Get to Know "Nona Kecil OOTD" by Nengiren
Inspiration for creative work can come from anywhere, including the everyday items that surround us—furniture, clothing, and daily accessories. Simple objects can ignite creativity, resulting in artworks that are warm and intimately connected to daily life. This is demonstrated by Irene Saputra, better known as Nengiren, an artist who has long been involved in hand embroidery and illustration. Her work, titled "Nona Kecil OOTD" [English: Little Miss’s OOTD], is a diary of her outfits, each holding stories of her life's journey. Sitting down with Grafis Masa Kini, Nengiren shared the story behind this piece and how she rediscovered her passion for embroidery.
"Nona Kecil OOTD" first emerged in 2018 as a visual exploration of everyday clothing. Nengiren depicts this collection through small characters created using hand embroidery on canvas. These little ladies not only showcase outfits for various seasons but also present personal, emotional stories. For Nengiren, each piece of clothing has its own tale, which she now brings back to life in her work. "The stories are not just collections for the four seasons, but they are personal and emotional narratives between them," Nengiren explained. After a four-year hiatus to focus on motherhood, Nengiren felt like she was welcoming back an old friend when she created "Nona Kecil OOTD, Koleksi Musim Menyapa Kembali" [English Little Miss’s OOTD, the Reacquainting Season Collection], marking a new beginning in her artistic journey. During this process, Nengiren delved into memories stored in clothes long unworn. "This inspiration comes from my daily life adapting to my new role as a mother," she revealed. "The stories of long-stored clothing now greet threads, canvases, needles, and sketches waiting to be brought to life again."
“Nona Kecil OOTD” is created using hand embroidery on an 80 x 48 cm canvas. This sizable piece presented a unique challenge for Nengiren, especially since it had to be done manually. "The challenge is the large size of the work, done manually, and within a limited time, while also playing the role of a mother," the artist shared. Overcoming these challenges, Nengiren proves she can balance her roles as a mother and an empowered artist. The creation process for “Nona Kecil OOTD” took about 2.5 months, beginning with planning, ideas, sketches, and color matching before the execution began. Each little lady in the collection took about four hours to complete. Nengiren worked on her piece amidst her daily routines with her child, whether during naptime or in her me-time on weekends.
In terms of meaning, "Nona Kecil OOTD" reflects Nengiren's personal journey. This work is her effort to reconnect with her artistic practice. "There is deep joy and satisfaction in feeling the rhythm and creative process that I had long left untouched," she expressed. Through this piece, Nengiren wants to reconnect with various aspects that may have been long forgotten in her life. "Greeting once again the old clothing collections neatly stored in the wardrobe due to the pandemic. Greeting the colorful and patterned outdoor clothing; matching or not, style is what matters. Greeting again the large-sized pants and making peace with them as they now feel small-sized. Greeting the warmth of outerwear, sweaters, blazers; now even being in an air-conditioned room can make you catch a cold," she explained. More than that, this work also speaks about reconnecting with oneself—a tribute to the memories engraved in the clothes we wear and how they can symbolize life's journey.
As a visual artist, Nengiren has long played with embroidery techniques. For her, embroidery itself is a significant emotional journey. Nengiren's interest in embroidery began when she was in elementary school, when her grandmother taught her how to embroider for a school project. "My encounter with embroidery occurred when I was in elementary school, through a school project making a flower-embroidered tablecloth. My grandmother taught and accompanied me in completing the project," she recalled. However, her love for embroidery truly blossomed around 2014, when she began exploring the world of illustration. At that time, she found a box of threads and embroidery tools belonging to her mother, who happened to run a sewing business. Her curiosity and childhood memories resurfaced, prompting her to try applying embroidery techniques to her illustrations. "When one piece was finished, there was a drive to keep going, obsessed with creating more embroidery pieces again and again," Nengiren said.
For Nengiren, creating with both hands provides a sentimental and calming experience. Embroidery becomes a reflective and meditative activity for her. "The repetitive movements, listening to each needle prick and thread pull, ensuring the fabric is not tense and the thread is not slack," she explained. This process often becomes a moment for Nengiren to connect more deeply with herself and her artistic practice.
