When discussing abstract art, some people might mention the name Affandi. However, besides Affandi, there are still many Indonesian artists who work in the field of abstract art. One of them is Precilia Meirisa. Icha, her nickname, is currently exploring abstract art through Pajang Art. There, he also shared his knowledge with the public through workshops so that interest in art continued to increase.
Actually, Icha's background is not from the arts field. If we go back four years, he was an office employee at a fintech in Indonesia. However, Icha's interest in art has emerged since 2016. Office work is increasingly busy and the demand for fast-paced work means she has to find a way to live a balanced life. The choice then fell on watercolor painting.
From there, the woman who now lives in Bangkok began studying fine arts autodidactically. He explored various painting techniques, such as acrylic painting on canvas to testing mixed media on canvas. This journey ultimately made Icha label herself as a self-taught artist.
In the process, Icha takes inspiration from simple things that not many people are aware of. For example, from cloud patterns, rocks on the side of the road, leaves decorating the terrace of the house, or even insects that sometimes pass before our eyes. For Icha, what the Almighty created made him increasingly aware of how vast the field of art is.
After several years of studying watercolor painting, Icha then became a freelance painting teacher at an art institution. It was there that his first painting was successfully sold.
This experience then led Icha to establish Pajang Art. This is a means for him to express his love for art. Pajang Art displays Icha's paintings which are abstract and dominated by pastel colors. Through Pajang Art, Icha started selling her art and custom paintings to the public.
With the establishment of Pajang Art, Icha became increasingly aware that in the midst of all the busyness, people need a place to return to, one of which is art. Therefore, apart from presenting aesthetics in various works, Icha also shares knowledge by holding workshops on learning to make beautiful abstract paintings with nature as inspiration. One example is an experiment to create an abstract shape from a butterfly.
Throughout his work with Pajang Art, Icha admitted that his experience participating in Arisan Karya Volume I of the Macan Museum in 2020 was the most memorable. Because at that time he had never participated in a similar event. Unexpectedly, he managed to escape and be included in the list of artists along with his idol artists.
Now Icha is raising Pajang Art full time. Even though he hasn't struggled too much with selling his work, Icha is focused on strengthening his identity as an artist.
This new experience also made Icha develop further in terms of skills and connections. Even though not everyone may see it, for Icha the most important thing is to know how far the progress she has experienced is "Small progress is still a progress," is her principle.
Apart from painting, Icha is also interested in fiber art. It is an art related to threads, such as embroidery, punch needle art, and so on. In fact, Icha even held a kind of workshop for punch needle art for the public.
Several years of grappling with the creative world have made Icha's view of this field quite positive. According to him, in Indonesia more and more people are interested in taking part in various art workshops. Therefore, the opportunity to develop and create is also greater.
Even though Icha currently lives in Bangkok, occasionally she returns to Jakarta to take care of business. Even in Bangkok, he felt happy because there were many art galleries. There are also quite a few people who appreciate art. This then became an opportunity for Icha to continue to develop by trying to enter and get to know various art communities there. The hope is that he can quickly work in the White Elephant Country.
Of all the things she has experienced, Icha underlines the importance of having the courage to try. Without courage, a person will not be able to make many things happen. They also won't know the extent of their abilities.
"It doesn't matter if other people don't know the progress we have made, the important thing is that we know that our skills are better than yesterday. Small growth is still growth. "Don't be afraid to explore various media and styles," Icha advised.