This Jakarta-born, Bugis-ethnic man got his first encounter with photography in 2010 when he joined a Bau Tanah Galery Community and Kelas Pagi Jakarta. His love of photography world led him to join Antara Photojournalism Gallery in 2012. Ilyas has been a staff reporter cum photographer in Rakyat Merdeka since 2014.
“Make waves and storms your friends. Don’t fight them, but just go with wherever the bow of the ship brings you, then you will surely reach your destination.” This is the advice he always remembers out of his two documentation works on the life of Pinisi sailors in the open sea.