From “doodles and scratches” to iconic artworks, how Tuyuloveme conquers the world with his mural

In the Indonesian mystical scene, tuyul is a creature that steals money from people. In Tuyuloveme’s world, Tuyul is a character that steals the attention of audiences spanning across the globe.

Inspired by his nickname during highschool, Tuyuloveme, whose stage name is a combination of tuyul and “Why Do You Love Me” song, created the Tuyul character in 2009. The character boasts a pair of rounded and large eyes with a gray face that also acts as its body.

“Tuyul is created by looking at myself that loves traveling and the thirst of challenges, knowing the world, especially art around the world,” said the artist.

Before his iconic character, the artist has been dwelling in street art since 2006. He found satisfaction through drawing and doodling at an empty space in his hometown. Vibrant colours, expressive visuals with festival vibe have always been his signature style.

“My paintings represent a contradicting alter-ego to my personalities in real life. All of my artwork is inspired by portraits of people I’ve met and collaboration with other artists.”

Albeit the “absurd” stage name, his stage name and character turn into an icon. To this date, Tuyuloveme has been invited to join exhibitions in the Philippines, France, Singapore, US, Thailand and the most memorable ones for him in Russia.

Russian mural festival Urban Morphogenesis Mural Festival in 2019 and 2021 showcases his artwork “Seeing Each Other” and “Give and Take”, respectively. The first festival puts up his artwork on a 23-storey building in Moscow, while the recent one is displayed on a 9-storey building in Solnechnogorsk, a district located 65 kilometers away from Moscow.

He has hosted a solo exhibition at Bside Gallery in Melbourne. In the country, he has worked with corporations like consumer goods company PT Orangtua and telecommunication provider Indosat Ooredoo in 2020 titled “Boundless Desire” located at the bustling street of Jakarta.

The artist in 2019 partnered with French football club Paris Saint-Germain for jersey design. He has also collaborated with independent band Shaggydog in 2016 to design merchandise and jewelry brand Sweda this year to create a ring collection.

Other notable locations of his artwork include Yogyakarta, expedition trucks in Seattle, streets in Brisbane. With so many Indonesian mural artists overseas, we hope that the world of mural or graffiti art will be more developed, recognised and accepted by the community and mural artists of Indonesia will continue to create iconic and legendary artworks.