Art as Expression of Soul and Universe in Targo Youwan Istanto’s Pieces

Transmission 127: Interview with Targo Youwan Istanto

Targo Youwan Istanto’s art expresses life, humanity, and philosophy through intricate drawings that combine color, culture, and symbols.

Targo Youwan Istanto is a visual artist from Bekasi, West Java, Indonesia. He gained his skills and experience in drawing while attending the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Yogyakarta. His interest in the visual arts began as a high school student in Kediri, East Java. In 1997, he was awarded the Best Sketcher Prize from the Faculty of Fine Art at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts.

In his intricate artworks created with pens, markers, and pencils on paper, he explores themes of humanity in everyday life. Drawing inspiration from pop culture and art history, he builds narratives around both benevolent and malevolent figures. The artist attempts to depict and visualize the world through his lines, using color as a representation of images, enthusiasm for life, love, and humanity. With an innate ability to capture his life through drawing, painting serves as his ideal means of self-expression, reflecting his constantly evolving world like a mirror.

In his imagination, colors, symbols, and figures he encounters blend and linger around him, rather than dissipate like a distant scream. He perceives people converging, dissolving into infinite space, and lights that brighten his path and elevate his spirits. The artist continuously draws a universe of fluid creatures, transforming perceptions and experiences of the familiar through intricate two- and three-dimensional forms.

Targo Youwan Istanto’s art pieces are recognized both locally and internationally. He has received numerous awards and exhibits his paintings in many contemporary art galleries.

Targo Youwan Istanto‘s Official, and Facebook

How and when did you discover your passion for drawing? How has art influenced your own life and outlook?

Every day and time … what I feel, what I see, what I observe, and what I reflect on to then become a work.. the little things that are around us… the environment and family can be something that can give rise to the desire to create work.

What do you believe is the most powerful aspect of art when it comes to conveying positive messages? What is your art philosophy?

Yes.. I believe that. Art in my opinion is a call of feeling and soul for those who are cursed to become creators and create something related to beauty and feeling, if there is an influence from previous artists or great artists, that is something natural and understandable, because life is also interconnected in any form when we have found a form and style in a comfortable state of feeling, that is our identity in the process, enjoy every moment of it.

Art is a marker of its time, becoming one of the most important parts in the process of human life.. attachment to culture in every country and nation.

What role does colour play in your drawings? Are there specific colours you associate with certain emotions or messages? 

I love black and white colours..I like the colour black and white as a message that life is a continuous process… the balance between the philosophy of life… dark and light… yin and yang.

What is the primary message you hope to convey through your drawings? Do you aim to evoke specific emotions or reactions? What do you hope your audience takes away from your art? 

The message I want to convey is to keep fighting and learning in anything.. align your soul and the universe, love your job, do your best for this and be yourself.

What he values most in his artwork is the ability to communicate truth and infuse passion onto paper or canvas.

The simplest way for him to convey his beliefs and humanity to everyone is through art, particularly fine art.

Through his work, Targo Youwan Istanto seeks to convey a positive message.

Photo courtesy of Targo Youwan Istanto

Dominique Musorrafiti

Ciao! My name is Dominique. I’m Italian and I’m proud to be a mix. My father was an Italian chemical engineer and high school teacher, with Greek and Polish heritage. My mother is Haitian, she was high school language teacher, with Dominican, Spanish, French, Portuguese, African and Native American heritage. Being a mix makes me appreciate to want to understand different cultures and lifestyles. I grew up in Italy, lived few years in Haiti, travel around main European capitals, lived many years in China, in Spain and UK. Traveling makes me feel that we can learn something from every situation in every part of the world.