An Totis Syafei, born and raised in Bukittinggi, West Sumatera, Indonesia, grew up painting and drawing since the time he could hold a pencil and a paint brush. Coming from a family whose father is a teacher, he grew fondly of shapes and geometric patterns. He continued his interests throughout grade school, high school and college. An Totis graduated from Bogor Institute of Agriculture with a Mechanical Engineering degree. So far, more than three times he has performed the painting exhibition.

 

Now he working at a Heavy Equipment company as IT Senior Manager. Owning family, lovely wife and two children. Nevertheless, among his busy time he remain to paint and draw abstract, realist, and expressionist  shapes with a focus on natural subjects. Beside painting he also deepening photography and fashion design. Not rarely he would take hundreds of frames with  his camera.  His  friends  and  colleagues

eagerly anticipated viewing his work and his reputation as a photographer grew.   An Totis entered the new age technology when he discovered digital cameras. The quality of the images were equal to anything produced on a conventional 8 x 10 camera. He uses a Nikon D-series for scenery and Minolta Dimage for insects, flowers and close detail work. Digital cameras allow great flexibility, but An Totis does not compromise, or manipulate 'extremely', the contents of the images produced. He just takes straight photographs and the quality of these images with the detail and tone is breathtaking. An Totis has an innate photographic ability that is intuitive; he simply has a natural eye for composition. He has finally found his niche as a fine arts photographer. (December, 2004)