Ayang Cempaka — Whimsical Illustrator, Dubai

Books, bags, buses – Ayang Cempaka is an Indonesian artist whose colourful, whimsical illustrations are making an impact in publishing, fashion and even transport. With her imagination, ideas and professionalism, Ayang’s focus on her craft brings success to the projects she works on.

As well as illustrating storybooks, Ayang runs a company producing stylish leather bags, embroidered clutches and stationery with her sister. At a much larger scale, her vibrant illustrations have appeared on Transjakarta buses traversing the Indonesian capital. After moving to Dubai, she took her illustration skills online attracting top clients around the world. Ayang’s collaboration with Sunglass Hut led to a special edition case featuring attractive illustrations of camels, falcons, palm trees and Dubai’s famous skyscrapers. Inspired by vintage children’s books illustrators like Alain Grée, Mary Blair, Dahlov Ipcar and Alice and Martin Provensen, Ayang remains heavily influenced by the wildlife and creative culture of her native Indonesia.

Approach

Originally, all of Ayang’s work was created using watercolours and gouache, but today she’s thoroughly modern and uses an iPad Pro with Clip Studio Paint.

Styles

Ayang’s style is lively, colourful and whimsical with a touch of Art Nouveau, a hint of the naïve and plenty of personality. Her unique brushwork always shines through, even though her painting is now done on a tablet.