Yana was born in Jakarta and at six weeks old, uprooted and displaced to the Netherlands. Under her original name 'Yana Srikandi' she writes and speaks about growing up in a predominantly white environment. In 2022 she met her Javanese family for the first time, which she experienced as a secondary rejection. While Yana started her career with painting urban landscapes, she recently discovered her voice. She made her first song in 2021 which was about adoption and racism. Currently she is working on her next song that will be about her Javanese family.
Published on March 19th, 2023. Artist responses collected in months previous.
What are you fascinated with right now?
I went to Indonesia in 2022 to meet my biological family for the first time. It's like my body, my whole being, intuitively knows that Indonesia is my home. Mostly through writing and making songs I’m able to express this experience best. Regarding making a song, I’m fascinated by evoking sounds that transcend this earthly world. I want to express my feelings, and at the same time I’m trying to connect to something spiritual, a sound that echoes my Indonesian ancestors.
What advice would you give your younger artist self?
I would tell my younger self to spend more time finding inspiration. For a very long time I believed that producing was more important than being still and do nothing. But I found out that through meditation and finding inspiration in nature, it actually became more clear to me what I want to create. I suppose it was really about letting go of ego and self-imposed expectations that were focused on the market. So: Create because you want and need to, not because of ego or demands from outside of you.
What are your tools for creative resilience these days? Do you have any methods to stay positive when life becomes difficult and perhaps when you have limited time to create?
I like to write to not only get things off my chest, but also to get more insight and clarity about deeper things that are troubling me, or are just playing in the background though they sound more like noise. Some of my writings become material for songs. I practise Chi Neng Qigong to keep healthy and become more spiritually connected to myself and life. To me it’s important for my creative art practise, to stay grounded and feel a sense of presence. Actually, lately I don’t feel (time) pressure anymore to create. I put my mental health above creating, and sometimes they go well together. I stay positive by reminding myself that it’s a blessing to be able to create.
What is your dreamy vision for your creative career and art practice three years from now?
I miss travelling as inspiration for my art, so in three years I see myself in Indonesia making songs and paintings. Or maybe somewhere else. Capturing different sceneries and expressing my feelings that are closely connected to being adopted is like a red line through my art practice. In three years, I hope I’ve become more peaceful and very focused on creating art. I’d also like to write a book/ illustration book for adopted children. I can see myself in Indonesia having all the time in the world to create this.
How are you being kind to yourself as you look towards realizing your vision for your art career?
I’ve become much more self-compassionate. In 2022, I met my biological family for the first time, and it certainly wasn’t your fairytale. In that same year my adoptive dad passed away, and I was confronted with many things. I think I really learned to listen to my body, so I rest more often. I’m aware that having a good night's rest improves my creativity (among many other things), so I’ve been renovating my space to achieve that. I didn’t spend a lot of time making paintings, but I’d like to continue doing that. Since I work at home, it’s challenging to separate these two. Recently I’ve been improving my workspace in order to feel comfortable and motivated to make paintings again. Even when I’m not yet making the things I want, I keep dreaming, and try to enjoy the small steps that I’m taking.
What are you fascinated with right now?
I went to Indonesia in 2022 to meet my biological family for the first time. It's like my body, my whole being, intuitively knows that Indonesia is my home. Mostly through writing and making songs I’m able to express this experience best. Regarding making a song, I’m fascinated by evoking sounds that transcend this earthly world. I want to express my feelings, and at the same time I’m trying to connect to something spiritual, a sound that echoes my Indonesian ancestors.
What advice would you give your younger artist self?
I would tell my younger self to spend more time finding inspiration. For a very long time I believed that producing was more important than being still and do nothing. But I found out that through meditation and finding inspiration in nature, it actually became more clear to me what I want to create. I suppose it was really about letting go of ego and self-imposed expectations that were focused on the market. So: Create because you want and need to, not because of ego or demands from outside of you.
What are your tools for creative resilience these days? Do you have any methods to stay positive when life becomes difficult and perhaps when you have limited time to create?
I like to write to not only get things off my chest, but also to get more insight and clarity about deeper things that are troubling me, or are just playing in the background though they sound more like noise. Some of my writings become material for songs. I practise Chi Neng Qigong to keep healthy and become more spiritually connected to myself and life. To me it’s important for my creative art practise, to stay grounded and feel a sense of presence. Actually, lately I don’t feel (time) pressure anymore to create. I put my mental health above creating, and sometimes they go well together. I stay positive by reminding myself that it’s a blessing to be able to create.
What is your dreamy vision for your creative career and art practice three years from now?
I miss travelling as inspiration for my art, so in three years I see myself in Indonesia making songs and paintings. Or maybe somewhere else. Capturing different sceneries and expressing my feelings that are closely connected to being adopted is like a red line through my art practice. In three years, I hope I’ve become more peaceful and very focused on creating art. I’d also like to write a book/ illustration book for adopted children. I can see myself in Indonesia having all the time in the world to create this.
How are you being kind to yourself as you look towards realizing your vision for your art career?
I’ve become much more self-compassionate. In 2022, I met my biological family for the first time, and it certainly wasn’t your fairytale. In that same year my adoptive dad passed away, and I was confronted with many things. I think I really learned to listen to my body, so I rest more often. I’m aware that having a good night's rest improves my creativity (among many other things), so I’ve been renovating my space to achieve that. I didn’t spend a lot of time making paintings, but I’d like to continue doing that. Since I work at home, it’s challenging to separate these two. Recently I’ve been improving my workspace in order to feel comfortable and motivated to make paintings again. Even when I’m not yet making the things I want, I keep dreaming, and try to enjoy the small steps that I’m taking.
Find Yana Poppe on Instagram