Interview with Indonesian Artist Gogoporen

Gogoporen began exhibiting his work in group shows and doing murals for brands. He later returned to a less-demanding advertising role which still gave him time for his nascent art career.

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The article is available in English and Tagalog

Indonesian artist Arya Mularma, known as Gogoporen, hails from Jakarta and uses marker pens, acrylics, and watercolors to create drawings influenced by comic books, skateboard culture, and 90s culture.

Gogoporen has been drawing since he was a youngster, but it’s only been in the last few years following the NFT revolution that he has been able to make a living from his art.

“Art was never a full-time thing for me,” he says, “I was working in the advertising industry, but I got tired of the never-ending deadlines and long hours, and so I quit my job and decided to put more effort into my art.”

Gogoporen began exhibiting his work in group shows and doing murals for brands. He later returned to a less-demanding advertising role which still gave him time for his nascent art career.

“I was able to pursue my passion and keep things in balance – working on my art for various community projects and within the skateboarding scene as well as keeping a day job.”

Inside Gogoporen’s work

Photo for the Article - Interview with Indonesian Artist Gogoporen
Gogoporen – Galan’s Hunger

Gogoporen says anxiety and his questioning of existence feed the themes of his work, which combines pop culture references with allusions to mental illness. But there’s always a colorful, fun approach that helps viewers see his work without feeling too gloomy.

“The inspiration for my work comes from everywhere; it could be a song, a picture, or a feeling or quote,” he says. “But mostly it happens when I am alone, and my brain is in overdrive.”

He says he was aware of NFTs for a few years before taking the leap and joining the world of NFT art.

“I was a skeptic at first, but then some friends started making them and I got curious.” Back then, he says, the NFT world was exclusive, and artists needed invitations to join the networks, but this has changed with the rise of Tezos and the ecosystems around it, he adds.

It was May 2021 when he finally took the leap into the world of NFTs – but for a fairly mundane reason: “I needed money to buy a PS5.” He initially joined Hic et Nunc (HEN) after asking friends and colleagues about the best way to start minting NFTs. “Also, the gas fees on the Tezos blockchain are very low,” he says.

“After I joined HEN, I was blown away by how supportive the Tezos community is. I was just starting out and only had a few followers on my Twitter, but the Tezos community helped me grow my followers and allowed my artwork to gain more recognition.”

Gogoporen has sold over 5,000 NFTs on the Tezos blockchain, while his GOGOS collaboration with artist 0x10 was made up of 5,555 editions and sold out in less than three hours from going live with a stealth drop. “There was no marketing and we kept it secret until it was time to mint.”

Since then, Gogoporen has exhibited at Singapore Art Week alongside many other artists working in the Tezos ecosystem.

His NFT work, Galan’s Hunger, depicted a Marvel Comics supervillain who is known to swallow whole planets lying in his path. “It was intended to reflect the seemingly unstoppable surge of cryptocurrency in general and NFTs in particular.”

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His advice for up-and-coming NFT artists is simple and refreshing, saying all they need to do is keep creating, stay healthy and stay sane.

Tagalog Translation

Ang Indonesian artist na si Arya Mularma, kilala sa tawag na Gogoporen, ay nagmula sa Jakarta at gumagamit ng marker, pens, acrylic at watercolor upang makalikha ng drowing na kumukuha ng inpirasyon mula sa komiks, skateboard culture at 90s culture.

Nagsimulang magdrowing si Gogoporen noong kabataan pa lamang niya, ngunit nitong mga nakaraang taon lamang niya napagkakitaan ang kanyang mga likhang sining alinsabay ng nangyayaring NFT revolution.

“Art was never a full-time thing for me,” (Ang sining ay hindi naging full-time na bagay para sa akin)  aniya, “I was working in the advertising industry, but I got tired of the never-ending deadlines and long hours, and so I quit my job and decided to put more effort into my art.” (Ako ay dating nagtatrabaho sa advetising industry, pero napagod ako sa ‘di-matapus-tapos na deadlines at sa mahabang oras, kaya umalis ako sa trabaho at nagdesisyong pagtuunang-pansin ang aking sining.)

Nagsimula si Gogoporen sa pag-exhibit ng kanyang mga gawa sa mga group show at sa paggawa ng mga mural para sa mga brand. Kalaunan, siya ay bumalik sa kanyang ‘di-masyadong demanding na trabaho sa advertisment na siyang nagbigay sa kanya ng oras kanyang papausbong na career sa sining.

Photo for the Article - Interview with Indonesian Artist Gogoporen

“I was able to pursue my passion and keep things in balance – working on my art for various community projects and within the skateboarding scene as well as keeping a day job.” (Nagawa kong ituloy ang aking passion and panatilihin ang mga bagay sa balanse – pinagtrabahuhan ko ang aking sining para sa iba’t ibang community projects at sa loob ng skateboarding scene samantalang napapanatili ko ang aking trabaho sa umaga.)

