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Whimsical, imaginative and filled with an equal amount of childlike glee and young adult melancholy.

Lidia Puspita Dulam’s artworks feature the kind of instant visual gratification that even those not accustomed to appreciating art will find delight in.

The artworks serve up an extroverted sense of adventure and colorfulness that betrays its creator’s introverted nature. This is “let the work say it all” at its truest.

“I am not the kind to express things through words, therefore I illustrate. Illustrating is like a ‘remedy’ I give myself so that I can pour out all my moods and all my emotions. Simply by doodling, amazing illustrations come out, and it doesn’t happen when that process is forced,” Lidia says by way of introducing herself.

Inspired by “everyday life, deadlines, music and dreams” Lidia’s penchant for cartoon-and-classic-comic-styled characters was born out of the story books and comics her parents used to buy for her.

Though she took art lessons for a short period of time during her childhood, the 29-year old didn’t push herself until she found out about Esther, a high-school artist who was already an established illustrator who won many drawing competitions and had even been featured in actual magazines. This was a career path Lidia knew she wanted to follow.

Colorful world: Lidia Puspita’s drawings, just like this one titled Her Workspace, features an array of colorful characters living in a brightly-imaginative universe.

“She inspired me to refine my artistic talents,” Lidia recalls.

Lidia’s drawing features a combination of characters — comic-like people, animals and other anthropomorphic beings — colliding in both realistic and unusual surroundings.

Bright, pastel colors adorn the majority of her pieces, even the ones with downcast tones. Think of a combination between Western children’s book illustrations, the cuter side of Japanese manga and realistic portrait-style art.

There’s an element of undeniable cuteness but they never feel overtly sugar-sweet. Instead, the drawings and paintings always present some state of real emotion.

“My inner muse tells me to draw girls — mostly short haired ones — in different kinds of environments. For example, my piece Fruit Day features a picture of a girl sitting in an environment [filled with large fruits] where it could mean things are either sweet, sour or even bitter.

“I also love the world of children as they are colorful, and I also enjoy comics. That is why I always put the two elements into my illustrations,” she explains.

Lidia used to work for a graphic design company, “designing products such as album sleeves, posters and flyers — which has nothing to do with illustrating”. It wasn’t as torturous as she had initially thought it would be. Through it, she discovered that combining her drawing ability with selling merchandise worked out well.

“I find making merchandise designed with my illustrations is so much fun. Last November I took part in an art bazaar called the Catalyst art market for the first time. I sold postcards, art prints, tote bags on which I collaborated with lifestyle brand Enji. I was amazed and happy that many came and bought the products and loved my creations, with some buyers even clearing out my arts.”

imlek

Whimsical, imaginative and filled with an equal amount of childlike glee and young adult melancholy.

Lidia Puspita Dulam'€™s artworks feature the kind of instant visual gratification that even those not accustomed to appreciating art will find delight in.

The artworks serve up an extroverted sense of adventure and colorfulness that betrays its creator'€™s introverted nature. This is '€œlet the work say it all'€ at its truest.

'€œI am not the kind to express things through words, therefore I illustrate. Illustrating is like a '€˜remedy'€™ I give myself so that I can pour out all my moods and all my emotions. Simply by doodling, amazing illustrations come out, and it doesn'€™t happen when that process is forced,'€ Lidia says by way of introducing herself.

Inspired by '€œeveryday life, deadlines, music and dreams'€ Lidia'€™s penchant for cartoon-and-classic-comic-styled characters was born out of the story books and comics her parents used to buy for her.

Though she took art lessons for a short period of time during her childhood, the 29-year old didn'€™t push herself until she found out about Esther, a high-school artist who was already an established illustrator who won many drawing competitions and had even been featured in actual magazines. This was a career path Lidia knew she wanted to follow.

Colorful world: Lidia Puspita'€™s drawings, just like this one titled Her Workspace, features an array of colorful characters living in a brightly-imaginative universe.

'€œShe inspired me to refine my artistic talents,'€ Lidia recalls.

Lidia'€™s drawing features a combination of characters '€” comic-like people, animals and other anthropomorphic beings '€” colliding in both realistic and unusual surroundings.

Bright, pastel colors adorn the majority of her pieces, even the ones with downcast tones. Think of a combination between Western children'€™s book illustrations, the cuter side of Japanese manga and realistic portrait-style art.

There'€™s an element of undeniable cuteness but they never feel overtly sugar-sweet. Instead, the drawings and paintings always present some state of real emotion.

'€œMy inner muse tells me to draw girls '€” mostly short haired ones '€” in different kinds of environments. For example, my piece Fruit Day features a picture of a girl sitting in an environment [filled with large fruits] where it could mean things are either sweet, sour or even bitter.

'€œI also love the world of children as they are colorful, and I also enjoy comics. That is why I always put the two elements into my illustrations,'€ she explains.

Lidia used to work for a graphic design company, '€œdesigning products such as album sleeves, posters and flyers '€” which has nothing to do with illustrating'€. It wasn'€™t as torturous as she had initially thought it would be. Through it, she discovered that combining her drawing ability with selling merchandise worked out well.

'€œI find making merchandise designed with my illustrations is so much fun. Last November I took part in an art bazaar called the Catalyst art market for the first time. I sold postcards, art prints, tote bags on which I collaborated with lifestyle brand Enji. I was amazed and happy that many came and bought the products and loved my creations, with some buyers even clearing out my arts.'€

Family(Courtesy of Lidia Puspita)

The success of the experiment gave Lidia a confidence boost and a clearer path on how she could actually survive off of what was initially a hobby.

'€œI had no confidence in my arts previously, but that event made me very happy,'€ she says.

For Lidia, the goal is to make people feel something when staring at her artwork.

'€œI want others to use their imagination and think when they see my arts. Not only to view them as being '€˜beautiful'€™ or '€˜pretty'€™, but to feel. When they enjoy my art, that is my happiness.'€

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For more on Lidia, visit monyetbuluk.blogspot.co.id