Impressionist Painting of a Woman by a Javanese Artist, "Playing Kecapi"

"I am an artist born in Java in 1952. I live in a harbor town.

"I am the oldest of four children. As a child, I hung out with my friends in my village, played marbles and hide and seek.

"I attended Catholic schools and, after graduating high school, I attended art school in Jogjakarta from 1973 to 1975.

"When I was 24, I began working in a furniture shop as an interior designer. I later worked as a graphic designer and in advertising agencies.

"I married a woman from my hometown and she is also an artist. We went through a difficult period in 1998 when Indonesia went through an economic downturn.

"At the time, my wife had a hard time giving birth to our first son and had to have a C-section. Today, we have two boys who make me more responsible than I used to be.

"Novica has helped promote and introduce Indonesia's rich culture and traditions to the whole world. I'd like everyone to know more about our humble country. Through my paintings, I have visualized small parts of Indonesia's culture so that I will not only promote my paintings, but also attract more visitors to my country."