Artist

Images Provided by Yessiow

Yessiow is a multidisciplinary artist who grew up in Bali, Indonesia. With Javanese roots and a deep connection to Balinese culture, she was immersed in a blend of traditions from an early age. This dual heritage continues to shape her artistic identity, informing the patterns,colors, and storytelling elements found throughout her work. She is best known for her vibrant street art and large-scale murals that weave together narratives of place, community,

and everyday life through bold color, playful forms, and personal storytelling.

Since beginning her mural practice in 2013, Yessiow has developed a visual language heavily influenced by ancient Greek pottery, natural objects, and bright tropical colors. Pot and vase forms frequently appear throughout her work as symbolic representations of comfort zones, becoming storytelling devices that help her reflect on belonging, memory, movement, and human connection. Through these recurring forms, she often narrates stories about the communities she collaborates with and the places she paints in.

After graduating in 2018, Yessiow and her partner, Stijn, set off on a journey to explore the world, initially driven by curiosity rather than artistic ambition. Their travels took an unexpected turn when the COVID-19 pandemic led them to stay in India for nearly two years. During this period, Yessiow immersed herself in painting on the streets and developed a deeper relationship with public art. 

In India, she painted her first four-story mural, an experience that solidified her passion for large-scale walls and strengthened her interest in connecting with communities through art. What began there soon evolved into an international mural practice. Since then, Yessiow has painted walls across a wide range of cultural and urban landscapes, creating public works in countries including Italy, Greece, Jordan, South Africa, Japan, Vietnam, Serbia, Australia and beyond. Each place has further shaped her approach to storytelling through murals, rooted in local encounters, shared spaces, and human connection.

In recent years, Yessiow has expanded her practice beyond murals into textile and mixed-media installation works. Drawing inspiration from her parents, who have a lifelong practice in knitting, she began reconnecting with her roots by integrating hand-knitted elements into her paintings and installations. Her current studio practice explores themes of memory, domesticity, inherited craft, and intergenerational collaboration, often combining

fabric, paint, and sculptural forms to create tactile and layered works.

Alongside her artistic practice, Yessiow has initiated several projects that support the wider street art community. In 2021, she founded Street Art Calls, a platform created from her own struggles finding opportunities during the early stages of her career. What began as a personal archive of global open calls quickly evolved into an international resource used by artists worldwide. 

In 2023, after returning to Bali, she co-founded the Tangi Street Art Festival, a community-driven initiative dedicated to public art and cultural exchange on the island. In 2025, she launched Far East Mural, a platform supporting and connecting female street artists across Asia and beyond. These initiatives reflect the same values that run through her artistic practice: collaboration, accessibility, storytelling, and creating space for others.

Her contributions to art, public space, and social impact have received international recognition, and in 2024 she was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in the Arts category.

Upcoming shows and projects:

1. Artraga with Connected Art Platform, Jakarta Indonesia - June 2026

2. ⁠ Salon et Cetera with Ace House Collective, Yogyakarta, Indonesia - June 2026

3. Ubud Open Studio, Bali, Indonesia - June 2026

4. Ibug Street Art Festival, Riesa, Germany - August 2026