Lately, my friend Cynthia and I have been obsessed with Wingstop—which you might have picked up on if you've seen my instagram. They have the best chicken wings in town! Cynthia's favourite flavour is the Garlic Parmesan, while mine is the Lemon Pepper. Every Wednesday they have the buy one get one promotion and we almost always saunter off to the nearest branch to get in on this offer. It's not exactly cheap, though, so I really need to cut back before I end up broke due to some excess chicken wings. These photos, by the way, were taken on one of those Wingstop dates that we tend to have these days. It just so happens to be located in such an architecturally gorgeous setting, that it would seem silly not to take advantage. Unfortunately, I'm still not comfortable with sharing exactly where it is—because I know people will sooner flock out here otherwise. I'll tell you this, though: it's an office building, so people don't usually come here solely for eating and taking photos. Needless to say, people were staring at us the whole time.
We don't know what we were trying to accomplish with this shot LOL
Thrifted shirt // swapped pinafore with Divina // old purse + socks // MKS shoes // "Hi!" pin by Klara // "Hands" pin by Adinda Muflihah // photos by Cynthia
Oops! New clothing item alert! I'm proud of myself for not purchasing any new addition to my wardrobe since my Book of Deer purchase in January. But when my friend Divina said she was selling her clothes, I quickly asked to see her items before she put them up for sale. Then my eyes landed on this pinafore and my heart was captured. At first, I was going to pay for it, but, instead, we decided to swap this piece with a book of mine that she's wanted to read. This pinafore turns out to be thinner than I thought, but the material is rather silky and nice. The checkered pattern also adds a subtle quirky detail to the item, which is essential for me. The back is pretty much the same as the front, with a button on top—and a little hole for room. Lastly, the elastic waistband really helps me feel comfortable after gorging down all those chicken wings. Always nice to have a piece like that, am I right?
P.S:I apologise for my messy hair, the wind was just too much to handle!
As part of my 23 Before 24 List, I've resolved to read one non-fiction each month. I feel like at this age, it's time I start gathering more knowledge and actually reading things about the real world so as not to get left behind by my peers in terms of general knowledge—because apparently I'm a clueless idiot about anything. Reading non-fictions turns out to be one hell of a ride. It's opened wider doors for me, learning about all these things I didn't know before—or never really cared to get to know—and getting some perspective from various people's point-of-view on the world and everything within it. So here is the recap of all the non-fictions I've read in the last year.
It was one afternoon when I decided to check out the campus library that I stumbled upon this book. Fashion has always been a subject which intrigues me—hence this blog (ha!)—and I thought it was high time I actually read up on its history. It definitely shed some light on how consumerism and fast fashion came into being. It is truly fascinating to learn how the way we dress evolves throughout the ages—and how much of that has to do with the cultural and economical changes. I also got to know several prominent fashion figures, such as Delaunay, Schiaparelli and Rei Kawakubo—besides the household names like Chanel, Balenciaga and Ralph Lauren—and how they came to be so famous. It is a little glimpse into how the fashion industry turned into what we know today. This is like a little trip down memory lane of when I used to study Art History.
Since puberty hit—or maybe towards the end of it, I think—my sister has had this book hanging on the bookshelf. It's always been quite uninteresting and a taboo for me, because of its "vulgar" cover—according to 15-year-old me. The book really talks about the sex culture within the young adult community in the US. It really gave me a lot of insights on what dating looks like halfway around the world, which is very different from my circles of friendship. It baffles and shocks me how casually—yet personally—teenagers think and talk about sex and sexual activities. What's more shocking is how terrible the effects are towards their faith in love and their trust in people. It really explains a lot why articles like this one seems to pop up more often on the internet. Though this book is written quite some time ago and in a different part of the world, I cannot fully dispute that these things don't happen around here now. The book is very eye-opening and not at all written in a lecturing kind of way, which is refreshing.
This book was given to me by Ms. Sancaya Rini. It was published by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Indonesia and is not for sale—so, if you want to read it, I'll lend it to you. She had two copies and said I could have one of them. Ms. Rini's love for traditional Indonesian craft, dip-dyeing and nature really rubs off on me, otherwise I wouldn't've read this book. It talks about the definition of ikat weaving, different patterns usually used in ikat weaving and what each region's specialties are. It beautifully explains the history and culture behind each ikat—i.e. the traditional functions of each pattern and form. This book is written in English, because it was meant to be handed out to foreigners who want to learn about the Indonesian culture.
