Varsam Kurnia is an artist and illustrator based in Jakarta, Indonesia. He paints in water-based media and digital formats, combining aspects of surrealism, symbolism, and whimsy.
Varsam's personal artwork has been exhibited throughout Asia, with commercial patrons including Starbucks, Samsung, Men's Folio Magazine, and Gramedia book publishers, among others. Recently, Varsam designed a mask as part of a national, Indonesian initiative to provide affordable protection against COVID-19.
He is also the the owner of @somethingstokeep, a store of keepsakes and story-based trinkets.
We were first introduced to Varsam Kurnia's work in 2015 when looking for local artist and creators to feature on the shelves of our retail shop, Cave And Cove, in Bali. Amidst the eclectic mix of products on offer, Varsam's prints and original paintings stood out. They showed studied observation of the human form as well as insightful renderings of the emotional complexity of life.
Now, after saying that we should collaborate for years, the time has finally come! Through our shared love of symbolism and story-telling, we worked together to develop a playful and poetic collection called The Distance Of Time.