ARTs

Among cartoonists in Indonesia, Jitet Koestana holds the record

for having won the most awards in international contests. ASIAN
Geographic catches up with this nonconformist for a chat on his
global crisis cartoons, which make us reflect on global issues
while tickling our funny bones.

A cartoon speaks a thousand

words
Interview with cartoonist Jitet Koestana

▾ “The cow is a metaphor for our planet
Earth. We milk the cow dry, eat its meat
and sell it for profit, but never spare
the time and effort to take care of it.”
Tell us, when and how did your cartoons come about?
I’ve loved drawing since young, whether it’s on a blank
piece of paper, a wall, or just sand. It became a natural
habit! In 1987, I started out as a freelance cartoonist. My
modest first cartoon obtained a place in a local newspaper,
Harian Suara Merdeka, in Semarang, Indonesia.

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 text Ferina Natasya Abdul Aziz

What is the best thing about

being a cartoonist?
I feel very blessed and happy to be given this talent,
which enables me to remind society of environmental
destruction, climate change and global crises in a light-
hearted way. To me, this is the best “voice” towards the
powerful people that control society.

What is your view on global warming?

It’s all due to our irresponsible ways! We must change
our ignorant and selfish ways that are the underlying
causes of this global destruction. I believe we will suffer
from all of this. Whether it is the first world or third,
every government should step up their policymaking and
accelerate efforts to combat global warming.

What is it you like about cartoons?

The tongue-in-cheek nature of this art is what makes it
unique. I feel that expressing a complicated or worrisome
situation through cartoons can make you happy and
forget about its seriousness for a bit. Although most of my
work is inclined towards the downtrodden’s point of view,
it still reflects on life as a whole.

Share with us your journey as a cartoonist.

In 1990 and 1991, I was working as an in-house cartoonist
with Harian Kartika in Semarang, Indonesia. From 1991
to 1994, I went to another publication called Humor in
Jakarta and soon after, a magazine titled Raket, which
became a tabloid. I freelanced again for about a year.
From 1999 to 2005, I worked full-time in Tabloid Senior
in the main city. Today I’m with Indonesia’s most widely
read newspaper, Harian Kompas.

▴ “If we continue our ill ways, this

call for a greener Earth can only be a
lost cause. Soon only the Internet and
computer gadgets can show us how a
tree looks like, the texture of a leaf and
the shape of a flower. Only then, will
we understand what we’ve lost.” ▶

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We know you are an advocate against global

warming. Tell us what you have done on your part.
My current employer feels very strongly on doing our
part. A few months back, together with some friends, we
held exhibitions in major cities such as Jakarta, Bandung,
Semarang, and Yogyakarta as part of an awareness
campaign.

Do you think your artwork is an effective medium

to educate people on global warming or being a
green generation?
This may sound biased, but I’d say cartoons are very
effective as a universal communications tool, and they
clarify complex issues very well. Of course this is not
brainwashing. Cartoons spur people to take action and
applaud the right actions made, even at the individual
level, in saving our planet. AG

▴ “The taller the buildings, the richer

the country, and the less it is concerned
for the climate. We have all become too
greedy and ignorant to care.”

◀ “Massive industrialisation only

plagues us with harmful emissions
and destroys the Earth. We know it will
happen – it’s a question of when.”

▶ “If only we do unto nature

what it does unto us, life will be
so much more beautiful!”

Jitet Koestana was born in 1967. He has won numerous

international awards and exhibited in Indonesia, Japan,
Korea, Italy, Germany and Belgium. His works include
Gus Ndul in 1994 and Revolusi in 1990.

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