Illustrating Urban Realities

Mohammad Taufiq, better known by his mononym Emte, is an Indonesian writer and self-taught artist. Over 25 years, Emte has built a versatile portfolio spanning comic strips, magazine illustrations, album covers, book designs, merchandise, and fine art paintings. Influenced by music, pop culture, humor, and everyday urban experiences, Emte’s signature style features meticulous, melted colors shaped by watercolor’s unpredictable strokes. His works have been exhibited in Indonesia and abroad, including Art Jakarta in 2015, 2017, and 2019; Unknown Asia in Japan in 2018; the London Book Fair in 2019; group shows in Australia, the United States in 2019, and Canada in 2023; and a solo exhibition in Germany in 2024. Emte is also the author of several zines and graphic novels, including Nyampah, Gugug! 1 & 2, and Life As We Know It. He studied Visual Communication Design and earned his degree from the Jakarta Institute of the Arts.

Mohammad Taufiq, yang lebih dikenal dengan nama Emte, adalah penulis dan seniman otodidak asal Indonesia. Selama lebih dari 25 tahun, ia membangun portofolio yang beragam mencakup komik strip, ilustrasi majalah, sampul album, desain buku, merchandise, hingga lukisan seni rupa. Karya-karyanya banyak terinspirasi oleh musik, budaya pop, humor, dan kehidupan urban sehari-hari. Gaya khas Emte dikenal lewat warna-warna meleleh yang detail, tercipta dari goresan cat air yang spontan dan tak terduga. Karyanya telah dipamerkan di berbagai tempat, baik di Indonesia maupun mancanegara, termasuk Art Jakarta (2015, 2017, 2019), Unknown Asia di Jepang (2018), London Book Fair (2019), pameran bersama di Australia, Amerika Serikat (2019), dan Kanada (2023), serta pameran tunggal di Jerman (2024). Emte juga menulis sejumlah zine dan novel grafis seperti Nyampah, Gugug! 1 & 2, dan Life As We Know It. Ia menempuh pendidikan Desain Komunikasi Visual di Institut Kesenian Jakarta.

Gilang Propagila is an Indonesian community activist, woodcut artist, graphic designer, and zine archivist whose work is deeply rooted in the Hardcore Punk subculture. For many years, he served as an environmental campaigner in Bali and continues to collaborate with communities, organizations, and NGOs on a wide range of social and environmental issues. He often uses art and zines as tools to drive his community and social work. For nearly two decades, Gilang has collected zines, building an archive of around a thousand titles spanning diverse topics and countries. From this collection, he regularly hosts Zine Reading Clubs, discussions, new zine launches, and zine-making workshops in various spaces. Alongside his role as a father, Gilang remains active in art exhibitions both in Bali and abroad. He is also the Founder of Tektonik Record Store, a hub that distributes vinyl records, cassette tapes, alternative books, graphic posters, and a wide range of other creative works, including zines.

Gilang Propagila adalah aktivis komunitas, seniman cukil kayu, desainer grafis, dan arsiparis zine asal Indonesia yang karyanya berakar kuat pada subkultur Hardcore Punk. Selama bertahun-tahun, ia aktif sebagai juru kampanye lingkungan di Bali dan terus berkolaborasi dengan komunitas, organisasi, dan LSM dalam berbagai isu sosial dan lingkungan. Ia sering menggunakan seni dan zine sebagai sarana untuk mendorong kerja komunitas dan kegiatan sosialnya. Hampir dua dekade terakhir, Gilang telah mengumpulkan zine, membangun arsip sekitar seribu judul yang mencakup beragam topik dan negara. Dari koleksi ini, ia secara rutin menyelenggarakan Klub Baca Zine, diskusi, peluncuran zine baru, dan lokakarya pembuatan zine di berbagai ruang. Selain perannya sebagai ayah, Gilang tetap aktif mengikuti pameran seni baik di Bali maupun di luar negeri. Ia juga merupakan pendiri Tektonik Record Store, sebuah pusat yang mendistribusikan piringan hitam, kaset, buku alternatif, poster grafis, dan berbagai karya kreatif lainnya, termasuk zine.

Gus Dark is a Balinese cartoonist whose popular cartoon character, later named Mang Ogel by an editor, was published in a periodical newspaper. In 2013, Gus Dark received the Superstar Supporter Award from the ROLE Foundation. In 2014, he joined the Jokowi Volunteer movement by contributing his artwork to Kolak Kotak. He exhibited his cartoons in Caring for Waste Cartoon Exhibition Volume II in Singaraja and in Show Off, part of the Surabaya Cartoon Exhibition with the Indonesian Cartoon Community. Gus Dark was born in Karangasem and studied graphic arts at the Modern School of Design in Yogyakarta.

Gus Dark adalah kartunis asal Bali. Karakter kartunnya yang populer, yang kemudian diberi nama Mang Ogel oleh seorang editor, pernah dimuat di surat kabar berkala. Pada tahun 2013, Gus Dark menerima penghargaan Superstar Supporter Award dari ROLE Foundation. Setahun kemudian, ia bergabung dalam gerakan Relawan Jokowi dengan menyumbangkan karya ilustrasinya untuk Kolak Kotak. Gus Dark pernah memamerkan karya-karyanya dalam Pameran Kartun Peduli Sampah Volume II di Singaraja, serta dalam Show Off, bagian dari Pameran Kartun Surabaya bersama Komunitas Kartunis Indonesia. Ia lahir di Karangasem dan menempuh pendidikan seni grafis di Modern School of Design, Yogyakarta.