Celebrating Developments of the Creative Industry with Jakarta Doodle Fest
Located at M Bloc Space, Jakarta Doodle Fest (JDF) is a celebratory conjuncture of the creative industry, especially that of the visual arts, JDF was held by The Finery Report (TFR), an online media outlet with a focus on highlighting the many developments of the creative industry in Indonesia and globally. Not just an exhibition, JDF also presented a variety of artworks and talks. The array of activities at JDF also strived to highlight a wide scope of visual art, from physical products to intellectual property.
Representative from TFR and JDF, Christine Laifa, explained that the reason why TFR chose to hold an event focusing on visual art for their first ever program is because this is the segment with the closest ties to the media outlet’s audience. “If you look at the community around TFR, a majority hail from the segments of visual communication design, illustration, animation, comics, and many of them already have their own products or brand so that with the support of that community, we hope that JDF can become a showcasing juncture for visual arts creators to introduce their works to the general public,” Christine elaborated.

“Well, visual art is the umbrella right? Under it sits graphic design, illustration, animations, fine arts, and the likes. From a technical perspective, all of these need the same basic skills,” Christine noted. “Illustration needs graphic design to ensure that it’s layouted comfortably and is easily digestible, the font and color [used] must also be in accordance with the theme of the artwork. Taking the example of something familiar like comics, if the drawings are good but are carelessly laid out, it’s guaranteed to be uncomfortable to read. You can say that these fields are complementary to each other,” she added.
In holding this JDF event, TFR brought in Muklay as artistic director in the planning and execution. JDF also called on fellow designers, artists, and illustrators in the country to get directly involved as part of the Board of Doodlers (BoD). Those involved include Mohammad Taufiq (Emte), Senikanji, Alvin Hariz, and Diela Maharani.
Through a range of programs available to the public from the art market, exhibition, art installations, to talks, workshops, and showcases, JDF was simultaneously a celebration as well as a catalyst for the development of the creative industry. Programs like JDF act as a meeting point for creators, practitioners, observers, and enthusiasts of visual art who can continue to nurture and grow further possibilities in the realm of the creative industry.