Ardhira Putra

Ardhira Putra is an Indonesian illustrator and animator, currently based in Jakarta, whose work is a vibrant homage to the nostalgic pop aesthetic of the 1980s and 1990s. For Putra, this style represents a joyful memory from his own childhood, born in 1988. His artistic foundation was laid early, influenced by his parents listening to Michael Jackson's "Beat It" album and the prevalence of Japanese cartoons on Indonesian television during that era. Later, his passion was further shaped by watching MTV music channels, where he first discovered and fell in love with motion graphics.

Putra's distinctive style is like stepping back in time, combining '80s and '90s graphic design with poppy colour palettes and nostalgic references to boomboxes and cassette tapes. His vast inspiration draws from vintage and Asian pop ads, including posters, album covers, billboards, TV commercials, his favourite childhood Japanese cartoons, and vintage video games like Sega Saturn and Nintendo 64. In his youth, he enjoyed drawing characters from Dragon Ball, Astro Boy, Doraemon, and The Adventures of Tintin, and creating simple comics and board games to share with friends—an exciting and joyful moment from the past that he now aims to share through his art.

His passion for the visual world led him to formally study animation at the Multimedia University of Malaysia, which opened his heart to Asian cinema, animation from the Gobelins school, Pixar, and Japanese animation. Now working full-time for a software company, Putra creates animations and illustrations for various clients by night, often for the global independent music scene. His notable collaborations include work for Mataharibisu (Indonesia), Macross 82-99 (Mexico), Nice Guys Record (France), and most recently, the visual graphics for merchandise, LP design, and the official animated looping video for Englewood's track "Crystal Dolphin" (United States). This project epitomizes his distinctive approach; for the video, he researched 1982's pop culture to build the aesthetic, gathering references to create and colourise scenes that define the mood.

For Putra, creating art is about personal experience and honesty. He only draws or animates visuals that truly matter to him, viewing his artwork as a time travel machine that is good for his mental health and always a pleasant activity. He maintains that creating art must be a delightful hobby, an act based on love. It is a bonus that viewers and collaborators enjoy his work, and he is gratified that his nostalgia resonates not only with those from the same era but also with younger generations who appreciate his journey.

His creative process relies on essential techniques honed over time. He believes observation is crucial for immersing in a subject to deliver the right feeling. He consistently sketches, draws, and writes about interesting finds in his journal, from movies and podcasts to ordinary objects. He also continuously practices 3D software and learns illustration techniques, currently using Adobe Illustrator and Cinema 4D, mastering shortcuts and methods that help solidify his style and keep pace with demand. Putra is happiest when people enjoy the images he creates and the nostalgic feelings they evoke, glad that his work can connect to the memories of others.