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View all search resultsGlobe-trotting muralist captures public imagination, one wall at a time
His murals may adorn walls around the world, but the Balinese muralist isn’t seeking fame.
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oing simply by the moniker “Wild Drawing” or WD, the artist’s murals have adorned walls in cities across Europe, Asia and North America. He has also been invited to a number of prominent art festivals. His peers, both here and abroad, revel in and revere his captivating esthetics, while volumes of titles on street art praise his fresh take on centuries-old mythology.
Yet, the 30-something muralist comes across as someone oblivious to his many accomplishments.
He speaks slowly in soft tones, with a courteous demeanor to match, and while he did provide his real name, his subsequent request shows that personal fame is not what he’s after on his artistic journey.
"Please, do not use my real name or a photograph of my face in the story," he asked, adding that it had nothing to do with creating or maintaining some kind of mystique.
"I want people to pay attention to my work and the messages embedded in them. The work is more important than my name, my face or my personal life," said WD.
Instead, he decided to be known by the pseudonym Wild Drawing, and the Instagram handle @wd_wilddrawing. Friends and fans simply call him "WD", pronounced “weh-deh” as in the phonetic Indonesian alphabet.
Going by a pseudonym in the vein of renowned street artist and activist Banksy also has a practical advantage. It gives him anonymity so he can freely enter cities and regions where street art is still viewed as nothing more than vandalism – a “charge” more commonly laid against its progenitor, graffiti. After all, he has had his fair share of brushes with the law.
