What happens if an artist changes direction? In fact, this is not something impossible, especially for Debbie Tea. Over the years he has been involved in the world of photography, it could be said that his achievements are beyond doubt, and have even been recognized on the world stage. In 2013, when he completed his education at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Netherlands, he was chosen to be one of the talents in the New Dutch Photography Talent so he had the opportunity to participate in various photography exhibitions. His photos have also appeared in several publications, such as WERK x COMME des GARÇONS (Singapore) and Eloquence Magazine (South Korea). In fact, one of Debbie's photos, “Sputnik Sweetheart,” won the Asia Creative Award by ACN Japan in 2015.
Even so, when he returned from the Netherlands he felt shocked by reality. Debbie seemed to have found a dead end when continuing to pursue photography. Apart from that, the demands of his parents also haunted him, he was asked to be able to produce something that was more valuable in material terms.
This struggle in her mind ultimately led Debbie to find a new career path. In 2015 he launched a brand for his illustrated products, Pantainanas. This name has its own philosophy for Debbie. When people heard it, he wanted to remind them of the land of the gods, Bali, with its summer atmosphere. Indeed, at that time Debbie decided to move to Bali from Jakarta to be able to concentrate more and find various inspirations.
His move to Bali was the right decision. Living far away from his family and the various pressures that exist in Jakarta gave him a lot of self-confidence. Many of the people she met there appreciated the art that Debbie produced. For him, this is an important foundation for someone who is building a brand.
In the process, Debbie tries to make the illustrations look easy. She developed a genderless art label aimed at combining her love of graphics with clean lines and simple patterns. Most of his works don't have much detail or color or depth. Apart from that, the illustrations are also a bit flat and look minimal. The ideas or content can also be somewhat abstract.
It all reflects Debbie personally and her daily life situations. He usually does not do something he is not familiar with or something that feels "far away", unless required by necessity.
The effortless impression that Debbie is trying to create is so that the results of her work look easy and pleasing to the eye. He didn't want to give an intimidating feeling.
Therefore, in each of her works, Debbie likes a playful-interactive approach.
So, how does Debbie introduce her illustrations to the public?
In her interview with the Jakarta Post , Debbie initially uploaded the results of her illustrations to Instagram. Without using the sponsor feature, his work received a good reception, starting from the number of "likes", followers, and also orders from various groups. People emailed and messaged Debbie, asking if she opened art commissions or produced certain merchandise .
From this trip, according to Debbie, Pantainanas has become her new home. It has shifted the satisfaction he used to get from photography. Seeing his creations used by people gives him feelings of pride and joy. It was at that point that he felt he could be of use to other people. His work is not only pleasing to the eye, but also has other uses. Apart from giving her an advantage in terms of income, this condition also convinced Debbie that she was on the right career path.
So, isn't Debbie's journey with her Pantainanas interesting? Are you finding yourself stuck in the field you are pursuing? If so, Debbie's journey can give you inspiration that when experiencing that moment, the key is to continue to innovate in creating work. The changes you might make could be the key to opening the door to other, more interesting careers.