Durga
Born and grew up in Jakarta, after completing his degree in Design Visual and Communication from Indonesian Art Institute (Institut Seni Indonesia) in Yogyakarta, Durga lived in Germany towards end of 1990’s up to mid 2000. Besides working in graphic design industry, he also continued his Master in Historical Art in University of Passau and worked for several years in Berlin.
The ideas and thoughts to become a tattoo artist became a reality when he lived in Los Angeles, California. While working as graphic designer and illustrator, he started to learn tattooing by himself through books and references.
Selected among a group of candidates, he was an apprentice under Sua Sulu’ape Freewind, a master in world’s renowned tribal tattoo and traditional hand tapping in his Balck Wave Tattoo studio in Los Angeles. This apprenticeship got him started as part of a team of hand tapping on Polynesian, Borneo and native American. Almost at the same time, Seymour Kahiliaulani Kaniho – Lindsey, another world renowned tattoo artist from Hawaii worked in Black Wave Tattoo, shared his knowledge, tips and tattoo technique.
When he returned from the US in mid 2008 up to today, Durga lives and works as tattoo artist and established Durga Tattoo studio in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Durga visits and lives in Siberut Island in Mentawai archipelago on a regular annual basis, to continue his mission of Mentawai Tattoo Revival as a living independent project, holding a tattoo workshop in the depth of Mentawai and continues to deepening, learning, working and living together with Sikerei (indigenous elder of Mentawai), relatives and rural folks of Siberut island on the art and culture of Mentawai tattoo tradition.
