Am I a person dreaming of being a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of being human?



Born in Jakarta, Indonesia; I am of Indonesian/Dutch/Chinese/Middle Eastern descent. English is not my first language, although I like to think I am quite fluent in it. I also speak basic Japanese, and obviously, Indonesian.

I would describe myself as an artist of multiple trades. My fields include illustration, photography, photo retouching, make-up application, cosmetic formulation, fashion and jewelry design, language, writing, singing, cooking, whatever strikes my fancy.

The setting for my photographs, especially my self-portraits, are incredibly simple. I shoot in my bedroom using a hybrid point-and-shoot, with standard desk lamps as light source. I do not own an SLR camera as of yet, although I am planning on getting one eventually. I take a lot of self-portraits not due to vanity, but because I feel that it's easier to convey my ideas through myself. However, I am completely capable of working with models and professional equipments.

As for drawings, I sketch by hand and use mainly Adobe Photoshop and a mouse to color. I have never owned a tablet. I can hardly hand-ink my drawings anymore because of two chronic muscoskeletal problems on my dominant hand. At the moment I am awaiting surgery to fix them.

I am always creating something, and I love every moment of it. There is something about the process of turning my imagination into reality that makes me feel alive. Needless to say, I am an idealistic artist. Outside of the creative process, however, I tend to be rather pragmatic and often cynical.

I currently live between Indonesia and Australia, although I really wish to be able to settle in one place and call it my "home" once and for all.

I am married to ~Raine-Oni, and we are working hard to accomplish that goal.