I met the work of Mira Nurdianti (Melancholy Memento) before I met Mira the person. During the pandemic, a Newtown Japanese restaurant offered artists ramen bowls that we could glaze to our liking. I made this. And Mira made this. At the time, I was still building up strength in my hand, like, the specific muscles artists have developed that enable us to paint and draw for hours each day. So I remember damaging my hand but also being giddy at the joy of painting my mermaid. I saw Mira's bowl at Shinmachi and was completely astonished at the complexity of her line work, how utterly clean it was and how much it flowed. This isn't easy on a flat surface and the bowls are, of course, concave.
So I looked into the darkly beautiful world of Melancholy Memento and have since acquired a number of her pieces. I have them around in my studio and they urge me to seek my magnum opus, among other things. I admire Mira's fine line drawings, her nods to her cultural background and her distinctive style. I can always tell when something was drawn by her hand.
Mira Nurdianti. Photo: supplied
Mira Nurdianti is the eighth in my series of creatives to take five questions.
When my creative process is stuck, I reach for… books. Non-fiction mainly. I like reading about anything related to the occult and I always have a handful of to-read books at home. Sometimes, all it takes is a sentence to send me down an inspiration rabbit hole. I continue to follow the trail and it will give me visions. I keep a journal with me at all times; I like writing down phrases or beautiful sentences that I could’ve never thought of putting together.
The weirdest thing about being a creative human is… liking being alone and disliking it at the same time.
The most unusual object in my house is… my rocks and leaves collection. I have rocks and leaves that I brought home from memorable times in the past. Some I’ve put in a small jar, some I’ve placed on my altar. My daughter picked up this habit. One time after school, she handed me a piece of rock. She said she saw this nice-shaped rock and thought I would like it. I did and it’s now part of my altar.
I celebrate my achievements by… taking myself out on a date. Just me. It could be a lunch/dinner at my favourite restaurant.
Something in the world that already exists that I wish I had created is… the illustrated edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s Tales of Mystery & Imagination. It was illustrated by Harry Clarke.
Find Mira Nurdianti's work at Melancholy Memento online and at local markets such as the Kirribilli Markets. At the time of writing, Mira is there right now!