The New Face of Jaya Suprana Institute by Visious x SPOA

In February 2024, Jaya Suprana inaugurated the new Jaya Suprana Institute (JSI) building in the Gading Kirana area, Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta. Previously located in the Mall of Indonesia, the new JSI building houses the MURI Gallery, Jaya Suprana School of Performing Arts (JSPA), and Laskar Indonesia Pusaka (LIP). Alongside the opening of this new building—redesigned by SPOA (Small Perception Object Alternative), led by Rahmat Indrani—JSI also introduced a fresh visual identity designed by Visious, a Jakarta-based design studio. 

Driven by the pillars established by Jaya Suprana himself, JSI seeks to ignite national pride, support Indonesian talent in performing arts, and showcase as well as archive the grandeur of MURI, which has stood since 1990. In crafting this new identity for JSI, the MURI Gallery, and JSPA, Visious translated these ambitions into cohesive branding and spatial designs. Speaking to Grafis Masa Kini, Visious, SPOA, and Shari Semesta from JSPA shared insights into the creation process of the brand identities for JSI, JSPA, and the spatial design of the MURI Gallery.

The rebranding of Jaya Suprana Institute stemmed from a visual need that had previously been overlooked. According to Shari, Jaya Suprana’s school had always prioritized its programs over its brand identity. “Our founder, Mr. Jaya Suprana, is a musician, so we’ve focused solely on music and performance programs. The visual aspect wasn’t given much thought. Now that we’ve evolved beyond just a music school and host major events in collaboration with other performing arts communities, rebranding the institute has become crucial in better representing ourselves,” Shari explained.

The birth of JSI’s new visual identity coincided with the design of a new building by Rahmat Indrani from SPOA, which transformed an abandoned shophouse into a multifunctional space for various creative activities. “It’s a museum, gallery, office, music school, and performance space—how can all these functions harmonize and operate effectively?” said the architect.

Amid the construction of this new building, Jaya Suprana Institute enlisted Visious to provide a fresh touch to its brand. Derrie Kleefstra, Design Director at Visious, recalled that the initial task was to respond to the spatial design SPOA had already created. “When we first saw the building, there were many empty spaces. That’s what we responded to. It was quite challenging to figure out how to move all of JSI’s needs into this new space,” Derrie reminisced. Recognizing the relocation as a new beginning, Visious crafted a fresh identity for Jaya Suprana Institute, encompassing the institutions it oversees. 

Conceptually, Visious emphasized values reflecting JSI’s essence as an inclusive institution, forward-thinking, supporting and appreciating Indonesian talents and cultural heritage, while embracing global growth and engagement. Visually, the new JSI logo embodies the creative vision of Jaya Suprana and Aylawati Sarwono, the institute’s founders. The logo is composed of curved shapes forming the letters “J”, “S”, and “I”. The dynamic design draws inspiration from Jaya Suprana’s batik creations and Aylawati Sarwono’s dancing. “The JSI logo looks like that because it’s heavily inspired by Mr. Jaya’s batik and Mrs. Ayla, who is a dancer. We took the dynamic and movement concept from her vision as a dancer,” Derrie explained. The visual identity’s color palette is elegant, featuring earthy tones like brown, maroon, ivory, dark green, and black—representing the colors of Jaya Suprana’s batik fabrics.

Jaya Suprana School of Performing Arts (JSPA) also seized this opportunity to revamp its visual identity. Shari emphasized the importance of JSPA adopting a fresher, more approachable, and cohesive look that aligns with the overall redesign of the new building. “JSPA’s work is dynamic, not just music school-related. We also host festivals and cultural events. I wanted the brand and visuals to reflect that dynamism, youthful energy—not something that appears too serious,” Shari expressed. JSPA aims to represent young musicians who are starting their careers with the school. Shari directed Visious to create visuals that resonate with a broad young audience, from children to young adults. “We wanted something that could appeal to university students while still being playful enough to engage children just starting to learn drums or dance. That’s why the colors and shapes are designed to attract them,” she added.

The JSPA logo, in line with the creative vision, features playful and memorable shapes. According to Visious, the varied forms of each letter represent the diversity of talent and personality among JSPA students, supported by the school’s unity of movement and sound. The logo also references musical notes, a key element in music. Unlike the more elegant colors of JSI, JSPA’s color palette leans towards vibrant and youthful, reflecting the festive spirit of the performing arts events JSPA hosts. Layouts for photos and illustrations are cohesive, capturing the essence of JSPA’s new identity—vibrant, energetic, and dynamic.

Designing a new identity for an institution is not a simple process. However, both Visious and Jaya Suprana Institute agree that the journey was enjoyable. “The process for the JSI and JSPA identities was fun. From the presentations, it became clear where the vision started and how it evolved,” said Derrie. Shari added that many dialogues and discussions took place throughout the design process. “It was super fun! From the start, the vision and message were clear. Every piece of feedback was carefully considered, and we had many discussions. Rahmat Indrani’s input was also crucial,” Shari shared.

When asked about the challenges of the project, Derrie revealed that the team faced more complexity when designing the MURI Gallery. According to Rahmat Indrani, SPOA and Visious had to fine-tune their design responses to the old building’s unique structural characteristics. “SPOA invited Visious to see the visual potential behind these forms, which emerged in response to the old building,” the architect noted. Responding to this building required multiple adjustments. “For the MURI Gallery, we had to adjust a lot, even as simple as the wall colors. Visious had to respond to the spaces already designed by Rahmat Indrani. The gallery has many corners that needed to be painted, and this required several rounds of adjustments because the design looked good digitally but didn’t translate as well on the walls,” Derrie explained.

In this complex process, creative ideas emerged to complement the new home of Jaya Suprana Institute. Jaya Suprana’s work as a cartoonist inspired Visious to incorporate his iconic characters into the building’s spatial design. “Mr. Jaya is a cartoonist, so we used his characters on the stairs and in corners of the building, adding his personal touch to every space,” Derrie elaborated.

The new face of Jaya Suprana Institute and its associated institutions is not just about visual aesthetics but also about offering a unique experience for enjoying the programs it provides. In closing, Shari Semesta remarked that this new identity and building redefine Jaya Suprana Institute, reinforcing its values as a platform for progressive performing arts while preserving the purity of Indonesia’s cultural heritage.

Project Credit:

SPOA: Rahmat Indrani & Team

Visious: Rege Indrastudianto, Derrie Kleefstra, Ratna Yuriasari, Priska Asriani, Rival Ronaldi, Nadira Wahono, Irfan Fadhilah, Karima Saptarani, garyanes, Budi Wismaya, Wilsen A. Hananto, Tytton Sishertanto, Aufar, Arman Arief Rachman & Serum Team

Photos: Leandro Siringoringo, Tedoy Edho