ABOUT GABRIELA
Gabriela "Ina Leah" Fernandez - transdisciplinary artist working with music, body movement, & participatory art in its relation with wellbeing.
I am Gabriela “Ina Leah” Fernandez, a transdisciplinary Indonesian artist, advocate for autism & ADHD awareness. With 11 years of experience, I recently graduated from the Royal College of Art (MFA Arts and Humanities), where I explored the intersection of art and wellbeing after getting a BA in Psychology. I founded Akarupa, an art-for-wellbeing platform promoting self-expression, community building, and intergenerational collaboration.
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Since 2013, I’ve performed across 8 cities in Indonesia at events like Ngayogjazz Festival, Prambanan Jazz Festival, and the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. I performed for Bakti Budaya Djarum Foundation, which led to a collaboration with film director Garin Nugroho. In the UK, I’ve participated in events like St. George’s Art Festival, Wandsworth Art Fringe, and Colchester’s Festival of Rice & Spice.
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My accolades include winning the GoAhead Challenge (2018), National Nomination for Young Female Singer (2021), and an AMI Awards nomination for Best Folk/Country/Ballad Music Production (2022). In 2024, I was shortlisted for the New Blood Art Emerging Artist Award Prize.
From 2019 to 2023, I researched my Lamaholot Tribe’s heritage in East Nusa Tenggara, exploring how indigenous participatory dances and songs promote wellbeing. This inspired Sounds From Lamaholot, a therapeutic art method showcased at Biennale Yogyakarta 2022.
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As a neurodivergent artist, I advocate for autism and ADHD awareness through social media, podcasts, and speaking engagements at institutions like the University of Bath and Ohio University. My visual art focuses on raising awareness about autistic experiences and promoting healing. A recipient of a fully funded scholarship from the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education, I am now based in London, committed to creating art that fosters wellbeing and social impact. This includes being Music Leader Cohort at Wigmore Hall and workshop leader at “From Stimming to Dance” for autistic children.