Dina Riyanti is an Indonesian illustrator and author who currently resides in Jakarta. From a young age, she enjoyed drawing and reading fiction books. Those activities ignited her love for illustration and stories. When Dina discovered that both worlds could merge in the form of a picture book, she was immediately captivated.

Dina has worked as a teacher and then also, as an early childhood literacy consultant. She has read picture books aloud to children from big cities to very remote areas in Indonesia. It’s impossible for her to forget the children’s enthusiasm towards each book encounter that she experienced with them.

Her admiration for the art of picture books from all over the world makes Dina dream of becoming an international children picture book creator. She was over the moon when the opportunity arose for her to pursue her Master’s Degree in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art. She graduated in 2019. While studying there, she learned to write her own stories. Dina is mostly inspired by personal experiences that intrigue her. She is interested in heart-warming stories which include humour and diversity.

Prior to her graduate work, Dina studied Printmaking for her Bachelor’s Degree. She was happy to find a printmaking studio in Cambridge School of Art, where she found out about risography and subsequently, fell in love with that process. However, when it was time for Dina to return to Indonesia, she could not find any open risograph studio. Nowadays, she combines manual and digital technique to mimic the risograph effects. She loves to explore colors, textures, shapes, and she strives to achieve effective simplicity in her works.

In 2021, Dina’s work was shortlisted for Nami Concours, Bologna Illustrators Exhibition and dPictus Unpublished Picturebook Showcase. In 2022, she won the second place in the category of Children Books Illustration in Brightness Illustration Award competition. In 2024, she was invited by The Ministry of Culture of Taiwan to participate in “Plant Forest At Home”, an international illustration exhibition in Taichung, Taiwan.

Publications

Rambut Messy! (Messy’s Hair!), written by by Soffie Rosdiana, Gagas Media, 2009
 
Wuli Si Pemarah (Wuli The Angry Girl), written by by Soffie Rosdiana, Gagas Media, 2009
 
Jangan Sedih, Bujang! (Don’t Be Sad, Bujang!), written by Sofie Dewayani, Litara Foundation, 2014

• Second prize in Samsung Kids Time Award (Singapore), 2015 

 
Harta Karun yang Membingungkan (The Confusing Treasure) illustrated and written by Dina Riyanti, Unicef Papua and The Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia, 2018
 
Manusia Kecil Pengatur Hujan dan Cerita-cerita Lainnya dari Gianni Rodari (The Little Rain Man and Other Stories by Gianni Rodari), written by Gianni Rodari, Istituto Italiano di Cultura Jakarta and SigiKata, 2024

Twitter: @uiihh_dina
Facebook: DinariyantiIlustrations
Website: dinariyanti.comdinariyanti.myportfolio.com/
Instagram: @uiihh_dina/