by Larasya Nayenggita
One afternoon, near the setting sun, I met a young female artist. A friend that was born with a name of KARA ANDARINI or Kara for short. Aged 22 years old, likes adventure and do things random such as watching Family Guy TV series at night, accompanied by a cup of hot tea surrounded by the cold weather of the Flower City; we had a talk about her creative process.
Hey Kara! What are your days filled with nowadays?
Hey there! I am currently busy thinking about my final project, but mostly spent thinking and planning on what to do after graduating, hahaha!
Not busy walking around? I heard that you like to go backpacking.
I really like to travel, but so far I’ve only backpacked to Jogja. There’s one time I went hitch hike to Pantai Baron, I almost stuck there ‘cause there is no transportations to go home at all. So fun! Haha
Getting lost during backpacking makes it even more fun!
Hahaha, of course! That is where the challenge starts. I also like to have an afternoon walk or got into a train from Bandung – Jakarta. I like to observe the changes that happen from the atmosphere of Bandung, which are mostly greeneries to the very crowded and polluted of Jakarta.
Oh, really?
Ihh! (Hitting the interviewer, but kidding)
Would you prefer to stay in Jakarta or Bandung after you graduate?
I think I will stay in Bandung. The atmosphere supports me to make art.
Walrus, sea creatures, organic shapes, I can see you have a very tight connection to the nature. Is it a personal experience or just a form of appreciation?
Both. When I was a kid, my dad introduces me to the nature. I remember, every Saturday and Sunday, my dad often asks my sister, my mom and I to go to Puncak. Going through the pine trees and hiking (then I found Kara in silence, thinking back to her childhood memories and smiled) ya, maybe those influence my admiration to nature. And I think, the most beautiful shape and color is created by God, from nature.
What about Alam “mbah dukun”?
Oh my, Alam “mbah dukun” would be the dangdut groupies’ problem. Speaking about Alam “mbah dukun”, how is he nowadays? Haha!
I think he turned into a surgeon. Oh, what about that little kid that I often found around your artworks? Who is she?
That little kid is a metaphor of little me that tries to deals with her fear of loneliness and awkwardness.
Since when do you realize you like to draw?
I think since elementary school. I like to do colorings in coloring books, using crayons that the packaging has Pak Tino Sidin picture on it, hahaha!
Wow, you’re good in coloring! I can’t even wear proper lipstick
Haha it’s okay! I can’t even wear lipstick huhuhu, very shy.
Yay, same as me! Oh, can you please tell me how did you get into interior design before?
I used to be interested in anything related to home decorating and that sort of stuff. Since I was a kid, I like to read my dad’s books about buildings, houses and interiors.
But?
After I went into FSRD ITB, on the first year you got a chance to learn everything, and explore art in general. So I found myself interested in art and felt that it suits me best as compare to design faculty.
What activities that helps you in making art?
I went through a lot of National Geographic (magazine and TV shows), and looking back to biology books during High School. Also the activities of ‘right-click’ and ‘open-new-tab’ the whole day also inspired me. That’s the privilege to live nowadays where everything is easy and instant, hahaha!
Can you list the artists that inspired you a lot?
Conrad Roset, Egon Schiele, Ay Tjoe Christine, Fuco Ueda, Daniel Egneus, Agus Suwage and sketches of biologists or naturalists like Ernest Harckl and Charles Darwin.
Lastly; golden, pearl and diamond words?
“Success is a journey, not a destination.” And “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” - Neale Donald Walsch
