Biography
Who is Laksmi De-Neefe Suardana?
Early life and education
Laksmi De-Neefe Suardana was born on January 29, 1996, in Melbourne, Australia. Her mother is Janet De-Neefe and her father is Ketut Suardana. She grew up in the village of Ubud, located in the Gianyar Regency of Bali, Indonesia. Laksmi is the granddaughter of the Australian businessman John De-Neefe and has three siblings.
She is multilingual, speaking Indonesian, Balinese, English, Italian, Spanish, and French. She acquired her Italian language skills while working as a fashion designer in Florence. Her academic background is extensive. In 2013, she earned a diploma of arts from Monash College. She later completed a double degree program, obtaining a bachelor of design in fashion design from RMIT University in Australia and a bachelor of business in fashion from Polimoda in Italy. She graduated with summa cum-laude honors.
Career in activism and literature
Laksmi has been deeply involved in social and cultural initiatives. In 2018, she contributed to UNICEF's Voices of Youth as an activist. Her primary advocacy focuses on promoting literacy and literature engagement within Indonesian society. She also volunteers her time teaching English for a non-governmental organization based in Bali.
A significant portion of her work involves the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival. She helped conceive this event alongside her parents following the 2002 Bali bombings as a healing project. Over time, it expanded into the largest literary festival in Southeast Asia. In 2020, she launched the Ubud Writers and Readers Fest IG Live Book Club during the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2023, Yayasan Mudra Swari Saraswati appointed her as the official ambassador for the festival to mark its twentieth anniversary.
Pageantry and film work
Laksmi De-Neefe Suardana pursued a career in pageantry starting in early 2022. She won the title of Puteri Bali 2022 after participating in an open audition in Jakarta. This victory allowed her to compete at the national level. On May 27, 2022, she participated in the Puteri Indonesia 2022 competition held at the Jakarta Convention Center. She ultimately defeated 43 other delegates to become the first representative from Bali to win the title.
Following her national win, she served as a 2022 G20 Ambassador, an appointment made by President Joko Widodo. She later represented her country at the 71st Miss Universe competition, though she did not place. Beyond pageantry, Laksmi has explored acting. In 2010, she appeared as an extra in the Columbia Pictures and Plan B Entertainment film adaptation of Eat Pray Love alongside her older sister, Dewi De-Neefe.
Birthday and age
Laksmi De-Neefe Suardana was born on January 29, 1996, which makes Laksmi 30 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Laksmi shares the date with 32 other famous people.
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