SHOWCASE

/ ARTIST / 2026

ARTIST: xyifu
COUNTRY: Indonesia
CONTACT: https://xyifu.myportfolio.com/illustration
https://www.instagram.com/xyifuu/
Hi! I’m Syifa, the illustrator behind XYIFU, I create illustrations inspired by feelings, childhood memories, and the small moments that stay with us longer than we expect. My work is often playful and lighthearted on the surface, but each piece is rooted in something personal…a memory, an energy, or a moment i want to keep close and something that someone can relate to. Drawing has always been my way of documenting emotions and experiences that are difficult to express in words :)

Solitude

As someone who often feels the emotions and energy of others deeply, I've always found beauty in observing people. I notice the excitement, warmth, and connections that exist between them. Yet sometimes that same sensitivity makes me retreat inward. While I long for closeness, I often find myself standing just outside of it, watching rather than participating.
This piece reflects that bittersweet feeling of being both connected and distant at the same time. The ability to understand others can feel like a gift, but it can also be isolating when you struggle to let yourself be understood.
s someone who often feels the emotions and energy of others deeply, i've always found beauty in observing people. i notice the excitement, warmth, and connections that exist between them. yet sometimes that same sensitivity makes me retreat inward. while i long for closeness, i often find myself standing just outside of it, watching rather than participating.
this piece reflects that bittersweet feeling of being both connected and distant at the same time. the ability to understand others can feel like a gift, but it can also be isolating when you struggle to let yourself be understood.
it's a portrait of quiet observation, self-imposed distance, and the hope that one day, stepping into the light might feel a little less frightening than staying behind the curtain.

ENCORE!!!

love letter to the imaginary stages we built as children. It captures the moments when a living room became a concert hall, a remote control became a microphone, and the spotlight existed only in our minds. Inspired by childhood memories and the music that shaped them, this piece celebrates the wonder of pretending, dreaming big, and singing as if the whole world was listening. the soundtrack to these memories for me was often The Beatles, my dad's favorite band, whose songs filled much of my childhood and continue to bring me back to those carefree days.

Being Kind

celebrates small acts of kindness can make everyday life a little brighter. these everyday gestures can stay with someone much longer than we realize. Sometimes the coolest thing we can do is care for one another.

Playtime!

this is where i remember when making a mess was simply another way of being alive. the freedom to make or do something honest, messy, and alive. meaningful things come from experimenting, getting things wrong, and allowing ourselves to create with curiosity instead of pressure. In those imperfect moments, we often find the truest version of ourselves.

Just So I won't Forget

writing down small memories before they fade. i wrote about those days at night, a small attempt to keep pieces of the past close, so they can be carried forward and remembered forever.

One Stitch

Even if it feels slow, every tiny stitch brings uscloser. Growth isn’t always loud sometimes it’s quiet, patient, moments that slowly turn into something beautiful.

Beli(e)ve In Me I Didn't Leave

A story of warrior stands between longing and hope, carrying the quiet promise: “belive in me, I didn’t leave.” This is the feeling of loyalty that lingers, even in absence. the part when its belive not “believe” the spelling is intentional to showing the warrior emotion when imperfection is part of the feeling.

Childhood Bedroom

it's something special to remember how childroom bedroom feels like it's cozy, warm but somewhat fun. A glow in the dark wall star stickers, fun pattern/cartoon blanket this kind of things makes me miss my imaginary childhood bedroom...

Kinda Lost

A fighter laying in a forest at night. Not fighting, not running, just
pausing. Its like getting lost in the start of beginning.

SOBER THOUGHTS DRUNK WORDS

explores the fragile space between what we feel and what we choose to say. It portrays a drifting soul suspended in a sea of uncertainty, caught among unanswered questions, unspoken emotions, and endless "maybes."