Ephemeral Eclipse

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ 🗼 🌊 💖 ☁️ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

Nice to meet you! I’m Evan, an Illustration Designer and a Design Lecturer who believes that artists, illustrators, designers, and others have the right to evolve their art without getting shamed by our community.

Ephemeral Eclipse: The Lyrical Hues of Sky and Sea is my FIRST personal branding project based on two pinnacle artworks and their reversed versions. For me, the term "Ephemeral" itself refers to the transient and ever-changing aspect of my branding between PAPERCAPTAIN and Evan Raditya Pratomo throughout the ten years of my career. Previously, I used to divide it into two "subjects," but now it is simply me, either as Papercaptain or Evan.

I have divided Ephemeral Eclipse into two sections: THE SEA’S KISS and THE SKY’S HUG.

Each section has a unique story; I will share everything about them with you.

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ 🗼 🎏 🔴 🌊 🫁 ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

The Sea’s Kiss is an evocative and introspective collection of artistic expressions during my transition from children’s book illustrator to visual artist. This project contains two distinct works, "A Kiss for Red Sun" and "Filled Her Lungs" created in November 2014.

"A Kiss for Red Sun" emerged from my lucid dreams. In one vivid dream, I saw a school of koi fish flying towards Tokyo Tower. I think “Red Sun” charms my reflection and desire to explore a dream-inspired world where imagination knows no limits. The transition was not easy; I often questioned myself about that decision. Is it truly “Papercaptain” or just “Evan Raditya Pratomo”?

In contrast, "Filled Her Lungs" delves into the depths of my dark and most profound emotion, portraying a poignant tale through art. “Lungs” was born from my profound contemplation of a silent scream inspired by Taylor Swift’s song “Clean”. It has this one impactful lyric: "The water filled my lungs, I screamed so loud, but no one heard a thing.”

For me, “Lungs” is my most potent expression of art and the complexities within the human experience because I know everyone must have that one thing to keep about and make us have a “silent scream.”

The origin of “Red Sun” and “Lungs” coincided with a significant juncture in my career journey. I was confronting the challenge of transitioning from the world of children's book illustration to a more mature, contemporary, and conceptually liberated. I decided to grapple with the pursuit of newfound artistic freedom; even though I STILL got an opinion about how I'm not good enough with half-baked skill. Yes I admit that, but if I don't take the chance, do they want to take it for me?

I have zero regrets about showing my innermost struggles and emotions through my artwork during this pivotal transition period. I got projects I proud of like: Adobe Photoshop 25th Anniversary and Ghost In The Shell Alternative Movie Poster for Social Media Promotion, and for AAD (Asia Art & Design) 2016; "Lungs" as its book cover and venue theme, and "Red Sun" being exhibited.

It's a sort of quarter-life crisis. I think I survived.

THE SEA'S KISS thus becomes a testament to this transformative period, capturing the struggle, growth, bravery, and creative metamorphosis experienced while exploring uncharted territories. In short, they serve as a visual testament to the resilience and evolution of my artistic identity.

Although I'm not musically gifted, I enjoy listening to my favorite songs while doing creative work. For THE SEA'S KISS you can check out my curated Spotify playlist ABOVE; scan the code, and welcome to the harmonies of "Red Sun" and "Lungs"

🔴 RED SUN: J-Pop, J-Rock, Anime, Tokusatsu
⭐ Note from me: It's mini Akihabara! You can see how much I love anime and tokusatsu there.
🎵 Must play: Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do by RADWIMPS

🔴 LUNGS: Folk Rock, Folk, Folk Pop, Alternative, Pop
⭐ Note from me: NEVER use random play because you "will feel much better" with every song.
🎵 Must play: Clean (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ 🎵 🤍 🌃 🎧 🌵 ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

Even though my flannel outfit might seem more appropriate for autumn, I always associate THE SEA'S KISS with summer. In Indonesia, where I'm from, we only have dry and rainy seasons, so it's okay to say “all summer long”.

Before we take off to the sky, I want to share this special artwork. It's called SKY OF SUMMER NIGHTS, and I created it around May and published it on 23rd July this year. The artwork features my Chinese zodiac sign, the Horse, waves, rustling leaves, and two spherical objects instead of one. The colors I have used are intended to evoke momentum to "The Sky's Hug". You can view all five images (open in a new tab) to read my creative direction for “Summer Nights”.

🌃 SUMMER NIGHTS: Alternative Rock, Retro Pop, Hopebeat, Indie
⭐ Note from me: This is perfect playlist for night ride, trust me!

🎵 Must play: 10K Summer Nights by Eighty Ninety

After the days of summer nights, two cups of coffee, countless songs, and binge-watching, we finally arrived at the glorious sunrise, and warm hug from the sky. (but my heart still longs for those nights).

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ 💖 🎏 ☁️ 🌅 🫀 ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

THE SKY’S HUG is a collection of the latest artworks, the brightest, most enchanting, and most introspective pieces I have created in the past decade. The project comprises two works, "A Hug for Pink Moon" and "Freed His Heart", created between October and November 2023.

