Born in East Bali on 21 July 1982, during the height of the dry season, Gus Dark is a Balinese illustrator and social activist whose work blends art with advocacy. 

He studied Graphic Design at Modern School of Design in Yogyakarta, where he connected with fellow artists and found creative inspiration that shaped his artistic journey. 

In 2015, he co-founded Art Against Corruption Bali, a creative collective that collaborates with KPK, Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), and other civil society groups. He is active in many campaigns, such as bringing his Balinese female superhero, Luh Ayu Manik Mas, to a workshop at Twitter (now X) Asia headquarters in Singapore as part of the #CampaignsForChange initiative.

Awards received include the Superstar Supporter Award from the ROLE Foundation 2013 for environmental cartoons, and Anugerah Jurnalisme Warga (Citizen Journalism Award) from Sloka Institute 2016. He was part of achieving Indonesian World Records for Most Corruption Cartoons and Longest Cartoon Strip, with 31 other artists from around Indonesia. 

His work has previously been exhibited in Indonesia, Switzerland, and the USA. 

Beyond exhibitions and campaigns, Gus continues to share his ideas and social critiques through art on social media and in community circles. He also spreads his messages through DARKADE Propaganda, his personal T-shirt label dedicated to visual activism.

 

Artist photo credit: Nyoman Suarya