When we were little, my sister and I—and our cousin—were obsessed with horses. We would go to the mountains to go horseback riding every other weekend and fantasise about buying one for ourselves. It was only natural that we bought several books about horses (yes, I said several). This one talks specifically about the breeds of horses around the world. For an encyclopaedia, it is relatively light (in weight) and thin. It starts off talking the history of horses and then off to talk about the different breeds of horses—plus, how to identify them, their strengths and weaknesses and how the breed came to be. Though I can't say I'm a horse expert now, it really gave me an insight on all types of horses. The one I instantly fell in love with was Camargue. They're just too elegant!
Towards the end of middle school or the beginning of high school, I was suddenly all pumped up about being more environmentally friendly. I purchased several books on the subject to get me going. This book was one of those purchases. Back then, however, housework and beauty products were of little concern to me (if not none), so I couldn't make myself read past the first few pages of the book. Years later, with a fresh new perspective, this book proved to be useful for me. It gives me several insights about toxic chemical substance in beauty and cleaning products. It's really opened my eyes to really look into the things I put in and on my body. Though the writing style is a little bit fickle for me—and several other people, according to the reviews—and I read that the writer might have gotten several things wrong, it was the first step into living a greener lifestyle.
The first time I found out about this book was through the pages of a fashion magazine. I think it was Nylon or something. The title alone really intrigued me, but the fact that it was written by a guy is actually worth applauding, I thought. The cover finally captured my heart, though when I found it at the bookstore, I was quite perplexed by how much thinner than expected it was. Soon after I bought it, I dove straight away into this book. The first impression I had of it was rather nice; I like that the author outright said that it was meant to be an argument/conversation, instead of a fixed set of rules. His words made it a lot easier for me to reject parts of what he had to say—which was a little double standard, I'm afraid. My initial intention in reading this book was to find out a man's point-of-view on the subject, so I guess I got what I wanted.
The only reason I even considered to read this book was because I panicked that we were running out of non-fictions for me to read. To be fair, when I read the title, I thought it was going to talk about how to stop procrastinating—boy, was I wrong. Though, after reading it to the very end, I could see the point this book is trying to deliver. Mainly, it really tells us to appreciate the present more and stop looking back to the past or worrying so much about the future. There is only now, the only time in our life that we can truly control. I love how it is written like a FAQ page of a website, making it so much easier and the less boring to read. That being said, I don't fully agree with this book—which, I think, is a healthy way of reading such books. By the way, it delighted me to know that Will Darbyshire read it too.
It was only natural that a non-fiction roll means reading a memoir at some point. This book in particular has been sitting on my shelf for years now. I think my sister bought it because it was one of the books chosen in Oprah's Book Club in 2005. I tried reading it several times already, but couldn't get past the first couple pages. The unusual writing style as well as strong language really put teenager me off. However, now with a bit more of life experience in me, this book actually becomes an intriguing and meaningful read. It holds the story of the author's struggle to sober up from the vast amount of drugs and alcohol abuse he put himself through for many years. Though, now after a bit of digging, I found out that parts of this book has been fictionalised, so I don't know if it's even right to call it a non-fiction. That being said, this book really taught me a lot—despite the embellishments and alterations, which seems minor to me. It still tells the feelings of the author and what he went through, whether or not it's wholly true.
When I was little, I remember watching The Diary of Anne Frank and being on the brink of tears. The pain and suffering haunted me for weeks; I can't believe a little girl had to go through all that. I think my Dad was the one who bought this book and kept it for many years afterwards. I dove into this book, thinking it would be anything like the film. If you have the same notion, I would advise you not to read this book. I didn't really like it much, to be honest. Because, just as the title says, this is actually nothing but a diary of a young girl—which might as well be the 1940s female-written version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, if he were living in confined spaces to hide from the Nazis. I think I probably would've enjoyed it when I was fourteen or so, but now it really doesn't impress me in any way. She rarely talks about the war—unless from a distance—and mostly talks about teenage problems, which any teenager in any era could relate to. Please keep that in mind before you read it.
I've been hearing good things about this book from Estée Lalonde and other sources. When I purchased this book secondhand and put it up on instagram, many people responded endearingly toward this book—and Mindy in general. Truth be told, I never followed Mindy's career. I never watched The Office, I'm not following The Mindy Project and knows virtually nothing about American comedy. Just like the other books in this list, I think you need to be a certain kind of people or in a certain stage of your life to enjoy this book. There are some parts of the book that really resonated with me, particularly the chapter with the same title as the book. But, for the most part, I think you need to either follow Mindy's career or understand the strange world that is SNL and American comedy to truly enjoy the whole of this book. I was just lost in most of the self-referential comedy that she uses. In the end, I gave this book away to my friend Divina.
