February 03, 2025
Naela Ali is a painter who shows us a different perspective of life, a reminder that beauty can lie in simple things. Through traveling, she finds solace in the mundane and shares it with her audience through her art.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Naela Ali. Currently, I’m living as an artist. I paint and write books. I also have a brand called Asobi, where I turn my paintings into products like tote bags and stickers and join art markets.
What are usually the objects of your paintings?
My paintings cover the theme of Japan but focus on the mundane things that are often overlooked. People walking on the street, simple daily activities. Those things make me reflect as an artist, slow down, and pay more attention to my surroundings because it turns out inspiration is all around us; what we need to do is feel it. I want to encourage people to do the same because our world is too busy and fast, so let’s slow down and pay attention.
What makes you interested in the topic?
First, in 2023, I did a one-month residency in Japan and lived in a small town. I have much time to slow down and look around in that small town. I was born and raised in Jakarta, so I’m used to the crowd and traffic. So when I got there, riding my bike and looking around, I realized that there are many things that we often overlook.
Can you tell us about your current painting exhibition, The Beauty of The Mundane?
The Beauty of The Mundane, as I mentioned before, I like to pay attention to simple things. So at the start of the year, the RAD (Ruang Arta Derau) gallery asked me to do an exhibition there. From the exhibition, I wish people could see the beauty of the simple things. The exhibition starts from 16 December 2024 to 16 February 2025 in Tegalalang, Bali. Why Bali? Bali was one of the first objects in my painting when I was a kid. So, exhibiting in Bali holds a special meaning for me.
What will we see at the exhibition?
The painting showcases schoolchildren during excursions, croquette sellers, and all the things we miss, especially when traveling. We often rush our schedules during travel to see many things on our lists. I want to ask, what do we chase? So many interesting things happen around us, and we do not need to rush. It is okay to slow down.
The reason I especially choose Japan is because people who lived through the early 2000s must have been influenced by Japanese cartoons and their culture. So, every designer and painter, including me, must have gone through the manga phase. So, it feels nostalgic and makes me look back at my first artworks as an illustrator and painter.
What is your creative process like?
My creative process is quite challenging because I have bipolar disorder. Sometimes, my mood can fluctuate drastically, so I have to balance it, which is not easy. That’s my biggest challenge.
And then, even though people see me as living my dream, living it is not that easy. There are a lot of ups and downs. I have many thoughts about whether I will be successful, fail, or be accepted. That makes me really feel down, but I keep going because I remember the reason I started, which is that I love what I do. I believe that after the challenge, we will have a result that will make us better.
How do you face these challenges?
Besides taking regular medicine, I try to rest. That’s why we are back to the exhibition theme. I rest and play with my cats; that makes me happy. I do things slowly, not rushing and pushing too hard.
What is your plan for 2025?
I have a character called Silly Gilly Daily. It’s a character that inspired me when I was young. It struggles as an introvert. There are three books already; next, I will publish a new book. The characters will be displayed at illustration fairs in Taiwan and Seoul. I am also going to have another solo exhibition in Jakarta. So, there are many things I’m excited about in 2025.
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