WD Willy and Liffi Wongso Encourage Young Illustrators to Be More Confident

Kapanlagi.com - The world of illustration in Indonesia continues to develop with the emergence of many young talents with diverse visual characters. In the midst of increasingly tight competition, confidence becomes one of the important assets for creators to showcase their identity and style of work.

This message was one of the highlights conveyed by illustrator WD Willy and fine art artist as well as illustrator Liffi Wongso while participating as judges in the FINNA Art Design Illustration Competition 2026. Both hope the competition will not only be a platform for finding winners but also a space for young illustrators to showcase the originality of their work.

The competition, which runs from June 12 to July 25, 2026, offers a total prize of Rp80 million. Carrying the theme "One Table, A Million Stories, Together with FINNA FOOD", participants are invited to explore various stories, cultures, and emotions present around the dining table through their illustrations.

1. Has Its Own Uniqueness

For WD Willy, one of the challenges often encountered in various competitions is the tendency of participants to adjust their works to the visual style of the judges. In fact, according to him, every illustrator has a uniqueness that becomes the main value in a work.

"We hope participants do not get stuck on our style as a reference in this competition. As judges, we actually hope to see many works with various design and illustration styles from fresh young talents," he said during a press conference in Jakarta, Friday (12/6/2026).

According to WD Willy, the diversity of works is the reason why the organizers present a jury with different backgrounds and visual characters. He believes this step can create a more fair assessment process that is open to various creative approaches.

2. Stepping Stone

WD Willy and Liffi Wongso © Special

"It’s pretty much the same. What makes me happy is that, as I mentioned earlier, I really like how Vina's team brings the judges; our styles are already very different. Then they have a vision and mission to make it fair, you know," she said.

A similar view was expressed by Liffi Wongso. The woman known as a fine art artist and illustrator believes that the competition can serve as an important stepping stone for young creators to expand their exposure while also building confidence in the work they produce.

According to Liffi, the interesting value of this competition is not just the prizes at stake, but also the opportunity for participants to introduce their work to a wider audience through various platforms and exhibition activities.

3. A Good Opportunity

“I feel that this competition is a very good opportunity. Because it was mentioned earlier that the contestants can also be invited to exhibit at Artket, and the winners' designs will also be applied to several merchandise, which is a good thing because the artists can promote themselves in different forms. So they can also build their exposure even bigger,” said Liffi Wongso.

Meanwhile, the National Marketing Communication Manager of PT Sekar Laut Tbk, Wenny Viana, explained that the organization of this competition is part of the effort to open wider space for visual artists in Indonesia. This year, the event is being held again after receiving positive responses in the previous edition.

4. Showcase Your Work

“Last year was quite successful, there were a lot of participants, and the enthusiasm was really great, and the results were extraordinary. The participants are from all over Indonesia, and indeed Indonesian art is really top-notch. So we are accommodating the arts in Indonesia,” said Wenny.

In addition to competing for a total prize of Rp80 million, the top 10 finalists will also have the opportunity to showcase their work at the ARTKET event taking place on September 5-6, 2026, in Jakarta. For WD Willy and Liffi Wongso, such opportunities are an important momentum for young illustrators to become more confident in expressing their creative identity without having to be someone else.

5. FAQ

Who are the judges of the FINNA Art Design Illustration Competition 2026?
The judges of this competition are illustrator WD Willy and fine art artist and illustrator Liffi Wongso, along with the President Director of PT Sekar Laut Tbk, Welly Gunawan.

When is the FINNA Art Design Illustration Competition 2026 held?
The competition runs from June 12 to July 25, 2026.

(kpl/pur/tdr)