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Hendy Nata’s skills as a graphic designer landed him a job at one of Jakarta’s top advertising firms, but he says his talents are sometimes constrained by the office environment. Although he has a successful career in today’s booming ad market, he finds that if he can’t incorporate his thoughts and ideas into a project he’s working on, he’ll take to the streets to let his creative juices flow — through a can of spray paint.


Why do you spray-paint stuff?

Sometimes paper limits us and is very small, so I use bigger media to express my creativity.

Can you describe the concept behind your works?

I like buildings, neon lights and night cityscapes very much, so … every story will be linked to these things. And, sometimes sneakers come up in my artwork.

How long does it takes to make one piece of graffiti?

Depends on how many people are helping and how detailed the piece is. Usually I spend about five to eight hours with three people.

Do you graffiti alone?

Almost never. Because the fun part of making graffiti is how you can mix your ideas with others’. And sometimes you can play with other’s works too by adding some extension, new character or anything, and it will tell you more stories.

Are there any messages you try to incorporate in your graffiti?

Mostly my mood and situation influence my graffiti. So I can say it depends on what I feel at that time. There’s not a single message that’s always shown in the same way — it’s different on each piece of art.

What are some of your favorite projects you’ve completed?

My final exam. It’s a pop-up book of skyscrapers. I really loved this because it’s about buildings, many lights and skyscrapers, and it’s a project that I’ve never done before. So, after deciding a project topic, I had just four months to create this book from nothing. When I say nothing, it’s totally blank. Fortunately, it went smoothly and I finished it as wanted it to be. And it’s because I always keep in my mind a wise saying: ‘You can, if you think you can.’

What design tools could you not live without?

My eyes and my hands. Like I said before, not all projects need to be done using a computer or modern stuff. Like, for example, my final exam, which was a pop-up book of skyscrapers. Eighty percent of the work was done by me taking precise measurements, cutting, folding and gluing.

How do you manage your time when you have a heavy workload?

I always print a workload timeline and project deadline on a sheet of paper and have it by my side while I work.

What’s the most challenging part of your work?

Improving something simple so it’s unique and lasts in people’s heads. Making something look great is not too hard, but making people remember what we’ve done is something that needs 99 percent thinking and 1 percent creating. But, I always prefer keeping things simple — the simpler the better!

Care to share some tips for fledgling designers?

For many designers, the word ‘deadline’ might be one of the most dreadful words. It comes down on you like a final exam you haven’t prepared for or when you sleep for just 15 minutes, get up and go do a bad presentation while walking around like a zombie. It’s usually because we forget one thing, that is ‘organization.’ So, begin to respect time and be a boss of yourself. It’s not easy at the beginning but it’ll make everything easier in the end. And don’t forget little things. Don’t be afraid to dream!

How do you think about Jakarta through the eyes of a graphic designer?

For me, Jakarta has a multicultural people and lifestyle — many places are just developing and continually growing. Different places inspire me in different ways so when I need some inspiration, cruising around city can be a very good start. If I have to pick a word for Jakarta, maybe it’s kind of like ‘popcorn.’ Because of the growing and developing of the city and its people, the high volume of traffic. There’s always something popping.

What do you most enjoy about being a graphic designer?

The best thing is I have a great passion for artsy stuff and since I entered the creative world, I can do my job while still feeling like I’m playing. Oh, the interesting part is, I think being a designer has many similarities with other fields like business, marketing and even communication. Because we always have to research, we try to communicate ideas to people and then we present things our way.

Ever think of going solo and starting up your own business instead of working for an advertising company?

Yes, of course! My working at an advertising company is just a way to start building my portfolio and developing networks.

Hendy Nata was talking to Andrea Van Barthold.