Picture this: a canal boat glides past a shipping container in Brussels, and on top of it sits a 20-something-foot inflatable woman in a pink striped sweater, chin resting on her hand, watching the city go by. No explanation. No plaque. Just a giant daydreaming.

That's Daydreamer, the newest public art piece by Yessiow, a multidisciplinary artist from Bali, Indonesia. It just made its international debut in Belgium  and it's already racked up over 11,900 likes and 179 shares on a single Instagram post.

Daydreamer is a giant inflatable sculpture by Indonesian artist Yessiow, currently installed at Zomerkaai (Akenkaai) in Brussels, Belgium. It's part of Plaisirs d'Été, the city's summer festival running from July 2 to July 19, 2026. The piece was produced and curated by All About Things, and it's free to view from the canal walkway or passing boats.

At a glance:

• Artist: Yessiow, from Bali, Indonesia
• Location: Zomerkaai (Akenkaai), Brussels
• Dates: July 2–19, 2026
• Instagram engagement: 11,900+ likes, 179 share
• Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, Arts category, 2024

Who Is Yessiow, the Artist Behind Daydreamer?

Yessiow is a Bali-based visual artist known for murals and public installations across more than 20 countries. In 2024, she landed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list in the Arts category. Her signature move: characters that started as small doodles in a personal sketchbook, later blown up into sculptures people can walk past on the street.

That's exactly the story behind Daydreamer. It wasn't commissioned as a concept  it existed first as a drawing Yessiow had carried around for years before someone gave her a canal and a container to put it on.

What Does the Daydreamer Sculpture Actually Represent?

Here's the twist: the character isn't based on a real person. According to Yessiow, Daydreamer represents a feeling, not a face  the specific state of watching boats pass, people move, and a city keep its rhythm while your mind wanders somewhere else entirely.

"It's not about who she is. It's about that feeling when you're watching the world while your mind is somewhere else," Yessiow said, describing the piece through her Instagram caption.

That's a deliberately small idea for a very large sculpture  and that contrast is part of why it's stopping people mid-scroll.

Why Brussels, and Why Now?

Daydreamer landed in Brussels as part of Plaisirs d'Été, a Brussels summer festival built around canal-side and open-air cultural experiences  boat concerts, outdoor dance floors, and now, apparently, giant inflatable daydreamers. The installation sits on a shipping container along the water at Zomerkaai, visible to pedestrians, cyclists, and anyone on a passing boat tour.

It's a striking pairing: an Indonesian artist's sketchbook character, sitting on European industrial infrastructure, watching a canal that's centuries older than the art form itself.

Is This the First Time Yessiow's Work Has Gone This Big?

In scale, yes  this is her first inflatable of this size shown internationally. But the underlying practice isn't new. Yessiow has built a career on murals in public spaces, meaning she's used to art that doesn't live behind gallery walls, but out where people didn't plan to encounter it.