Akbar Seknun was born and raised on Kai Island, in the eastern part of Indonesia. He speaks Indonesian and English, and received the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (Lembaga Pengelola dana Pendidikan) Scholarship in 2019. Akbar earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science at Dipanegara University, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in design and visual communications at the University of Florida. He works as a freelance graphic designer and teaches graphic design and English to children in his community.
Akbar uses his art to promote Indonesian culture. For example, there is a traditional style of dance called paraga from the city of Makassar. He prints designs of the dance on shirts to prompt people to ask questions about Indonesia. He also uses his designs to campaign for social issues. In parts of Indonesia, physical and sexual violence are committed against women, and the survivors are often blamed because of the way they dress. "I knew I had to take action and speak out against this issue, so I made a design of a woman’s face with a caption that reads, It’s a dress, not a yes!”, said Akbar.
