Jakarta, May 7, 2026 – Minister of Creative Economy/Head of the Creative Economy Agency, Teuku Riefky Harsya, discussed potential collaboration to strengthen Indonesia’s illustration and visual arts ecosystem with the organizers of the Jakarta Illustration & Creative Arts Fair (JICAF) 2026. The Minister of Creative Economy stated that illustration holds significant potential as a medium for Intellectual Property (IP) development that can be connected to various other subsectors.
Minister of Creative Economy, Teuku Riefky Harsya, received an audience with the organizers of Jakarta Illustration & Creative Arts Fair (JICAF) 2026 at the Ministry of Creative Economy Office, Jakarta, Thursday (7/5/2026).
“Countries with advanced creative economies always have strong cultural roots. Indonesia also possesses immense cultural richness, and this can be translated into globally relevant creative works through illustration, design, and local IP,” said the Minister of Creative Economy during the audience at Autograph Tower, Jakarta, Thursday (7/5).
The Minister of Creative Economy explained that the development of the illustration ecosystem can begin with strengthening creative talents, expanding international networks, reinforcing IP, and improving financing access for creative economy players in the illustration subsector. Through this strengthening, illustration has broad opportunities to connect with other subsectors such as film, music, games, animation, fashion, and merchandise products.
The Minister further explained that the government is currently building the foundation of the creative economy ecosystem through strengthening market access, intellectual property protection, talent development, and expanding financing access. One initiative being implemented is the introduction of an IP Valuator to assist in assessing intellectual property-based works so they can have more measurable economic value and connect with financing institutions.
“We want creative economy players, including illustrators, to have opportunities to grow and scale up. Therefore, the ecosystem must be built collectively, ranging from curation, promotion, and IP commercialization to financing access,” he said.
The Minister of Creative Economy also welcomed potential synergies with JICAF 2026 through the involvement of illustrators fostered by the Ministry of Creative Economy in exhibitions, promotional facilitation to ministry networks and international partners, as well as the development of incubation and bootcamp programs for young illustrators. In addition, the meeting discussed opportunities for synergy between JICAF and the ‘October Kreasi’ series leading up to National Creative Economy Day and The 5th World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2026.
During the audience, Co-Founder & Strategy Director of JICAF, Andi Sadha, presented the development of Indonesia’s illustration industry, which is increasingly connected to global popular culture and cross-sector creative industries. According to him, illustration is no longer viewed solely as visual artwork, but has evolved into part of IP development and cultural identity.
Documentation by Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
“Illustration is now evolving into part of a cultural movement. Indonesian illustrators’ works have entered global collaborations ranging from music, games, and merchandise to international brands,” said Andi.
JICAF is the largest annual illustration art exhibition in Indonesia that brings together artists, collectors, creative industry players, and the public from both domestic and international communities. Organized since 2023, JICAF 2026 will take place from September 17 to October 4, 2026, featuring selected illustrators from various countries. This year, JICAF received around 800 proposals from 27 countries, which will be curated into 100 exhibition participants.
In its presentation, the JICAF team also outlined several collaboration plans with the Ministry of Creative Economy, including the establishment of an IP Pavilion to showcase Indonesian illustrators’ licensable works, organizing business matching sessions with industry players and prospective international partners, and strengthening market access through Southeast Asian illustration networks and partner countries.
Andi Sadha also stated that JICAF aims to become a connecting platform between illustrators, markets, investors, and the global creative industry.
Documentation by Bureau for Communication of the Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency.
“We want to open broader access for Indonesian illustrators so that their works are not only recognized, but also have economic value and are able to compete in the international market,” added Andi.
Closing the audience, the Minister of Creative Economy requested that the collaboration potential between the Ministry of Creative Economy and JICAF be followed up technically as soon as possible so that support for Indonesian illustrators can be carried out in a more structured and sustainable manner. According to him, strengthening the illustration ecosystem needs to be conducted collectively through collaboration among communities, industries, the government, and international partners so that the impact can be broader for creative economy players.
Kiagoos Irvan Faisal
Head of Bureau for Communication
Ministry of Creative Economy/Creative Economy Agency
