News Highlights:

• In collaboration with Gramedia Popular Literature (KPG), Mowilex launched a book entitled “Crossing The Wall: The Stories of 20 Indonesian Muralist” that contains profiles of 20 Indonesian muralists
• Mowilex launched its newest brand, Pablo Art Paints, a painting paint with its first product, Pablo Mural Paints
• Mowilex partners with Darbotz in the exclusive Pablo Mural Paints Collections

JAKARTA, July 31, 2023 – PT Mowilex Indonesia (Mowilex), a premium paint manufacturer and official paint partner of Museum MACAN, launched a book entitled “Crossing The Wall: The Stories of 20 Indonesian Muralists” that documents profiles of 20 mural artists and communities in Indonesia, in collaboration with the Gramedia Popular Literature (KPG). In the same event, Mowilex also introduced its newest brand in the paintings category, Pablo Art Paints, with its first product, Pablo Mural Paints.

“Crossing The Wall: The Stories of 20 Indonesian Muralist” tells the story of the long journey of 20 mural artists and communities in the arts; how they went through the process of finding unique characters that represent their identity as an artist. They are (in alphabetical order): Anagard, Apotik Komik, Andi Rharharha, Bayu Widodo, Bujangan Urban, Darbotz, Eko Nugroho, Emus Larmawata, Farid Stevy, Farhan Siki, Geger Boyo, Komunitas Pojok, Media Legal, Marishka Soekarna, Popok Tri Wahyudi, Sinta Tantra, Stereoflow, The Popo, Taring Padi, and Wild Drawing.

“We curated those names from hundreds of mural artists with a number of assessment aspects including workmanship, consistency, novelty, and themes. We also use the magnitude or impact of their work on the public as an assessment element. For example, some of their works have become icons in popular places as Darbotz and Stereo Flow did,” said Curator and Author of the book Crossing The Wall, Hilmi Faiq.

The entire data mining and interview process took place online because the writers and artists were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition, some of the artists live abroad. “We did research and completed the interview by correspondence via email. We really enjoyed this interview process because it was so friendly and relaxed. Sometimes it didn’t feel like it had suddenly been three hours,” said Candra Gautama, KPG.

The series of interviews are not only used to compose the story in this book. However, it also makes us aware that there are many artists or muralists whose works are worthy of further publication. Their works deserve to be compared with world muralists. Therefore, this book should be the starting point for compiling a directory of Nusantara muralists. In other words, it is very important to write a similar book by staging the names of other muralists so that the development of the muralist and his work can be clearly mapped.

“We trace that Mowilex paint had been used since the 1990s by artists. What they often used was Mowilex Emulsion paint. With a formula that supports the creative process, Mowilex paint quickly gains a mouth-to-mouth marketing effect among the artist community. For this reason, as a reward, Mowilex collaborated with KPG to record the career journeys of 20 mural artists and communities, which are just a small sample of thousands of other muralists. As far as I know, this book is the first in Indonesia and we dedicate it to our mural artist friends,” said Niko Safavi, CEO of PT Mowilex Indonesia.

Totaling 356 pages and limited printing, this book was written in Indonesian by Seno Joko Suyono, Hilmi Faiq and Samuel Indratma. Meanwhile, the English version was translated by Tjandra Kerto, Dwi Atmanta, and Anton Kurnia. This is not the first book released by Mowilex. Previously, Mowilex has also published a book dedicated to wood carving artists in Bali under the title “Balinese Wood Carving – A Heritage to Treasure”.

Mowilex paint has been used by mural artists since the late 1980’s until today. In several surveys with artists, they admit that the colors produced by Mowilex do not change when applied and have color accuracy so that they match the final expectations in making works. However, in terms of durability when applied outdoors, Mowilex Emulsion, which is specifically formulated for indoor use, is actually not suitable and lasts a long time when used outdoors.

“Based on this problem, we were inspired to formulate a special paint for mural artists, which can be used for both indoor and outdoor areas. This product was born from the inspiration of mural artists who work using Mowilex paint. Based on our vision of producing quality paint, we are introducing a new brand from the painting and art paint category, namely Pablo Art Paints with the first product Pablo Mural Paint,” said Niko.

Pablo Art Paints consists of Mural Paint and Painting categories. The Pablo Mural Paints formula has been proven for its durability in all weather conditions. Pablo Mural Paints was launched in 10 colors. Available in ready-to-use form, with two volume options, 1 liter and 2.5 liters (for black and white).

Pablo Mural Paints is also collaborating with mural artist-Darbotz on a limited exclusive packaging collection. Darbotz is a mural artist with a distinctive and unique style. “This is the first time I have heard that there is special paint for murals. As a mural artist, I often use Mowilex to color large areas that I want to paint in detail. I am very excited about the collaboration with Pablo Mural Paints. After trying to draw a mural at the Mowilex office, I can say that Pablo Mural Paints has excellent coverage and consistency. It’s great to have a paint product that appreciates mural artists.”

About PT Mowilex Indonesia

PT Mowilex Indonesia (Mowilex), a subsidiary of Asia Coatings Enterprises, Pte. Ltd., is a leading producer of premium paints and coatings. Since launching the first Indonesian-made, water-based paints in 1970, the company has expanded its commitment to environmental ethics, equality, community and innovation. PT Mowilex is Indonesia’s only certified carbon neutral manufacturer, producing zero and low VOC paints in modern colours, and the company regularly wins awards for its corporate social responsibility and sustainability efforts.

About Gramedia Popular Literature (KPG) 

KPG is one of the publishers under the Kompas Gramedia Group which was founded on June 1, 1996, from the initiative of Parakitri T. Simbolon. KPG has a tradition of combining business and social activities because it believes that profits in business should be obtained from developing the surrounding potential. Its main mission is to promote scientific literacy and open-mindedness of readers through science and humanities books, both local and translated, fiction and nonfiction.

About Darbotz

Darbotz is a mural artist based in Jakarta. He began his artistic path with street graffiti in 1997. Since 2004, Darbotz has developed his character on the streets. His style is characterized as black and white with minimal accents, symbolizing his alter ego, which reflects his toughness in facing the twists and turns of the city. His artwork has caught the attention of big companies such as Nike and Google Chrome, to the City Government of Jakarta which has led to a number of interesting collaborations.