gengoya

Ferdi Trihadi is an illustrator based in Fukuoka, Japan, who works under the name Gengoya. He holds a bachelor's degree in Image and Communication from Lasalle College of The Arts in Singapore, awarded in 2011. Following his studies, he was part of the team at the Singaporean studio Phunk. In 2016, Trihadi established the Gengoya project, which draws from his own experience of learning the Japanese language over a ten year period. The project is dedicated to creating illustrations that explain and share elements of Japanese language and culture.

The artist’s practice is founded on a consistent method of drawing, often producing work on a daily basis. The works in the Daily Muse series, for example, are described by Gengoya as the initial sketches for a larger collection, revealing a process where ideas are developed through serial iteration. He has produced distinct series of digital illustrations, including collections of unique character portraits for online platforms. His works are organised into titled groups such as Daily Muse and MINIMUSE, which demonstrate a systematic approach to visual production, reducing varied subjects to a spare and consistent graphic language.

Gengoya’s illustrations are characterised by clean lines and a refined graphic economy. The work's primary concern is educational, using visual communication to make complex cultural and linguistic topics more accessible. An artist note attached to the Daily Muse works includes the term ‘erokawa’, a Japanese portmanteau which suggests an aesthetic interest in combining cute and erotic qualities. The drawings in this collection, from preparatory studies to the distilled forms of the MINIMUSE series, provide a clear record of the artist's visual thinking. His work has been presented in exhibitions in Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and the United States.