Who is Yedi Koeshendi?
I was born in Bandung, Indonesia, the home of many islands and cultures where each island has its own cuisine and fashion. To tell you a little more about my birthplace - Bandung is a city in West Java, Indonesia. Here are some quick facts: Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia’s West Java province, is a large city set among volcanoes and tea plantations and has a total population of 2,444,160 (as of the census of 2020). It's known for colonial and art deco architecture, a lively, university-town feel, and has relatively cool tropical weather due to its elevation (768m/2,520 ft). Bandung is also a shopping destination, with fashion outlets clustered along Jalan Setiabudi and Jalan Riau in the Dago district. (TOTAL area = 64.60 sq mi).
Because Family Matters!
The oldest of four, my siblings include one younger brother and two younger sisters, and our parents always taught us to respect and support one another. They helped mold me into who I am today. I am a compassionate person who takes pride in my work. My parents worked hard and were very religious although as a youngster, my daily life was not that unusual from the friends that I had. My best friends and I shared understandings and mutual respect along with doing fun things and traveling together. Today, I live in Nashua, NH with my lovely wife Carolyn (of 17 years), and my cat named Salty. I have no siblings nor my parents anymore. They are all gone. This makes me feel really sad when I think of this fact.
Even more sadly, I must tell you that I do not possess any photos of my parents. I believe this is why it is so very important for me to choose the categories of FAMILY & CHILDREN as my main fine art portrait subjects. I was asked recently "why don't you have any photos at all of your family?" I know that as a family, we never had a professional family portrait made. I don't want this to happen to other families! To continue with who I am, I went to school to learn all that I could and managed to successfully complete high school (without much ado) and continue on to higher education where I studied Hotel Management in Bandung, a field that I stayed for many years and have recently retired from.
When did I learn that I enjoyed creating art?
I have always enjoyed learning the technique of photography and today I really enjoy creating fine art images but for a young man, as you can imagine, the equipment and the expenses to continue to peruse it as a career was impossible without obvious income. So, I kept going with my life in hospitality and it wasn't long before I landed a job on a cruise ship cruising to Bermuda, the Caribbean, and New York City. Happily, I met my future wife on a cruise ship, and we sailed off into the sunset!
I came to the United States when I was 29 years old. As an adult, I continued to work in the hospitality industry for 35+ years. I have enjoyed working in a very elegant five-star hotel in Boston. Because of this, I have a deep understanding of the importance of good customer service, but this alone does not make a business thrive. I strive to integrate this value system with my work ethic as well as a deep passion for photographic art.
Where did I study photography and painting?
In order to develop my own digital art to its current level, I have studied, and continue to study, with some of the top professional photography and digital artists in the world. I get to hang out with some of these top talents in the NHPPA, PPANE, and PPA organizations to which I belong. I really love the process of creating fine art and making hand-rendered images using Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop. I am very content when I am in my creative mind, and happy knowing that the result will give someone else happiness.
I am currently working towards earning my PPA degree "Master Artist" - and yes, that takes time and commitment. I have also immersed myself in the study of portraiture, not just the pixels. All of this activity has helped me to not only advance my skills but also has directly influenced the evolution of my art style in mixed media photography, allowing me to create works of fine art in the old world masters style, and ultimately most important creating heirloom-worthy fine art portraiture that will stand up to the test of time.
Click to check out
a personal interview
with Yedi
in the video below
Photographer Yedi Koeshendi - Sassy Mouth's Flashy Camera Club SNAP Interview
Sassy Mouth's Flashy Camera Club SNAP Interview with Yedi Koeshendi!
In closing
As a testament to years of education and my daily regiment of creating, I am proud to say that I have won numerous awards and accolades at local, national, and international image competitions. I am humbled to be considered among the many talented portrait artists and photographers. I know that if I just keep doing what I love, someone will eventually find my work, and hopefully, will love it enough to want me to create something lovely for them.
3 Comments
Oct 25, 2021, 6:57:21 PM
Yedi Koeshendi - Thank you sir!
Sep 30, 2021, 9:08:50 AM
Crystal Trask - I now know a little more about the infamous Yedi! Thanks for sharing this personal part of you...
Sep 15, 2021, 12:49:22 PM
D M - bonjour! great post