Dias Prabu began his artistic journey painting murals, winning a national competition at the National Gallery of Indonesia in 2014, where his mural still covers a gallery wall. His mural travels took him across Indonesian cities and provinces, where he absorbed local traditions and stories—transforming them into large-scale public art that reflects regional culture and shared histories.
Over time, Dias shifted his focus from walls to textiles, mastering batik tulis—the traditional hand-drawn batik technique using hot wax (“canting”) and dye. Rather than sketching beforehand, he lets intuition guide his batik drawings directly on fabric, creating spontaneous compositions that entwine folklore, mythological figures, hybrid beings, and symbols drawn from Indonesian cultural memory.
His batik works often carry powerful narratives. Series like Manners from the Forest, Blessing Moment, and The Guardian of Life combine bold imagery with environmental and social themes, drawing attention to endangered animals, ancestral tales, and collective memory.
In exhibitions, including solo shows in Australia and the U.S., Dias expands his practice into drawing-batik installations—long, flowing textiles that become immersive storytelling spaces. Works such as After the Sunset (2024) demonstrate his blend of traditional craft with contemporary concerns, using striking color and form to connect personal history with broader cultural dialogues. IndoArtNow
Across murals and batik, Dias’s art bridges past and present: it reimagines Nusantara’s histories and mythologies while engaging communities and international audiences with rich visual narratives rooted in heritage but open to the future.
