Today we’d like to introduce you to Firdausiyus.
Hi Firdausiyus, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Some stories start with a pencil, a dream, and the soft glow of a Saturday morning cartoon. Mine began with Pokémon. As a child, the moment I saw animated characters come to life, something inside me clicked. I wanted to make my own characters move—to give breath to imagination. While other kids played outside, I drew. While the world around me buzzed with noise, I found calm in sketching what couldn’t yet exist. But childhood wasn’t just crayons and curiosity. In junior and senior high school, I was often bullied for being introverted. I wasn’t the loudest in class, nor the most social. I was “that quiet kid who draws.” Art became my safe space, a language I could use to say the things I didn’t know how to speak out loud. Thankfully, while friendships wavered, my family stood strong behind me, always encouraging my artistic curiosity.
There was a message that stayed with me forever. Before my father passed away, he once told me, “Wherever you go, keep remember that you’ll never forget your roots, never forget your culture.” Those words became more than a memory—they became a mission. That message sparked a fire in me: to bring Indonesian culture to the world through art. Guided by the Javanese philosophy “Hamemayu Hayuning Bawono”—which means “Enhance the beauty and harmonize the world”— reconnecting to the roots where I came from and where it’s all begin.. It’s about being a human who humanizes others. And for me, creating art is a part of that calling.
Things truly shifted in 2013, when my fascination with animation turned into a full-blown passion. After graduating high school, I enrolled at BINUS University to study Visual Communication Design – Animation. Here, I dived deep into 2D and 3D animation, learning from mentors who didn’t just teach software, but shared their vision. For my final project, I created a short animated film titled POTRET. It wasn’t just a film. It was a door. It opened up opportunities I had only dreamed of. Through my debut film, I’ve got 2 nominations then I won my first award in Fresh n Brite Festival for cultural insight category.
Post-graduation, I had an internship at Ohel Studio as a 3D modeler and illustrator, working on architectural and commercial projects. Eventually, I joined a well-known media in Indonesia, Kompas, as a full-time animator, designing educational videos for children. I created an Intellectual Property which had already registered in intellectual copyright (HAKI). Yet the project had not launched while 2020 came and kicked out everything in the world, the year of global pause. The pandemic didn’t just disrupt lives—it erased project and jobs. Our animation division was dissolved. I found myself stressed, pathetic, and in mental limbo.
In the midst of that darkness, I turned back to art for healing. Museums, quiet lake, art galleries—I searched for peace through creativity. I refused to quit.
Soon after, a studio in Bintaro welcomed me as a motion graphic designer. Here, I refined my craft, transforming 2D assets into vibrant, purposeful animations. I built a real portfolio, brick by brick. One of my well-known project was a short animation about Covid-19 Vaccine campaign then it published on secretariat President of Republic of Indonesia Officially Youtube Channel. In that year, another happiness news came to me that a famous film producer who produce NETFLIX series, contacted me in order to collab with Forka Film Production, Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, thus, my debut film, POTRET, had successfully passed the curation process to be streamed exclusively on Goplay Indonesia digital platform. A year later, MNC Media group, the biggest media group broadcast in Indonesia reached out. They offered me a full-time position in their creative production division, creating visual packages and motion content. I took it.
Meanwhile, POTRET began making waves. It won several awards and be screened at several film festivals, such as; POTRET film became second winner at Dutch Animated Film Festival (DAFF) 2024, a film festival that is held by Erasmus Huis Jakarta, The Kingdom of Netherlands embassy to Indonesia, Opera Rakjat festival 2025, Re: International Video Festival 2024, HelloFest 12th, and became a Top 5 finalist at ACFFEST 2024 (Anti-Corruption Film Festival).
More and more, in late 2024, my art took another leap. My cartoon artwork became honorable selection mention on International Cartoon Contest – People of ASEAN and China Relationship. It was surprising me because it was selected from 579 entries across 34 countries and exhibited exclusively at Bentara Budaya Jakarta, then, this artwork exhibition became my artwork debut to be showed on public. Surprisingly, back- to-back, my piece entitled “Voices in the Void” was also successfully selected for mini exhibition on Feminist diplomacy campaign event at Institut Français d’Indonésie (IFI) Jakarta, and French Embassy to Indonesia.
I’ve since continued juggling freelance and full-time work, never looking back. My journey hasn’t been linear—it’s dynamic, it’s been a dance of chaos and divine timing. I believe the year 2020 was my breaking point and my breakthrough. Out of nowhere, a children’s cartoon project found me. 100% divine intervention.
Every frame I create, I draw, every story I animate, is a hope, a pray, and a step forward. I owe it all to God, whose unseen hand has guided me through rejection and realization, failure and favor. I hope to continue this creative journey for years to come—if the universe, and God, are willing. Without knowing and unpredictable that the child who watched Pokemon film and said “I wanna make it” at that time then it becomes true, being an animator. Through art, we can spread out love, peace and humanity. Art language is a heart-spoken and universal language. In the end, keeping and proudly showing your local value, your culture and your identity wherever you stand and it’s happen without ignoring your own faith.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all—a smooth road would be far from the truth.
The journey has been anything but easy. Like many artists, I’ve had to navigate through uncertainty, rejection, burnout, and moments of deep self-doubt. Early on, being bullied at school for not fitting into typical social molds made me retreat further into my creative world, my teachers underestimated me and while that isolation became the birthplace of my imagination, it also came with emotional scars.
There were moments of doubt, setbacks, rejections, and unexpected storms like the pandemic that shook everything. Yet every hardship shaped my resilience, sharpened my vision, and taught me that growth often happens in discomfort.
If the journey had been easy, I might not have appreciated the meaning behind every opportunity that came later. So no, it wasn’t smooth—but it was purposeful. And for that, I’m deeply grateful.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As an animation designer, I work across illustration, animation, and motion graphics.
I specialize in creating animation with a strong focus on culture and emotional connection. I love bringing characters and ideas to life, especially ones that carry deeper meaning or reflect local identity. One of the works I’m most proud of is POTRET, my debut short animation that opened many opportunities for me. It was streamed on Digital platform called GOPLAY Indonesia, awarded second place at the Dutch Animated Film Festival 2024, and selected for various international screenings. Besides that, my artwork has been exhibited at cultural events supported by embassies and institutions.
What sets me apart is my commitment to putting heart and deeper values into every project. I believe that art is not just about visuals—it’s about making people feel something real, and about building bridges between people, cultures, and ideas.
Any big plans?
Yes—big dreams, and even bigger faith in the process. For the future, I plan to keep growing as an artist. I’m looking forward to create more independent animated films that can bring Indonesian culture and values to the global stage. Another big goal is to collaborate internationally—not just as a freelancer, but as a co-creator in meaningful cultural projects. I’m especially drawn to projects that focus on education or intercultural dialogue, and I’d love to eventually direct or co-direct something that screens at major festivals like Annecy or Sundance. One of my biggest dreams is to someday build my own small creative studio that focuses on cultural storytelling, meaningful animation, and mentorship for young artists.
So yes, the plans are big—but they all revolve around one core idea: using art to connect people, preserve stories, and celebrate culture.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.deviantart.com/dafirr
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firdausiyus/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muhammad-firdaus-416343180/
