Dhanang Pambayun Putra (http://www.evergrunge.com)
“Stay foolish and hungry.”
Dhanang Pambayun Putra
Focus on: Dhanang Pambayun Putra
- Full name: Dhanang Pambayun Putra
- Studio name: Evergrunge Inc.
- URL: www.evergrunge.com
- Location: Yogyakarta, Indonesia
- Inspiration: Tim Burton, Mati Klarwein, and Indonesian icons Raden Sahid and Ranggawarsita
Project Details
It’s never been totally clear to me how I became an artist and an Adobe Illustrator CS4 software user. Perhaps it is in my blood, because my family really loves the arts. My father liked to create and paint Wayang Kulit, the famous Indonesian shadow puppets we use here for storytelling. From the moment I saw my father’s work, I had a passion to learn how to draw and paint like him.
Personal artwork, 2008. Featured by Slashthree.com, afterlife issue.
When I realized I was destined to become an artist, I moved to Yogyakarta to study graphic design and art. Then I embarked on a journey of discovery to find my niche. After trying jobs as a graphic designer and an animator, I felt restricted as an artist. I moved in a new direction and began generating digital illustrations that express all of my imagination and idealism, and that’s where I am today. I create digital artwork for brands such as Puma, Honda, and Princess Cruises, and have also worked with agencies and publishers including Leo Burnett, RBLM, Ogilvy, EMI Music, Yodi Studio, Digital Arts Magazine, and Computer Arts.
Personal artwork, 2007. Featured by Artvertising Exhibition, Jakarta 2007.
Many people inspire my artwork. I love Tim Burton’s style, because he successfully mixes creepy and funny, horror and happiness—all in one piece. Nor can anyone else equal the surrealism he can create in his movies. Indonesians Raden Sahid and Ranggawarsita are my favorites too. I really love their spiritual ways and see them as guides.
If I get bogged down, I re-establish the creative flow by reading all kinds of books—not just art-related material—watching movies, or surfing the Internet. Or, I shut down and meditate by walking around the town alone to clear my mind. All of these things fuel new sparks of creativity.
Personal artwork, 2008. Featured by Sacred, without mystique exhibition, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
My favorite saying is, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious,” from Albert Einstein. The first time I tried drawing and painting, it wasn’t because I thought I had talent, but because I wanted to try what my father had succeeded in. I always keep my curiosity and passion; it helps me when I feel stuck and boring. My never-ending aim is to learn and reach for something new, which is one reason why I became an Illustrator CS4 software user. My advice to other artists: stay foolish and hungry, never stop learning, and continually set your dreams higher and higher.
