CV

Dinakumis Lestari

Actually my real name is Dina Lestari, but ever since i try to search myself with this "Google almighty" what i found is hundreds of "Dina Lestari" name list that none of them mention about me, sometime i complained to my mom & dad for naming me with a common name. My closest family, my friends and my husband called me kumis (Mustache), this unbalance hormones at least giving me one benefit, i have a specific character to describe about myself . Since Junior highschool my friends called me "Dinakumis" and so does on high school and university i've been called "Dinakumis", it's like my familiar name, so do not hesitate or be afraid to call me by that name. i am proud of being myself.

I was born in Jakarta, December 25, 1982, I’ve born from a Javanese family but knows nothing about Java, I’ve been raised as an urban habitants. I was graduated from Universitas Negeri Jakarta on 2008, Now I learn fine arts on Pascasarjana ISI Yogyakarta. I lived and work in Yogyakarta. I works as an illustrator, storyboard artist and cartoonist. I teaches fine arts on several educational degrees.

Most of my work addresses the question of identity conflicts, my journey started a few years ago.

The period of womanhood conception (2006-2008):
When I am fighting for the conception of womanhood, i believe in equality between man & woman, i fight for it and i expressed it through my work but then i realize that some woman feels comfortable with their subordinate position, some woman thinks that silence is a power to control, some woman thinks their double burden as domestic housewife is a form of their dedication to their family. Well, maybe that makes them happy. I cannot blame them for their comprehension, we can fight and try to stand for other woman but then in the end we choose our own path, we free to decide. So then I understand that there is equality when we can put ourselves in that position. My understanding led me to a conclusion, I am not the right person to raise the issue of discrimination, because I feel that discrimination does not happen to me. What i have to do is to convince the marginalized women to fight for their rights, and put ourselves on the same level with others. My work from 2006-2008 mostly talking about womanhood conception using symbolic metaphor, the medium i use is acrylic and beads collage on canvas, my brush stroke was influenced by traditional pangosekan Balinese painting style, i combine it with sparkling beads collage and soft spray of airbrush techniques.

The period of hibernation (2008-2010)
This period of time is very frustrating and depressing, I lost a lot of time just to live the demands of urban life, I turned into metropolis robots whose lives are ruled by time and money, I really missed the smell of wet paint and the texture of the canvas, I miss wild ideas filled my head. I miss the process of nurturing ideas and creating artwork. So these days of darkness, I was not human, i was alienated from humanity, people are just too busy looking for money, they look very individualistic, even friends look like stranger to me. in the end of 2010 finally i make only one work, my process of finding the lost fragment between spaces at least give me one thing, a contemplation of finding myself on the metropolitan city.

The period of cultural confusion (2011-2012)
at the end of 2010 is the beginning of re-inventing myself, mid-2011 I get a chance to go to Yogyakarta, according to my parents it was the place where my ancestor (from my mom) came from. it was a great opportunity for me to continue my masters studies in ISI Yogyakarta, at the same time it's an opportunity to find answers about my cultural confusion. i remember on my period of womanhood conception, i make one painting that questioning about my Javanese cultural heritage, i was confuse of who i am, as a person with Javanese bloodline why i don't understand about Java at all, about Javanese woman, Javanese patriarchy concept, Philosophy, etc. So then on 2011 i make 3 works that represented my question about culture itself, and the conclusion that i got is that i am standing nowhere surpass from Java and modern culture, i realize that i am alienated, i am alien.

The period of extraterrestrial (2012)
In the beginning of 2012 i realize that all this time the figure of alien was always appear on some of my work,  i remember mid-2011 i plan to make an alien costume for "sehari boleh gila" day at PPS ISI Yogyakarta, but ultimately failed because I was too idealistic, I tried to sew it by my own and it doesn't fit me so i wear santa claus costume, and i remember that on the period of cultural confusion i create one painting that describe a metamorphosis of Javanese woman into modern woman into alien, to be honest i don't like the visual result but i like the way i explain myself through this figure. And i remember one night on 1985 on petukangan, Jakarta Selatan when i was a child me and my sister saw something amazing in front of our yard, we saw two small robots with colorful blinking lights outside of our window and we still remember it untill now. Some people say that we were dreaming, we were imagining too much, but what we see is what we believe. Well i don't want to force people with what we believe, what i know since that time the figure of alien and ufo became important to us and it inspire me in many of my work. not in the context alien as an alien but it more personal. i choose alien as my cultural identity conflict as an urban people. i don't know why i feel free to express myself with this figure, i feel it so me and i don't care anymore if people thinks i'm crazy or delusional, the most important thing is that i become more honest with my work. i become more playful, i just want people to enjoy my work with any interpretation they can think of. So here i am standing on my extraordinary territory, extraterrestrial. that's all for now.. to be continued..

Awards

1997    : - Favorite winner Museum and Historical object drawing competition for Junior High School,
                Depdikbud.
 2002    : - Best Work Of art Model Drawing Competition, Rupa Rupi Teater Besar UNJ
               - The Winner of Pin Up Comic Poster Competition, Galeri Nasional Indonesia
               - The Winner Of T-Shirt Painting Competition, Galeri Nasional Indonesia
2003    : -  Favorite winner of JAMBORE ART FESTIVAL 2003, Mural Competition
2004    : -  The Winner Of  Painting With Collage Technique Competition, Galeri Nasional Indonesia

Exhibition References:
2000    Pameran “Lukisan untuk kemanusiaan” peresmian habibie center, JHCC
2001    Pameran “Grafis kayu pertama”, Galeri UNJ
2002    Pameran  “Pin UP Komik”, Galeri Nasional Indonesia.
            Pameran “Rewind art”, Teater Besar UNJ
2004    Pameran “Lukis Seni Rupa Dalam Media Pembelajaran” Galeri Nasional  Indonesia
            Pameran “Kramikus Muda Indonesia” Galeri Nasional Indonesia
2005    Pameran “Tiga Kota”, Bandung, Jakarta & Yogyakarta
            Pameran “Instalasi Rewind Art 48 jam Tektokisme”, Pendopo UNJ
2008    Pameran “Sekit’art”, Anjungan Jawa Barat. TMII Jakarta.
2012    Pameran Deka exi[s], “Addict & contradict” UPT Galeri ISI Yogyakarta.
2012    Pameran “Works on Paper”, Aswara Gallery, Malaysia.
2012    Pameran Deka exi[s], “Candu-Canda”, Museum H.Widayat, Magelang.
2012    Pameran instalasi FKY “Sarang Burung” Kandang menjangan, Krapyak. Yogyakarta.
2012    Pameran  Daging tumbuh “Just Because I Love You” Via-via traveler’s Café, Yogyakarta
2012    Pameran radikal bebas, “SOEMPAH PEMUDA” Situs Kriya Jogja National Museum, Yogyakarta
2012    Pameran Daging tumbuh “Mubal Generation” LIR artspace, Yogyakarta
2012    Pameran Radikal Bebas “Pahlawanku Tidak Kesiangan” Asdrafi Artspace, Yogyakarta
2012    Pameran Kolaborasi “Zona Futuristik” Independent Art-Space & Management, Yogyakarta