Naela Ali

Naela Ali

Official portfolio website for a celebrated Indonesian artist, illustrator, and author. Features a comprehensive archive of her paintings, published books and international exhibition history

Role

Developer

Year

2024

Deliverable

Artist Portfolio Website
Headless CMS Integration
Artworks & Books Catalogue

Tech Stack

Next.js Notion APITailwind CSS

Overview

Naela Ali (b. 1992) is a prominent Jakarta-based artist, illustrator, and author. Since her debut in 2016, she has published over 12 works, including the best-selling Stories for Rainy Days series, and has exhibited at prestigious venues like Art Jakarta and Unknown Asia in Osaka.

I was tasked with building her official digital presence to showcase her transition from illustration to fine art and painting.


Digital Gallery & Archive

The website serves as a minimalist digital gallery, designed to reflect the serenity and "quiet simplicity" central to Naela's artistic practice. It categorizes her diverse body of work:

  • Paintings: Showcasing her exploration of the "beauty of the mundane," often inspired by her residencies in Fukuoka and Yamanashi, Japan.
  • Publications: A catalogue of her literary works, many of which have been translated internationally.
  • Exhibitions: A timeline of her shows, from solo exhibitions in Bali to group shows in Singapore and London.

Technical Architecture

To ensure the site remains fast and easy to manage, I utilized a modern Headless architecture:

  • Frontend: Built with Next.js, ensuring the high-resolution artwork images load instantly while maintaining excellent SEO for her books and exhibitions.
  • CMS: Integrated the Notion API as the content management system. This allows Naela to easily update her portfolio, add new paintings, or list upcoming exhibitions (such as Unknown Asia 2025) using a familiar interface without touching a single line of code.