Painter

Yucca Rose – Biography (as Contemporary Painter, Installation Artist and Artistic Director of Rose Entertainment – the World / Jazz Musician and Acting / Performance biography can be found on the Musician page).

     Yukke Roswenda Heckmann, better known as Yucca Rose, is a well respected contemporary painter from Malang in East Java, where she was born on June 21st, 1979 as the third child of a modern and open minded Javanese family, who nurtured artistic ambitions in all their children.

     The creative freedom and support from parents and older siblings installed self-esteem and empowered the young woman – she found herself sure about her role in life from an early age on, when she, only a young teenager, actively immersed herself in artistic and journalistic endeavors – beginning to draw caricatures, interviewing community members, and creating a successful monthly school magazine with drawings, sketches, cartoons and running the magazine as editor at large.

     Given the fact that many art programs in Indonesia during the late 90s were cut from curriculums, she funded her projects through a small personal foundation. This Journalism, Communication and Arts foundation, which she established in High School, still exists to this date – actively supporting young creative minds.

     To further her (by then already multiple) creative career paths, she moved to Jakarta to study Graphic Design at Interstudy Desain Grafis and Jazz Vocals / Jazz Ensemble at Elfa Music Studio and Institut Music Daya Indonesia.

     This important move to the Capital Region of Indonesia gave her more creative exposure and opportunities – also allowing her to become part of the famed Jakarta Community Painter network. Her early paintings were rough and showed obvious signs of inexperience, yet displayed a fresh breath of innocence and pure childlike joy, which was immediately recognized by a few established Jakarta based artisans, who then carefully guided her on her path to becoming a professional contemporary painter without loosing her identity.

     Having never received a full formal education as a painter may now be seen as a blessing, as she retained her natural and unspoiled naiveté – a colorful innocence and romantic purity. “Longing and Belonging” are most appropriate key-words for most of her unique paintings, which are now more and more recognized – finding their way into collections worldwide.

     In addition to her career as a contemporary painter, Yucca Rose also enjoys rising popularity as World Music performer and Ethnic Jazz vocalist and in 2011, she took on a new challenge – becoming a theatrical actress in one of her own theatrical productions.

(Please see details of her musical and theatrical experience in her separate biography on the Yucca Rose Music page).

     In 2014, Yucca Rose founded Rumah Kreatif together with her partner Bob Oktaviano and her husband Peter Heckmann. This company is a Tanah Baru / Depok based professional “creative workshop”, where she and her team are able to design and realize large scale wall murals, create unique bamboo toys and restore antique furniture.

     In her workshop, she also works on client commissions and adds her unique and colorful painting style to any available surface – including glass windows, furniture, pottery and recycled wood boxes.

     The Special Effects division of Rumah Kreatif (under the supervision of Bob Oktaviano) designs professional movie sets and creates a variety of props and masks for Commercials and Feature Film projects.

See more of the creative work on Facebook, Behance and her Youtube channel.

Previous exposures and exhibitions (1999-2010):
1999 – Winner of Senior High School Poster Competition (Title: Indonesian Unity).
1999 – Winner Graphic Design Competition for University of Indonesia (Title: What You Wanna Be).
1999 – 3rd Place Perspective Drawing Contest for Jayabaya Technical University.
2002 – Opened the family art gallery Kenino with her sister Rosita Yahya and sister-in-law Lani.
2002 – Studied contemporary painting styles with OdjiLirungan in Jakarta.
2002 to 2005 – Participated in the permanent “Karya Prajurit” exhibition at WTC building in Jakarta.
2006 to 2007 – Participated in “Pesona Milenia” art exhibition at Sahid Jaya Hotel in Jakarta.
2008 – Participated in “Barli Community” exhibition with Masagoeng and Rendra Santana at Bale Seni Barli in Bandung.
2008 – Studied Realistic Concepts with Masagoeng in Jakarta.
2009 – Finalist Arti Magazine “Action Painting” competition (National Museum / Arti Magazine / Green Gallery), which resulted in the first commercial auction of Yucca Rose paintings.
2009 – Invited by internationally acclaimed Jakarta based contemporary painter Arifin Neif to showcase her artwork.
2009 – Commissioned paintings (Theme: Traditional Indonesian Life Style – acrylic on wood-boxes and wooden doors / frames) for Consept Gallery, Kemang, which were mostly sold to US clients.
2010 – Television appearances with interviews (Profesi Jakarta) and art showcases at O-Channel, Metro TV and TVRI National.
2010 – Growing artistic recognition, resulting in Eve magazine interview – voted one of the “most inspiring women in Indonesia of 2010”.
2010 – Featured editorial in Chic magazine about her traditional paintings on recycled wood.

Previous productions and events:
January-June 2011 – Artistic Co-Director – costumes, sets, stage design and story boards for the Cirque Du Soleil style theatrical show “Regalia-The Enchanted Forest” at Bali Theatre (Bali Safari and Marine Park), created by Raining Heart Productions and realized by Swiss designer Orlando Bassi – Sari Rambut/Bali Movie Studios (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean etc.).

July 2011 – Co-Creator – Art Installation “Reveal” for a private event at the W-Hotel in Seminyak, Bali.

November 2011 – Co-Creator and Performer – Exclusive presentation of the “Reveal” show at the Tennis Player Gala dinner at the Grand Hyatt in Nusa Dua, Bali, featuring thirty dancers, actors and performers (hosted by Commonwealth Bank, Grand Hyatt and WTA: Road to Bali – Tournament of Champions).

January 2014 until now – Various creative productions (Wall Murals, commissioned paintings, movie set designs etc.) by Rumah Kreatif, her Jakarta based Creative Workshop and Special Effects company.

QUOTES:
“Thank you, your colorful paintings brighten my day… bold and daring, yet heartfelt and sensitive – Yucca, you are a beautiful rose.” – Gregory Miller, CO – via twitter

“There is passion and then there is the gift. When you have the gift as well as the passion… you would have arrived… YUCCA ROSE has arrived!” – Daniel Johnson, Jr – via Reverbnation

“YUCCA ROSE – the multi-talented and very creative powerhouse from Jakarta, Indonesia. Yucca Rose is a well versed jazz vocalist, an award winning contemporary painter, an amazing costume and set designer and also a strong and beautiful theatrical actress – very surprising, to see all this creative energy just bursting out of this very petite and adorable package.” – Lifestyle Editor, Glamour Mag.  (08/01, 2011)

“Yukke Roswenda Rose (Yucca Rose) a jazz singer and contemporary painter from Jakarta – One of the most inspiring women in Indonesia.”- In House Editor, Eve Mag. Indonesia (04/01, 2009)