Well, lookie here! A book about politics; who would've thought? If you'd asked me five years ago if I would ever read a book about politics, I most likely would've scoffed or spat at you. When I was still in Kassel, though, my roommate Adit used to talk to me a lot about the 1990s and several conspiracy theories that I don't remember ever learning from history books. Adit likes to watch tons of documentaries too, and that intrigued me. When I was staying at my grandparents' in August, I was bored because I finished my Mindy Kaling book on the train trip there and I brought nothing else. After a bit of rummaging about, I found this book among my Mom's old belongings. It turns out, this book was borrowed from a friend of hers—and now she'll never get it back. The book really went into the many concerning aspects of Soeharto's 30-year presidency. It's a really tough—and long—book to read, taking me around 4 weeks to finish, but I really learnt a lot. Now I'm feeling a little bit anxious about this nation, because I still see traces of foul play from the New Order.
The title alone was enough to intrigue me, but then I read the back of the book and I was instantly hooked! Though, to be honest, I only recognise the Memoirs of a Geisha reference. It's always been a tremendous wonder for me, how mystical the East seems to the West. With artistic movements, such as Mooi Indie and Gauguin's exoticism—plus, the Chinoiserie influence to the baroque and rococo period—I can't help but to wonder of what the Occidentals think of us. At first glance, I thought the book was going to reveal the mistakes Western writers often make in writing about Asia—as is the case with Memoirs of a Geisha, which is hugely rejected by the country of origin, Japan. But it warms my heart to see there were indeed writers who were born and/or raised in Asian countries, thus knowing our culture by heart and soul (as opposed to seeing it as a mere object of fantasy). This book really opens my eyes and mind to the East-West relationship and now I'm intrigued to read all the books mentioned within.
So those are the 12 non-fiction books that I've read this past year. I'm sorry if it was a little tl;dr for you, but I hope you would at least read one review that intrigues you the most. Reading non-fiction has been really eye-opening and refreshing for me. I'd like to think I've grown up a bit after reading these incredible books—though some of them were a bit of a let down. While fiction may be a great source of comfort and entertainment, some things are just better to read out front, without the need to decipher the meaning behind each prosaic code. Since this year I have two reading challenges, this was as many as I can read, I'm afraid. Speaking of which, please check out the video below on my Reading Diversely tag. It's an awesome reading tag that I encourage everyone else to do too! Enjoy!
Well, hello there, artsy folks! How are you doing? Hope you're well 'cause I've got some great news: it's time for another edition of Illustrators Arise! Woohoo! In case you're unfamiliar with it, Illustrators Arise is where I introduce my favourite illustrators from all over the world every month through an interview so you guys can read along and get to know them too. This year has been all about showcasing Indonesia's best illustrators and we continue with an illustrator who has an apt for making adorable creatures. Give it up for Lorenzo Matthew! I first stumbled upon his works on Catalyst Art Market in November last year, where he was selling his adorable pillows and other merchandise. Ever since then, I've always been intrigued by his ability to create such adorable creatures and design characters. Lorenzo now lives in Jakarta, where he is in constant search for music to accompany his creative process and loves to listen to other people's stories. Without further adieu, here is Lorenzo!
Hi, Lorenzo! Let's begin with wen you started drawing and when you decided to become an illustrator!
Since I was little, my Mother likes to register me into colouring competitions. Then I decided to become an illustrator, I believe, only since around 2011 when I failed to get into IPDN (National Government Institute) and manoeuvred to Communication Design, which just happens to be my interest.
Did you enrol to an art school? What did you learn there, which isn't related to art and design?
Yes, I enrolled to Universitas Media Nusantara (UMN), taking the Visual Communication Design major in 2011 with specialty in animation. Something that isn't related to art and design, hmm? Learning about art and design in UMN requires a lot of practice and teamwork. So, when it comes to something unrelated to art and design, it was probably the teamwork—learning to bounce ideas off each other, appreciating others' works and cooperating with one another. There were also a lot of presentations, so we were forced to learn how to perform in front of many people as well as showcase our work.
What kind of materials do you usually use?
