Indonesian illustrator on her creative partnerships
A Day in the Life is a series by F&M where we invite fashion practitioners to share a day in their life.
Nindita Kirana.
Nindita Kirana is a Jakarta-based visual artist and illustrator. Her illustrations are made with delicate lines and populated by whimsical characters. She works largely with Indonesian brands, translating her drawings across a range of mediums. Her collaborations include Corkcicle Indonesia and MOTE Atelier, as well as Saff & Co. and Ayu Larasati Ceramics. In this edition of A Day in the Life, Nindita shares her recent collaborations and the sketches where each one begins.
Corkcicle Studio Vol. 01: A City of Constellations with Nindita Kirana. Image by Nindita Kirana. Image courtesy of Nindita Kirana.
For the first volume of Corkcicle Studio Indonesia, I was invited to look upward and reinterpret the twelve signs of the zodiac through my own visual language: delicate lines, raw details, and wonderfully whimsical characters. It is available for engraving exclusively at Corkcicle Plaza Senayan, Jakarta, Indonesia.
MOTE Atelier X Nindita Kirana, A Woman of Her Own, Kebaya Rework Service. Photos by Nindita Kirana. Image courtesy of Nindita Kirana.
For its inaugural collaboration, I partnered with MOTE Atelier to present A Woman of Her Own, inspired by the enduring spirit of R.A. Kartini. At the heart of the collaboration is a Kebaya Rework Service, bringing the collection’s narrative into a personal, wearable form.
Nindita’s working space. Image courtesy of Nindita Kirana.
My workspace tends to resemble a busy kitchen—always a bit chaotic while I am in the middle of a project. I like having my tools scattered within arm’s reach, ready to be picked up like instruments as I create. I know when to use the right medium, but I also love experimenting with new tools and techniques. Once the project is done, though, I clean up and reset.
Everyday sketches on paper. Image courtesy of Nindita Kirana.
Not everyone knows that my final illustrations always begin this way — drawn on scraps, torn sheets, rolled paper or sketchbook pages. The lines I make on paper feel remarkably raw, and that is what I love about them. Paper allows me to translate my thoughts with total honesty and track how my line work evolves over time, observing the intimate dance between thought and the movement of my hand.
Live drawing on a ceramic coaster before firing. Collaboration with Ayu Larasati Ceramics & Folly. Image courtesy of Nindita Kirana.
This is a special collaboration with Ayu Larasati Ceramics and Folly. It brings together three distinct perspectives: a ceramic artist, an illustrator, and a cafe. Born from this synergy was an exclusive ceramic and coaster workshop inspired by the theme “Mossy Rocks in the Sun”.
Follow Nindita on Instagram at @ninditakirana for more of her work.
About the writer
Nindita Kirana is a visual artist and illustrator from Jakarta who loves telling stories through lines and spontaneity. Her whimsical works are often inspired by self-discovery, magical tales and nature. Her work has been published by Corkcicle Indonesia, Saff & Co., MOTE Atelier, Afgan’s Retrospektif album and more. Partnering with prominent local brands in Indonesia, she translates her visual narratives across a wide range of mediums.