Work in progress: Renata Owen captures her fantasy-driven imagination to create vibrant artwork.

Created with a splash of bright colors, artist Renata Owen'€™s vibrant pieces convey a fantastical universe inhabited by curious characters.

An eclectic appropriation of what goes through an artist'€™s mind, Renata Owen'€™s art is sweeping through the art-illustration scene, commanding attention for being playful and daring, with just a touch of ethnic-styled shapes thrown in for good measure.

'€œI like to see beautiful things with detailed ornaments and intricate shapes that don'€™t really exist in everyday life, or in our era,'€ says the Surabaya-based artist.

Though she says she only '€œdraws what she sees'€, the fantastical elements of her drawing suggests an imaginative mind. She speaks of the '€œflowers, girls in pretty dresses and hair pieces, beautiful birds, butterflies and other flying creatures'€ that '€œpour out of [her] mind'€.

'€œIf I had to categorize my visual style onto an era, it would be something in between art nouveau and psychedelia.'€

Before she enrolled to study Visual Communication Design, not having formally studied drawing in her younger years, Renata'€™s skill came through her relationship with the local comic art community.

'€œI have always been the kid who loves to draw. People around me know this well. I always had with me a coloring pencil set, stationery, or any drawing tools '€” the kind that you often get as a Christmas present. It was just a hobby, I never went to any kind of formal drawing course,'€ she says.

Her fate changed when, in high school, she bought a copy of a local art magazine, which had a drawing by Italian designer-artist Simone Legno as its cover.

The drawing was in Legno'€™s characteristic Tokidoki style, and it would firmly establish the kind of vibrant busy quality that Renata still adheres to.

'€œI instantly fell in love with it. I think Tokidoki was my first significant influence before I went to university. There, I was taught about visual art, graphic design and other things; but I knew that illustration was the one I wanted to focus on'€.

Happy by Renata Owen

Renata'€™s inspiration comes from different things, she says, but what always manages to set the mood is music.

'€œI am really inspired by music; the melody and especially the lyrics. I love how beautiful words can be arranged into song lyrics, poetry and quotes. My mood is created mostly by a song or a playlist I'€™ve made. I always create a playlist for different projects I am working on to help me find the right mood. I find it easy to portray images in my head while listening to music that matches the theme of the project or artwork I'€™m doing.'€

Like many of her peers, Renata does not need a particularly tidy space to work.

'€œI prefer a neat and clean space but, trust me, you'€™ll always find my desk messy. I can'€™t keep it tidy, I just don'€™t know how. Sometimes it'€™s easier to find things on a messy desk,'€ she half-jokes.

But for now, Renata is preparing to release her first illustrated-book, Dru and Tale of the Five Kingdoms whose story was written by author Clara Ng. The book will be released worldwide sometime this year '€” something that Renata realizes is very significant.

'€œYou could say that I'€™m currently busy preparing for one of the biggest events of my life.'€

River Gods by Renata Owen

'€” Photos courtesy of Renata Owen