Before the holy month ends, I thought I’d do a little something quintessentially Ramadan-themed on the blog. In my personal life, it has been a colourful month filled with many hellos and goodbyes and all sorts of shenanigans I wasn’t prepared for. However, the month seems to fly by just like that, it’s insane. Before I knew it, Eid is upon us. Last weekend, though, I managed to squeeze in time to visit the Illustrated Ramadan Jakarta art fair, held by the good people of JICAF in collaboration with Ashta District 8. The fair, I imagine, is part of the “Road to JICAF” mini events—much like the one they held last August for Independence Day—so I thought I’d go check it out.
Before the holy month ends, I thought I’d do a little something quintessentially Ramadan-themed on the blog. In my personal life, it has been a colourful month filled with many hellos and goodbyes and all sorts of shenanigans I wasn’t prepared for. However, the month seems to fly by just like that, it’s insane. Before I knew it, Eid is upon us. Last weekend, though, I managed to squeeze in time to visit the Illustrated Ramadan Jakarta art fair, held by the good people of JICAF in collaboration with Ashta District 8. The fair, I imagine, is part of the “Road to JICAF” mini events—much like the one they held last August for Independence Day—so I thought I’d go check it out.
📷 DJI Pocket Osmo 3
Looking for Meaning and Reflection
Illustrated Ramadan Jakarta was held at SPAC8, Ashta District 8 from 6-15 March 2026 (yes, it’s over by now, so sorry). The fair consists of several activities, such as a curated marketplace of artistic knick knacks, communal iftar sessions, intimate talks and workshops, and a contemporary art exhibition. They partnered with a few brands to inspire the artists and create artwork together, such as Kahf, Wardah and SIMPATI.
The exhibition featured the works of 31 illustrators from various religious backgrounds—that is to say that not everyone involved is Muslim, yet they can appreciate and capture the beauty of the faith in their respective pieces. These names include some of my favourite artists, such as Bernadet Putri, Junissa Bianda, Tissaflo and Winny Astrini. Each piece can be bought as limited-edition prints. To buy one, you could just grab the barcode available at each displayed work and pay at the cashier.
Illustrated Ramadan Jakarta was held at SPAC8, Ashta District 8 from 6-15 March 2026 (yes, it’s over by now, so sorry). The fair consists of several activities, such as a curated marketplace of artistic knick knacks, communal iftar sessions, intimate talks and workshops, and a contemporary art exhibition. They partnered with a few brands to inspire the artists and create artwork together, such as Kahf, Wardah and SIMPATI.
The exhibition featured the works of 31 illustrators from various religious backgrounds—that is to say that not everyone involved is Muslim, yet they can appreciate and capture the beauty of the faith in their respective pieces. These names include some of my favourite artists, such as Bernadet Putri, Junissa Bianda, Tissaflo and Winny Astrini. Each piece can be bought as limited-edition prints. To buy one, you could just grab the barcode available at each displayed work and pay at the cashier.
The curated marketplace included products from local brands (such as Unké Naru, the story-driven fragrance company) and other works from the participating illustrators. A lot of these works include prayer mats, apparel, greeting cards, calendars and more. I grabbed something from here as well, which is the Palestine prayer mat by Tissaflo. I’ve got my eye on this baby since last Ramadan, and was super stoked that I managed to get my hands on it recently. The merch store was located at two points within the exhibition area. The first point is inside the exhibition, near the Wardah booth, while the second was located right by the cashier. Nothing like a last-minute tempation to check out more products to buy.
The curated marketplace included products from local brands (such as Unké Naru, the story-driven fragrance company) and other works from the participating illustrators. A lot of these works include prayer mats, apparel, greeting cards, calendars and more. I grabbed something from here as well, which is the Palestine prayer mat by Tissaflo. I’ve got my eye on this baby since last Ramadan, and was super stoked that I managed to get my hands on it recently. The merch store was located at two points within the exhibition area. The first point is inside the exhibition, near the Wardah booth, while the second was located right by the cashier. Nothing like a last-minute tempation to check out more products to buy.
Wabi Sabi ID shirt (gifted) | Bobo Tokyo jacket (defect sale) | thrifted dress | PACU TUKU tote bag |
Replay Repliy cap | ASICS GEL-NYC™ sneakers
Wabi Sabi ID shirt (gifted) | Bobo Tokyo jacket (defect sale) | thrifted dress | PACU TUKU tote bag |
Replay Repliy cap | ASICS GEL-NYC™ sneakers
Slow Rhythms & Deep Evenings
Meanwhile, in real life, Ramadan has felt like a time to slow down and reconnect with parts of myself I haven’t been in touch with lately. That being said, work has been crazy busy the past few weeks, but it should ease down from here now that the Eid holiday is upon us. For me, Ramadan has also been a time to connect with new people and find friends among strangers. It’s been a time to face parts of myself I didn’t want to see before, a time to deal with emotional baggage and my relationship with God that I hadn’t had the guts to touch in a while. Is it truly a time for deep evenings? Perhaps, although it’s not always easy, but what is the holy month if not the month for reflection? It puts a mirror to your face and forces you to look.
Meanwhile, in real life, Ramadan has felt like a time to slow down and reconnect with parts of myself I haven’t been in touch with lately. That being said, work has been crazy busy the past few weeks, but it should ease down from here now that the Eid holiday is upon us. For me, Ramadan has also been a time to connect with new people and find friends among strangers. It’s been a time to face parts of myself I didn’t want to see before, a time to deal with emotional baggage and my relationship with God that I hadn’t had the guts to touch in a while. Is it truly a time for deep evenings? Perhaps, although it’s not always easy, but what is the holy month if not the month for reflection? It puts a mirror to your face and forces you to look.
What was the hardest part of Ramadan for you this year?
What was the hardest part of Ramadan for you this year?