In my latest work, "A Hug for Pink Moon", I returned to the surreal landscape of "A Kiss for Red Sun" but with a new twist. This time, I portrayed the gentle radiance of a "Pink Moon," representing the tender love surrounding everything in a vibrant and warm embrace similar to a sunlit day.

I reversed almost everything, including the colors of the koi fish. From an intimate kiss to a warm hug, from the sun to the moon, and from a night scene to a surreal but bright night. Hopefully, this narrative adds complexity and makes viewers explore the interplay between light and sweet emotion according to their version.

I had never tried animating my artwork before because of the complexity of my techniques. However, since this particular series was exceptional, I decided to commission Dylan Sebastian, my student who excels in animation, to help me create an animation for my work "Pink Moon". The result was epic and outstanding!

Contrasting the intensity of "Filled Her Lungs", the second piece, "Freed His Heart" emerges as a poignant expression of acceptance and contentment. “Heart” reflects the true nature of my unburdened heart. It represents freedom to embrace what I love and want to do. It is similar to the gentle morning light that illuminates the world, radiating peace and tranquility. This contrasts the silent scream depicted in its counterpart version, “Filled Her Lung.”

On the summer night, somebody said that my artwork often had a "dark" tone, even though I purposefully made a happy-themed artwork. This thought made me reflect on my past illustrations, so I revamped two of my most pinnacle pieces, "Red Sun" and "Lungs." I reversed them into "Pink Moon" and "Heart."

Creating THE SKY’S HUG series is surprisingly therapeutic. It reflects the kaleidoscope of spiritual growth, introspection, and new perspectives from my emotional journey throughout 2023. I’m grateful for the warmth it brings to me. THE SKY’S HUG is all about bond, trust, and acceptance, converging to create a visual symphony transcending my limitations.

Same with THE SEA'S KISS; I might be far beyond the musical area, but I have loved literacy since high school. Usually, I prefer lyrics over melody and popularity. THE SKY’S HUG Spotify playlist might be different from my usual style, but these are the songs I listened to the most during my creative time with the ambiance of light turquoise sky, pink moon, amber rose clouds, summer nights, and…a hug.

🩷 PINK MOON: Indo Pop, Pop, Acoustic, Indie, Folk
⭐ Note from me: The last song is literal daydream ✨

🎵 Must play: Day Dream (《照亮你》电视剧插曲) by MiMi李紫婷/陈雪燃

🩷 HEART: Acoustic, Folk, Indie, Pop
⭐ Note from me: First song is about "like" and the last song is "love"
🎵 Must play: I Love You Always Forever by Mateo Oxley

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ 🗼 🌊 💖 ☁️ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

As we know, the lungs and the heart are two vital organs that work together in perfect harmony to sustain life. While the lungs help us breathe in and out, the heart is often symbolically associated with emotions and love. In various belief systems worldwide, archetypes such as “Mother Earth” and “Father Sky” personify the forces of nature and the cosmos. These figures represent the Earth and the heavens. The imagery often emphasizes the idea of a harmonious union between the earthly and celestial realms, highlighting the interconnectedness of all existence. Like the lungs and heart, the Earth and the sky are interconnected and play an essential role in sustaining life on our planet.

I have an interesting fact about my artwork, "Pink Moon." At first, I planned to name it as Day Dream and use light turquoise and pink colors that I had captured in a photo I took during a short escape around November 2023. The picture was taken close to sunset, but the sky was still blue, and the clouds had a slight pink hue. However, I eventually changed my mind and renamed it "A Hug for Pink Moon". Despite being created years apart, naming my two artworks gave them a sense of a non-blood-related family connection.

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ✈️ ☁️ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

Talking about the comparison of my old illustration works with this new one and why I have to use self-photo with a 1-meter canvas print because that is what I have always done since 2011. 2014 was the golden peak of my career with a solo exhibition titled "Senandung Ombak". Flash forward to today, and although not in any exhibition activities, this is me who has always dreamed of becoming a painter since kindergarten. That guy on the collage OOTD photos is also me, from 2017.

Just because we love to do something and are passionate about it, even though we don’t have a proper resource and “talent,” as people say, don’t let them drag you down to their level. Karma is real, we can't see it now or at the time you want to, it's surreal and real, just like eclipse.

I know that above the sky, there is still sky. This EPHEMERAL ECLIPSE is a self-reminder so that if I fall again (I hope not), I have risen around May 2023 by my power and loved ones on those summer nights,

and my paper airplane will keep soaring in the sky.

◦ ◦ ◦ ⭐ ◦ ◦ ◦

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jerry Hartono @jerry_hrtn
ANIMATOR: Dylan Sebastian @dylansbst

◦ ◦

EPHEMERAL ECLIPSE

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘬𝘺 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘴𝘦𝘢
𝘏𝘶𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯, 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯
𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴
𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘯?

◦ ◦

Ephemeral Eclipse

Owner

Ephemeral Eclipse

Tools

Creative Fields