I usually sketch using pencil (and often with erasers as well), continuing digitally with Photoshop and Style Vector. Manually, I like to work with watercolour.
You have an apt for creating adorable creatures or cute versions of actual living creatures. What usually inspires you to do this?
Haha thank you! I've been into character designing since my university years for animation assignments. As for inspiration, they usually come from character design or concept art books that I was reading at the moment.
Aside from 2D illustrations, you seem to like creating 3D pieces of your characters as well sometimes. Sometimes I also stumble upon the name Black Mavis. Is that your toy label?
When I was still in uni, I studied animation—which means learning 3D and sculpting as well. Now, before I make my characters into 3D, I have to design the front, side and back look of the characters—sometimes even the view from below, if needed—but the sculptures are actually done by my friend Wili. Blackmavis is a collectible toy project created by me, Peter Chung and Wili. Here my duty is to become the illustrator for the characters.
Speaking of which, Black Mavis recently launched a new toy called KARRI that you designed. It is later on customised by various illustrators/artists, right? How did you come up with this idea?
Now I came up with this idea (haha). So in the art toy world, usually toy designers ask other toy artists to customise their toys. Another character example by Blackmavis is ShockED. ShockED was customised by 9 toy artists. Meanwhile, I decided to give KARRI to various artists as a new media for them to explore. Because the concept for KARRI is a creature who likes to explore the art toy world, I wanted various artists to explore the art toy world as well.
Oh I see. What a splendid idea! What was the process like?
First, I gave the artists the presentation file, which consists of invitation to collaborate, the concept and design process for KARRI, photos of the 2D and final product—in white colour, the mechanism and timeline for collaboration.
After the artists agreed, I asked for their address and sent them the original, white KARRI. The artists are free to modify the form, colour it, etc. After the artists finished, they sent it back with their names, description of their work, the selling price (which they also determine) plus the commission for Blackmavis. For the artists who do not want to sell their KARRI, we give it as a personal collection to the artist. Next, Blackmavis's job is to exhibit the works and sell them.
According to your portfolio, it seems you also have experience in the game design area with releasing Uga Goo mobile game. What kind of game is it and what was the process like for you?
Well, that game was an assignment for uni to be included in two competitions. It's a basic game, because it was also the first time I created a game. The process started with learning the basic software to create games, because I was not experienced in IT as well. Now, with barely adequate knowledge, my team and I made a game not unlike Mario Bros, where Uga went on an adventure to find Goo. For the game and animation assets, we made use of the programming knowledge that we have. A bit stressful because we had to think about the logic behind the physics and storyline of the game. Animation had to also be prepared according to the physics. That's about it, I guess, but it was a ton of fun, would love to do it again sometime.
What does the future look like for Lorenzo Matthew?
More consistent in producing artwork, more productive and collaborate with many people.
If an amateur illustrator comes to you for advice, what would you tell him/her?
Keep learning the basics, such as composition, perspective, lighting, anatomy, etc. Enjoy the process, collaborate as much as you can and always stay humble.
A little note from me
The first noticeable thing about Lorenzo's work is his ability to create such adorable characters, especially the various types of dogs that he sells as plushies. His skill actually lies on his ability to design these characters thoroughly, giving them life more than just looks. Through his instagram, anyone can clearly see his passion and interest in toy designing, which is perfect for his creatures. I love how he uses different colour palettes, playing with playful, cheerful shades to accompany his playful, cheerful characters. There is a certain whimsy with how he create his illustrations and design, which makes the viewer thinks his characters have a world of their own. Not just the aesthetics of his works, but his generosity ripples throughout his pieces. He is a true evidence that collaboration develops you, not corrupt you. You can see the various ways in which he stays true to his nature in his teamwork with others and doesn't shy away from supporting others at what they do.
P.S: Just in case Lidia Puspita is reading this, he wants me to tell you he wants to collab with you :')
October started with bang when Edwin, Wilson, Ratri and I hung out at Kota Tua, which is the old town part of Jakarta. Ratri has just come home from Germany once again and it called for a chance to catch up and have good fun. As we were all sick of malls—and, frankly, thought we had no money for it—we decided to go museum-hopping. Because I had a cousin's wedding to attend in the morning, I had to come later. They caught me trying to take a picture of myself. The good fun starts now! We went to Museum Keramik (Ceramic Museum), which is the only museum in the area that I had yet the pleasure to visit. The day was so hot, we had to duck into a nearby coffee shop for a few hours afterwards. It was a good chance to update each other on our lives. God, how much I miss this! Night starts to roll in, the square gets even more crowded and the heat is long gone. We went on a quest for kerak telor, enjoyed our meal on the staircase and shared our woes and laughter. But the night had to end sometime and life goes on—till we meet again.
