We recently connected with Fazar Roma Agung Wibisono and have shared our conversation below.

FAZAR ROMA, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Yes, I have earned income from my creative work and also income outside of my art, and it didn’t come easy.
for the beginning of my career journey as an artist started from a designer at a young age when at that time I had already received orders for designs and portrait drawings, then I continued to study at a university specializing in fine arts and design after graduating I was only able to do it properly after getting a work contract with an art gallery in Yogyakarta (Indonesia) for 7 years even though after graduating from college for 2 years I had to try to apply to exhibit in galleries to promote my work and I continued to paint and design to work on other art projects in generating income for living expenses, only after 2 years later I had the opportunity to be contracted to work by an art gallery in Indonesia.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

– to enter the art industry (artist) and to get cooperation with a gallery that is willing to accept us as a permanent artist (contract) is not easy, I had to get cooperation with an art gallery after 2 years after graduating from college, I just got the opportunity to work with an art gallery from my senior when I was in college, because 2 years earlier I had to work hard to be able to exhibit and promote my artwork professionally to art galleries in every major city in the country where I live (Indonesia), although during high school and during college I had exhibited in art galleries with my friends from school and I am currently working alone, either painting as a freelance designer and other art projects to be able to stay alive, for the struggle after getting a work contract with an art gallery is not easy because we have to continue to strive to produce the best work, in our work we try to keep fighting so as not to be satisfied with what our current artwork is, we must always try to continue to develop our thoughts and processing of works that allow us to continue to be constant in our work and continue to climb the ladder of the best artwork even though this is sometimes lofty what is the best ladder for our artwork, even now I don’t really understand it, it’s not easy to create art to remain worthy of galleries and art lovers out there, which at this time both art galleries and art lovers are harder than before many internet media were clearly scattered which facilitated information, criticism and other things.

– for my current creative art products/services/works, I still exist to paint, make murals, designers and NFT digital works.

– for my artwork being different from others is relative, the assessment remains with the appreciator himself, although I have tried in the style of technique, media processing, not all of us become original, sometimes we feel this is original but other human beings have used and done it, what makes us different is that our self-existence is only one each work we make is only one in physical material and our basic idea of ​​what we can do in artwork, although later our artwork can be made as a standalone artwork, printed artwork or others that is another part in promoting our artwork to art galleries and art appreciators. There have been at least many works of art that I have made in terms of unused materials or others, I can only enjoy creating art even though we are still stuck with all the similarities in terms of materials or other things in creating art.

– something that can make me proud as an artist, when as an artist who has worked with a real art gallery, which is also full of wilderness to explore and is not easy for that, because being able to be taken and work in an art gallery is an acknowledgment of us as competent artists in the field of art, then keep fighting to get trust to get to work with an art gallery, but not a few also without becoming an art worker in an art gallery as an independent artist who can conquer the world of art without the help of an art gallery, it is just a choice to become an artist. another thing when other people can have my work is a pride for me that my artwork is worthy of being part of other people.

– for my hope for art appreciators, hopefully with my artwork it can be entertainment for everyone, be it a little knowledge, a little work technique, a little processing attraction and others, can be support and discussion for everyone’s life, and hopefully I can survive in the realm of fine art which is so broad and there are many things that can be explored.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

yes, sometimes people outside of art have a hard time understanding our performance as people who produce the necessities of life, where we work not in an office like in general with constant having to work during working hours, we sometimes don’t see what we do, what we think and what the benefits of art are, even though we try to be like other people who have jobs and decent incomes, it’s just that art work doesn’t always have to be in an office with lots of people in one room, and is useful for other people.
another thing when we exhibit, sometimes the general public asks us when we exhibit in an art gallery, is watching this exhibition free or can anyone watch it, not just for the art community? this is an obstacle that makes us sometimes unknown and becomes a consideration for society that art is sometimes high class in my country, I don’t know how in other countries maybe watching art in galleries has become a common habit. So this is where our short comings also lie, sometimes how we promote ourselves in society, that we are artists who are known to all people to know who we are, so we still have to think about our short comings so that we can be seen as worthy in society.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

for digital art NFT is an innovation in work, but I emphasize the procedure for selling artwork not how the technique or material is, with this technical method of selling works it is very beneficial for artists to have more privacy in certification of creation of works, because with the privacy of this certification it can benefit us from piracy, robbery or others that can harm every artist, although there are also shortcomings from the system that are common in any form in this world, that’s a little of my knowledge about NFT digital art, maybe another time I will get more knowledge from this NFT digital art

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fazarwibisono.simdif.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fazar.r.a.wibisono/?hl=id
• Facebook: lotuscrestfallen@yahoo.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fazar-roma-agung-wibisono-19b485169/
• Twitter: https://x.com/FazarRoma

Image Credits

– Srisasanti Art Gallery – workshop studio
– Immortal War – Fazar R.A Wibisono Solo Art Exhibition, Srisasanti Art Gallery, Jakarta, Indonesia
– Mural Project – ENHAI UNIVERSITY PROJECT – Bandung, Indonesia
– Re-Bung #1 – Group Art Exhibition, Thee Huis Gallery, Bandung, Indonesi
– ShContemp0rary 09 Art Exhibition, Shanghai, China