The Success Story of Daud Nugraha: From Kindergarten Teacher to Creator of the World-renowned Aniwayang 'Desa Timun'

Kapanlagi.com - Daud Nugraha, the figure behind the success of the animated series Desa Timun, has proven that creativity knows no bounds. By combining the beauty of traditional shadow puppetry with a touch of modern animation, he created Aniwayang, an animation concept that is not only entertaining but also educates children.

In his interview with KapanLagi.com, Daud revealed that before the animation Desa Timun became a phenomenon, he already had a deep interest in visual arts. His experience as a kindergarten teacher gave him a deeper understanding of children's interests and needs.

"I used to be a kindergarten teacher at Rumah Belajar Semi Palar in Bandung, and that’s where I started to get a lot of inspiration. Yes, the inspiration for Desa Timun came from the kindergarten kids I taught, named Cila and Cili," said Daud.

With that background, he began experimenting with various animation styles and techniques, and was inspired by other cultures, including Japanese animation. From his experiments, unique stories and characters were born, known as the shadow puppet animation Desa Timun. So, what has been Daud Nugraha's journey as the creator of Aniwayang that is now globally recognized? Let's take a look at the complete explanation below.

1. Background in the Arts

The world of art becomes an inspiration for Daud Nugraha. Source: instagram/desatimun

Daud Nugraha, who is a key figure behind the success of the Desa Timun animation, began his career journey with a unique background in the arts. Since his college days, he started to cultivate an interest in visual arts and eventually discovered his passion as a children's book illustrator.

As Daud's interest in blending traditional elements with modern animation grew, this became a hallmark that distinguished his work. Evidence of his achievement was seen when he won first place in the 2007 graphic design competition with a piece that combined contemporary illustrations and Jogja batik motifs. This success opened opportunities for him to grow as a children's book illustrator, which then became the first step towards greater success in the creative world.

2. Uplift Local Culture

Daud Nugraha, the animation creator of Desa Timun, started his career with a dream of becoming an animator inspired by Japanese comics and anime. Although he briefly switched to the world of children's book illustration, his love for animation took him to Malaysia and China in 2015, where he worked as a storyboard artist and director.

Realizing his limitations in animation techniques, yet strong in storytelling, Daud decided to return to the roots of Indonesian culture by featuring wayang as the theme of his animation. This decision gave birth to Desa Timun, a project that gained wide attention and proved that creativity can be rooted in local culture.

3. The Formation Process of Timun Village

Source: instagram/desatimun

The inspiration for the creation of Timun Village is rooted in Daud's personal experience as a kindergarten teacher at Rumah Belajar Semi Palar, Bandung, in 2014. His interactions with his students, especially Cila and Cili, inspired Daud to create characters that reflect their personalities. From there, the idea for the character of the kancil emerged, which ultimately became the main symbol of Timun Village.

However, the journey of Timun Village from idea to reality took quite a long time. After starting to develop the concept in 2020, Daud finally succeeded in realizing this project in 2021. The results were very satisfying, as Timun Village not only received positive responses in Indonesia but also managed to penetrate the international market.

So inspiring, right, KLovers! Make sure to keep updating yourself with the latest news from KapanLagi. Because if not now, when, KapanLagi?

(kpl/nol)