Photography by Hakim Satriyo
Narya Abhimata
Narya enjoys experimenting with things that are familiar, things that are foreign, preferring subjects that are imperfect, raw and unpolished – feeding his insatiable appetite for strange and unconventional beauty. Narya’s ingenuity are mostly taken from the fragments of his own dreams, pieces of history as well as the sensibility of his Indonesian heritage. With his keen eye and vast imagination, he translates his ideas into engaging, often surreal imagery. To sum up his work in three words : bold, gritty and whimsical.
--
1. Tell us what do you do?
I’m a visual artist. I mostly do fashion photography and films nowadays.
2. Why do you choose to do what you do?
It was quite a long trip. I started out as a graphic designer, then went on to try my hands on jewellery design which was quite successful, then I tried to be a street artist once — that did not work too well because as an illustrator myself, I prefer drawing on traditional surfaces instead of walls. Then at one moment I told myself I need to pause and think about what I really want to do and also to be able to pay my bills. I have so many interests but one clearly stands out, which is fashion and creating beautiful images. So I went travelling and learning, both locally and overseas, and here I am today, happily home, doing what I know I do best. The journey was quite organic in the most sporadic way possible, but now I am content … though I still do a lot of different things on the side, I can’t help it if I have a very hyperactive mind.
3. Do you have any muse? If yes, who and why?
My muse changes so many times. I could get inspired by different people at the same time, but right now I’m into Banks. I think she’s really awesome, her music and artistry really connects with me on so many levels. I haven’t felt the same way about music for quite a long time. I would totally hang out with her and have late night conversations about absolutely everything … over a bottle of wine, of course.
4. As a creative artist, you can choose your clients. Why did you choose to work with NIKICIO?
It was natural, because when Nina described about the project I instantly connect because we were going to work around this ‘local’ theme which is ‘Kenduri’. I am very proud and quite sensible of my Indonesian heritage so I said yes with absolutely no hesitations. We have been interested to work with each other for quite some time, but all have been only talks and none come to fruition until ‘Kenduri’ came into the picture. It was the perfect project for us.
5. Tell us what’s Kenduri means to you
A celebration of everything, big or small. Life is worth celebrating.
6. What’s next for Narya Abhimata?
I tend to follow my intuition, and I feel like next year is going to be a very important and huge ‘Kenduri’ for me. Fingers crossed.