Artist Interview: Rhea Bambulu

Rhea Bambulu creates digital paintings and GIFs which draw inspiration from the modern romanticism era and the anime pop culture of the 80s and 90s. Her artistic expression, she says, “articulates her melancholy.”

The Indonesian artist grew up in a small town called Tembagapura, and is now based in Jakarta. She holds a degree in Visual Communication Design from Trisakti University, and has worked as a Graphic Designer in several design studios before becoming a full-time illustrator in 2016.

We asked Rhea about her art, creative process, and inspirations.

*Digital Art by Rhea Bambulu: Forbidden Love*

Can you tell us about your background as a digital artist? How did you get started in this field?

I started my journey as a visual communication designer in 2013 and decided to focus on my niche after 3 years in the design industry. Back then, digital illustration was not popular as today and my original dream was to become an animator, but I thought as the technology became more advanced so too the visual needs. And since illustration is more design oriented, designing a lot of visual alternatives with low budget production sounds more fun. I did a lot of GIFs in my college days too, I love how less frames in GIFs animation still add more meaning to the unexplained feelings.

*Digital Art by Rhea Bambulu: Alone But Not Lonely*

What inspires your art? Are there any particular themes or subjects that you enjoy exploring through your artwork?

I'm obsessed with Sailor Moon and any kind of anime from the 80-90s era, also a bit from the Romanticism Movement. I don't think I had a particular theme/subject but the ideas mostly came from my romantic relationship. I love to express my view on this world with love, magic and romanticize everything.

*Digital Art by Rhea Bambulu: Pecel Girl*

Can you tell us about Modern Love — what was the creative process like, and what’s special about it?

Modern Love was inspired from my own experiences when I went back to my hometown, Talaud Island, during Christmas for almost 3 weeks, and lived my life as an Indigenous without any cellular network. I had a lot of fun doing what people these days call “go touch the grass.”

However, there was a turning point for me — when we’d gather under the starry sky in a certain area with internet access, everyone, even couples, would keep focus on their phone. That’s when I realized that online activities truly become the pivot of our existence; we measure the value of people based on the number of their followers, and we can't enjoy life without sharing it online. Nonetheless, we can't deny the existence of a new era.

*Digital Art by Rhea Bambulu: Modern Love*
`Modern Love is one of the featured artwork in Digital Arts Blog’s virtual exhibition “We’ve been dreaming about a magical jungle” at The Wrong Biennale!`

How do you balance technical skills with artistic creativity in your digital artwork? How do these two aspects complement each other in your work?

I worked on my visual preferences by disciplining my eyes to certain subjects. There's a lot of interesting things in this world but I prefer stuff that I understand best, when you study things that relate to you, it is easier to develop the material into a wider context either in technical or artistic creativity.

Can you share an example of a challenging project you've worked on recently? What were the obstacles you encountered, and how did you overcome them?

Lately I've been focusing on developing my own astrological calendar, this gonna be my 3rd edition. The project was quite challenging for me, since I needed to make new forms of complex things and make it easier for people to learn and understand the basics of astrology. And considering that this product is still unpopular to the market, I need to slowly introduce them while wrapping it with cute illustrations.

*Digital Art by Rhea Bambulu: Passionate Sleeper*

What is a fun fact about you?

I like going to places unknown to me, such as random concerts I’m not really interested in, just to observe people.

What would we most probably find you doing if not creating art?

I like watching anime, reading comics and playing games. But most of the time filled with sleeping, playing on the internet and occasionally enjoy socializing.

What advice would you give to aspiring digital artists who are just starting out? Are there any resources or learning materials you would recommend to help them improve their skills?

The fastest way to improve skills is to observe the world around you, while references are out there to inspire never try to imitate them. Go for a walk, read books, watch movies, sleep a lot (sleep has a profound effect on our creativity) and do random things you don't like so you can get a lot of experience. Personal experience is the greatest source of all and eventually the skill would've improved.