Maya (Tjok) Kerthyasa is half Balinese and half Australian. She grew up between Bali and Sydney and studied journalism, shaping herself as a food writer. She spent four-and-a-half years at Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine and wrote a little bit about travel, but her strongest love was always food, since childhood. 

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Even when still running around the back of her family house at Ibah, her parent’s hotel in Campuhan, she found her way writing a first restaurant review at the age of nine. Now she prepares a book on the food of Bali. “It’s so layered, complex and full of cultural significance, but it just isn’t spoken about internationally. I’d like to change that”.

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Beyond labels or creative interests, first and foremost, she is a mother and a nourisher. While focused on her book, she finds some spare time to draw mountains, plants and mythical creatures, sharing with us the beautiful postcards created together with Elami&Co. Art runs in everything she does.

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“I'm all about food, fun and females”.

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Photo credits to Elami&Co, Sunday China Post.