Hand-me-down batik dress + hair band // old tights + purse // thrifted sandals // photos by Edwin
If you guys are wondering why I'm wearing such an impractical getup to go museum-hopping, it's solely because of the wedding earlier that day. Otherwise, I would most definitely have worn something more to my comfort. This was already picked to be more fitting for the afternoon's event too! Funny thing is, I wore this dress once on the blog before, and because I gained some weight and all, it looks different on me now—though I actually prefer the way it fits me now. The fact that it's still comfortable on me now—several kilograms later—makes me wonder if it indeed belongs to my sister. On another note, Edwin, Wilson and I now kind of pose as a tour guide of Jakarta of sorts, it seems, delivering different activity packages every time—mall with Ratri, karaoke with Iva, hotpot with Dity and Iva and now museum-hopping. I can't wait for the next friend to come home from Germany. Next time, we'll take him/her to go swimming!
P.S: Sorry for my messy hair...feel free to ignore it
All Hallows' Eve! I just can't wait to snap a shot of my costume this year. Halloween in Indonesia isn't particularly big. Let's just say, it's an event for the rich and prosper, but the poor and homeless ain't got no interest in it. It's not part of our culture, it's not part of our tradition. So the majority of the nation really couldn't care less. I love Halloween, though. I get to dress up and pretend to be someone else—though most of the time I'm not going anywhere, anyway. All I really want to do is trick-or-treat, but—let's face it!—I'm too old for that thingamajig now. What are you guys going to be for Halloween?
Currently reading...
Romancing the East by Jerry Hopkins. After one painfully long month of finishing my last book, it's finally time to refresh my mind from all the politics and economy to read more on culture and literature. This feels like the kind of book one can read with a cup of warm tea in a gloomy afternoon. It really reveals the poppycock and outrageous exaggeration of many Westerners' depiction of the Orient—the controversy and scandal behind Memoirs of a Geisha, for one, which has enraged the Japanese. The first chapter and already Indonesia makes an appearance. This is going to be good!
Currently watching...
君の名は (Your Name). The. Best. Makoto Shinkai. EVER! If you like terrific storylines (with a bit of comedy and drama), unbelievable graphics, top-notch music and amazing characterisation, this is the animated film for you. If you enjoyed 5 Centimetres per Second, you will LOVE this, I kid you not! It's probably the only movie by Shinkai so far, which has a solid plot, lively set of characters and tremendous execution. He definitely checked all the boxes this time. Love the character designs by Masayoshi Tanaka too—I thought it looked familiar! This movie definitely made me feel all the emotions; I laughed, cried and squealed throughout the scenes. This movie completely ruined me.
Currently listening...
RADWIMPS, who sings and composes the entire soundtrack for the movie mentioned above. Yes, I am obsessed with the songs and music in the soundtrack album. I put them in my phone and play them over and over and over again during commute. In fact, the first few weeks after watching the film, I like to play it on my laptop to accompany my work and blogging—simply because I can't imagine listening to or watching anything else. All the tracks tend to make me want to sob, but later on, after I've moved on a bit, I could listen to them with glee. My favourites are 前前前世 (Zenzenzense) and 夢灯籠 (Yumetourou), for the songs, and, for the music, the デート (Date) and かたわれ時 (Kataware Doki).
Thinking about...
catching up with my 23 Before 24 list and making the new 24 Before 25 list! I'm super excited about accomplishing new goals, which will, hopefully, shape me into a better person. If you don't know, my birthday is coming up next month and it's always been both an exhilarating and dreaded day every year—without fail. This year, I'd really like to make a change about how I see my birthday and what I expect from it. I'd like it to be a tremendous day—if not the best day—of my year, no matter what happens. Maybe it's time I really take action to determine the kind of birthday to have. Firu's family has a nice concept of not celebrating birthdays, and I'm starting to wish I was raised that way.
Doodling with ink // first time trying out #meatlessmonday // visiting Firu's family // Eid al-Adha mubarak! // new phone: the OnePlus One c/o Firu // the wingstop obsession is real // my friend Divina got married! // photographer on duty at a campus event // dinner date with my brother, sister and her boyfriend
