as pictured literally in the painting. For cubism, I've made a visual of my number one inspiration in everything: my study spot and books. The theme is about how I describe myself. Books always my number one thing to describe me, eh? Lastly, is an abstract expressionism painting I made while listening a song. For this one, I listened to a Moonrise Kingdom soundtrack titled: Simple Symphony, Op. 4 - 2. Playful Pizzicato.

Introducing the crews: Valerie Wirjaatmadja - Adi Djohan - Claudia Novreica - Evan Wijaya - our two models Marcella Febrianne and Ferdie Sundjoyo - and last but not least the photographer Kevin Geraldo.

Studio is always been my major subject for every semester. For this semester, it's a long term project about making advertisings and visual strategies for Waterbom, a well-known waterpark in Jakarta. We made everything from the scratch, and then it goes to research, brainstorming, making the concept, and finally the execution. There are of course, sleepless nights during the process, but we really enjoy making this. 

Our Waterbom project will be available to check out soon on my Behance and Kreavi account.

Introducing the crews: Valencia Ng - Valerie Wirjaatmadja - Claudia Novreica 

And... This one's a project for publication design final, which is making a whole magazine. I'm saying whole means there are a lot of things to make, literally. We made a graphic standard manual, the magazine itself, and a digital publication version of the magazine. This is one of the most overwhelming projects that we've got this semester, but finally, we finally finished them.

Our MILES magazine project will be soon available at my Behance and Kreavi account.

Introducing the crews: Valerie Wirjaatmadja - Claudia Novreica - Evan Wijaya

This one's a project for design management. We are given an opportunity to do the marketing strategy for any Indonesian brand that are in need for it. So, we choose Lion Air, an Indonesian flight company for it. This project is somehow interesting, because we're given the opportunity to do just the same as a professional graphic designers do, such as setting the price that the client should pay and do our pitching in front of the client.

The project will be soon available at my Behance and Kreavi account.

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Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy reading as much as I writing it. Have a nice day. See you soon.

Take a Deep Breath and Relax. At Least for a While.

For illustrative purpose only.

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Hello! Captain's here! How are you doing? Sorry for neglecting this blog for a quite of long time, but here I am trying to write something or at least saying hi (even though I doubt: Do people still reading my blog due of my lack of updates? Haha.)

I just finished my fifth semester of my study and I am in a complete exhaustion and lack of sleep just because I spent almost my whole week to finish my final assignments in order to pass for the next semester. Basically, it all went well, I supposedly to passed all of my semester five classes. BUT, I started to doubt my capability to make something good, or at least, something that has my heart in it. So, I would say that: I don't ace this semester. Maybe it's just me or I'm too tired? Or maybe even being in my comfort zone for quite a long time? 

Well, time will tell, I guess. I will have two weeks of semester break (yes people, two weeks) for some bit of refreshment. I'll try to catching up on this blog, maybe write something worthy enough.

Happy holiday to myself. Finally some time to sleep more. And play. And whatever.

Farewell, Professor!

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Wednesday, 11th March 2015. We, designers, were shocked and in a total devastation to hear about one of our inspirations' passing, Prof. Drs. Yongky Safanayong, in the age of 64 years old. The professor had been ill for several months.

Pak Yongky was my studio lecturer when I was in my third semester. Although he often being absent in his lecture due to his illness, he taught me a lot of important and valuable lessons, not only about design, but also about life. One of the most remarkable lessons I learned from him is to always endeavor and learn something new, with no age limitation. I remember he always said to us while teaching that he always wanted to learn more about calligraphy in the future, regardless the time that maybe he had. Well. He's such a hard worker.

He's one of many people in this world that I really adore. I am very lucky to know him personally, and learned lots of things from his own experience. Here's a message from Pak Yongky in an interview for all designers. This successfully made me broke in tears. 

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Rest in peace, Pak Yongky. Until we meet again.

"We shouldn't look for stability. We must keep on going and growing until the day we die."

-Yongky Safanayong

The Perks of Being a Visual Communication Design Student

An old illustration of mine back in 2013. This was used for a T-Shirt design competition held in my campus. Pretty much describing a visual communication student, right?

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1. There are TOO MUCH ways to express your creativity. Feeling down? You can always start to take your pencil and sketch. Trying to persuade people? Make visual medias. 
2. Being a night owl is not a big deal, because you're getting used to it... Or maybe a big deal because tomorrow is the deadline.
3. Whimsical tastes on almost everything. Because being mainstream is not really good for your designs.
4. You will find yourself staring on good designs. And of course, being constantly bugged with bad designs.
5. You will read more than ever. Trust me this is true.
6. People will constantly tease you because you always draw. But don't you ever worry because your "they-said-nonsense" drawings make money. Kaching.
7. Improved time management skills. There are lots of things to do and you better keep it on track, dude.
8. Sometimes your works are even more famous than yourself, because this. Thing. Happened. To. Me. Twice. Or. More. Duh.
9. There are lots of new words and vocabularies to brag on. Let me give you an example: It's no longer font. It's typeface.
10. You will forced to be a lot more productive. 
11. You will understand and laugh at designers and art students jokes around the internet. And relate them to your life.
12. And... No matter how tired we are as a visual communication student, we always proud being one!

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Credit:

Thanks to Valencia Ng for asking this question via ask.fm!

I Love Doing What I'm Doing

I should have write more here.

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The night before I had my orientation day, I asked my mom for some advices for being a university student. I can't sleep because my head and all over body was a catastrophe. Butterflies flew in my stomach. My heart skips a beat like hummingbirds. My head was a mixture of overwhelming fears and relief. My mom told me to just go on, because she believes that I have chosen the right path of my journey, and I'll love to walk every step of it. She believes I will enjoy every works that I'll do even the hardest ones. 

She was right.

A year has passed and I love doing what I'm doing.

Things I May Have Missed