Yessiow: Bringing Indonesian Street Art to the Global Stage
Bali-based illustrator and mural artist Yessiow is on a mission to showcase her talents at numerous international art festivals on her 2024 Euro Tour. Embarking on her creative career back in 2013, Yessiow and her partner Stijn travel from country to country painting murals in Austria, Greece, Italy, South Africa, and Spain.
Sponsored by Antangin and supported by the Ministry of Education and Indonesian Embassy in Belgrade, Yessiow’s tour includes participation in prestigious street art festivals such as DUK Festival in Serbia, UrbanAct in Athens, Urban Pictus in Brno and Prague, and Look Up Festival in the UK. Yessiow is the first ever Indonesian artist to have participated in Serbia's DUK Festival. Her mural for DUK titled “Each One Braid One” depicts the precious memories she shared with her mother and celebrates the value of family and the strength of those bonds.
Also active as a freelance illustrator, Yessiow is one of the founders of Street Art Calls as well as the Tangi Art Festival. Through this tour, she is taking the opportunity to expand her network as well as highlighting the richness of Indonesian culture to East Europe. She also implements motifs of Balinese and local textiles into her murals as a nod of respect to her cultural heritage.
Through this Europe 2024 Tour, Yessiow hopes to bring the spirit of community and rich Indonesian culture to the international stage. She also hopes to encourage fellow Indonesian artists and convey that art can take you far, as well as prove that women can also achieve success in the male-dominated street art industry.