Laman ng mga gawa ni Gogoporen

Ayon kay Gogoporen, ang anxiety at kanyang pagkwestyon sa eksistensya ang nagbigay sa kaniya ng tema para sa kaniyang mga gawa, kung saan napagsasama niya ang pop culture references at ang parunggit o allusion sa mental illness. Ngunit parating may makulay at masayang paraan siya na tumutulong sa mga tao na makita ang kanyang gawa nang hindi masyadong nakakaramdam ng lungkot.

“The inspiration for my work comes from everywhere; it could be a song, a picture, or a feeling or quote,” (Ang inspirasyon sa aking mga gawa ay mula sa iba’t ibang dako; maaaring mula sa kanta, larawan o sa isang damdamin o panipi.) aniya. “But mostly it happens when I am alone, and my brain is in overdrive.” (Pero kadalasan ito ay nangyayari sa tuwing ako ay mag-isa, at ang utak ko ay punong-puno ng aktibidad.)

Sabi niya na batid niya ang pagkakaroon ng NFT ilang taon na bago niya maisipang pasukin ang mundo ng NFT art.

“I was a skeptic at first, but then some friends started making them and I got curious.” (Ako ay nag-aalangan noong una, pero ang ilan sa mga kaibigan ko ay sumubok sa paggawa nito kaya ako ay na-curious.) Noon, ayon sa kanya, ang mundo ng NFT ay ekslusibo pa, at ang mga artist ay mangangailan pa ng imbitasyon bago makasali ng mga network, pero ito ay nagbago sa pag-usbong ng Tezos at ang ecosystem sa paligid nito, dagdag pa niya.

May 20221 ito noong sa wakas ay pinasok na niya ang mundo ng NFT – pero sa isang napakababaw na dahilan: “I needed money to buy a PS5.” (Kailangan ko ng pera para makabili ng PS5.) Siya ay uang pumasok sa Hic et Nunc (HEN) matapos niyang tanungin ang kaniyang mga kaibigan at kasamahan kung ano ang pinakamagandang paraan para makapagsimulang mag-mint ng NFT.  “Also, the gas fees on the Tezos blockchain are very low,” (bukod pa roon, ang gas fee sa Tezos blockchain ay napakababa.) sabi niya.

“After I joined HEN, I was blown away by how supportive the Tezos community is. I was just starting out and only had a few followers on my Twitter, but the Tezos community helped me grow my followers and allowed my artwork to gain more recognition.” (Matapos kong sumali sa HEN, nakagulantang ako sa kung gaano magbigay ng suporta ang Tezos community. Nagsisimula pa lamang ako noon at may kakaunti pa lang ang mga follower sa Twitter, pero tinulungan ako ng Tezos community na mapalago ang aking mga follower na nagbigay sa aking mga likhang sining ng higit na pagkilala.)

Nakapagbenta na si Gogoporen ng lagpas 5,000 mga NFT sa tezos blockchain, samantalang ang kanyang GOGOS collaboration kasama ang artist na si 0x10 ay nakagawa na ng 5,555 edisyon at naibenta sa loob ng hindi hihigit sa tatlong oras  matapos nilang i-live sa isang palihim na drop. “There was no marketing and we kept it secret until it was time to mint.” (Walang naganap na marketing at pinanatilinamin itong lihim hanggang sa oras na ito ay nai-mint.)

Simula noon, nakapag-exhibit na si Gogoporen sa Singapore Art Week kasama ang maraming mga artist na gumagawa rin sa loob ng Tezos ecosystem.

Ang kaniyang gawa na Galan’s Hunger, ay inilarawan bilang isang Marvel Comics supervillain na kilalang lumulunok ng buong mga planeta na nakaharang sa kanyang dadaanan. “It was intended to reflect the seemingly unstoppable surge of cryptocurrency in general and NFTs in particular.” (Sinadya itong ganito upang salaminin ang tila hindi mapigilang bugso ng cryptocurrency sa pangkalahatan at partikular na ang mga NFT.)

Ang kaniyang payo sa mga papausbong pa lamang na mga  NFT artist ay simple at nakakapanibago, sabi niya ay kailangan lang nila na magpatuloy sa paggawa, panatilihin ang kalusugan at ang katinuan.

This article is published on BitPinas in collaboration with TZAPAC: Interview with Indonesian Artist Gogoporen

Disclaimer: BitPinas articles and its external content are not financial advice. The team serves to deliver independent, unbiased news to provide information for Philippine-crypto and beyond.

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