“My works isn’t dedication to trends”

Reza Dwakiss (born and family name: Reza Pahlevi) was born in Metro, Lampung-Indonesia in 1979. Just like many other kids in his neighborhood, he spent his childhood in modesty and atmosphere of 80s-90s era in his hometown until he graduated from high school.  Later he continued his education to Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lampung in Bandar Lampung, and started to expand his passion to art and music.

The fact that he always attended state school, and later, state university, was considered by his relatives as an academic achievement, a start for his successful future. However, Reza took his education merely was an obligation to his family. He always thought that his formal education and formal-professional related to it as average-boring objective of life. While since very beginning his truly passion is Music and Painting. That’s why he never been worked or being professional in any related job or business according to his educational background. He even passed or intentionally missed, several chances to work as a civil servant for his academic background, type of relatively respective job in his hometown.

In 2005 he decided to move to Jakarta, where later he worked as professional Graphic Designer and continuing his painting activity as part of his life.  He also took short class of Cinematography as part of his effort to enrich his art comprehension.

For first 3 years, he enjoyed his job as Graphic Designer for some private company in Jakarta. He made activity of creating something or translating client’s ideas trough Graphic Design softwares such as Photoshop, InDesign, Corel Draw and 3D Max as a temporal obsession. In 5 years He’s been working for various company in hundreds of design project. His ability and skills in Graphic Design make him relatively easy to find a job or to take a job in semi freelance approach so he can manage his work in more flexible time, as he always hated 9-5 job schedule.  

But later he realized that Jakarta only gave him opportunity to be an art-labor, not full-time and professional artist as he wants to be. Took some time for him to decided, until in 2009 he moved to Yogyakarta and pursuing his goal to be professional painter. Soon he started to join some painter community in the city, the last group he joined is Angrock Art Club.

In Yogyakarta, He spent his first and second year to recompile neglected and abandoned ideas in his mind during his years in Jakarta and translated those to be paintings. Later, in 2011 he started to present his works in some art exhibitions held in Yogyakarta and Central Java.

Painting and Music always been media for his personal reflection. He admired works of Affandi’s since he was a child. And later, works of modern artist such as Damien Hirst and Agus Suwage also inspired him. In broader scope, he always enjoying works of art in fields of Expressionism, Surrealism, Existentialism and Dadaism. He gained a lot of inspiration from his real-life. He also mirroring his painting activity to his musical activity, which for him related and inspiring each other. And as sanctuary to channel his musical inspiration, Reza been initiated two bands named Hemel and Haram. His musical side influenced by 90s Grunge-Seattle Sound music, which he always referring that he liked what he liked and not dedicate any his art efforts to any trends.