Dali Susanto's art is prominent on walls and outdoor furniture in Hastings, where he lived and worked. Photo / Supplied
Dali Susanto's art is prominent on walls and outdoor furniture in Hastings, where he lived and worked. Photo / Supplied
Artist Dali Susanto sold various drugs, including LSD, MDMA, magic mushrooms and cannabis-laced cookies and lollies
His lawyer said he wasn’t dealing for money, just an‘artisan’ supplying friends and acquaintances.
But Judge Richard Earwaker noted it wasn’t ‘a one-off’ and has sent him to jail.
Dali Susanto lived an “alternative” lifestyle that matched his growing artistic reputation, but it also involved selling a range of drugs to his friends and associates.
Now instead of spending time in his studio, the well-known artist is behind bars.
Susanto has been jailed for selling LSD and magic mushrooms, MDMA and cannabis-laced baked goods and lollies to people he met through his art business, at his studio or sometimes at festivals.
His lawyer, Leo Lafferty, told the NapierDistrict Court that Susanto was “not a Mr Big”, nor was he drug-dealing for the money. He was an “artisan” supplying a circle of friends and acquaintances.
The magic mushrooms, which provided the hallucinogenic Class A drug psilocybin, were growing naturally near Hastings.
When arrested, Susanto took police to show them where he got them.
Susanto, 38, was not involved in gangs and stayed away from methamphetamine, knowing how harmful that drug could be.
However, Judge Richard Earwaker said Susanto’s drug-dealing involved a range of substances and was not a one-off. Over those 20 months, sales were steady, he said.
Hastings display artist Dali Susanto is known for his public art in outdoor spaces. Photo / Warren Buckland
Susanto’s outdoor art prominent
Susanto’s outdoor art is prominent around Hastings. Before being caught in a wider police anti-drugs operation, he had no criminal record and had more than 4700 followers on his Instagram account.
He has had exhibitions at several Hawke’s Bay galleries and also at the Taupō Museum and in Auckland. Examples of his work have sold for more than $2000.
But when Susanto came to police attention they analysed his phone data, revealing drug-dealing contacts he had with various customers and several different suppliers.
Between August 2022 and January 2024, he sold MDMA both in tablet and crystal rock form on 17 occasions – at least 58 tablets and 9.5g of crystalline drug.
Between August 2022 and February 2024 he sold 64 bags of cannabis lollies or “gummies”, on 24 occasions in all.
Between December 2023 and February 2024 he sold three containers of cannabis edibles or baked goods. He also sold cannabis plant.
Between September 2022 and December 2023, Susanto sold at least 50 tabs of LSD over eight transactions.
Between March 2023 and February 2024, he sold magic mushrooms on five occasions.
Dali Susanto's works have sold for more than $2000.
Artist co-operative with police
When police searched his home, car and studio on February 27 this year, they found 134 tabs of LSD, a container of magic mushrooms, seven containers of baked cannabis edibles, 84g of cannabis head and 1g of ketamine.
Susanto was co-operative with police when he was arrested and pleaded guilty to 10 charges of supplying MDMA, cannabis oil, cannabis plant, LSD and magic mushrooms, and one of possessing ketamine.
“You have no previous convictions. You are otherwise of good character and that is reflected in the pre-sentence report which I have,” Judge Earwaker said.
“The pre-sentence report describes you as having something of an alternative lifestyle in which drug use is apparent, also reflected, I suppose, in the artistic circles you move in,” he said.
But the judge also said, “you were dealing drugs and that is something which needs to be deterred and denounced”.
He sentenced Susanto to two and a half years in prison.
Susanto's 2021 exhibition at the Hastings Art Gallery covered entire walls and other interior surfaces. Photo / Warren Buckland
‘Whimsical energetic personality’
The Indonesian-born Susanto, who moved to New Zealand in 2007, is known as the lead artist for a 20m by 4m mural on the Hastings Sports Centre, and for painting street furniture such as power boxes.
In an exhibition at the Hastings Art Gallery in 2021, he painted all the surfaces of one of its rooms, including walls, floor, ceiling and the surfaces of re-purposed furniture.
“Dali’s whimsical energetic personality shines through in this work, emanating his muralist and pop art sensibility,” the gallery said when celebrating the work on its website.
Colleague reacts
When approached for comment, Susanto’s family provided some comments written by one of his artistic colleagues, Rosheen FitzGerald.
She said Susanto was “a kind and gentle soul, incapable of imagining let alone perpetrating hurt on another human being”.
“In the community ... Dali played a vital role, spreading his signature colourful style across canvases, windows, op-shopped objects and even people, combined with fun, joyful, sometimes wry musings that exposed his gentle sense of humour,” FitzGerald said.
“He worked voraciously and was relentless in his quest to include everyone, to help everyone, to make sure everyone was having a good time.
“At house parties he had a talent for taking the saddest relics of the vegetable drawer and transforming them into hearty and delicious meals to feed the people who needed it. Perhaps it was this instinct that led him to the trade of illicit substances.
“Certainly those who did purchase his wares were spared contact with the more nefarious aspects of the illicit drug trade. Not one of his customers was harmed.”
Ric Stevens spent many years working for the former New Zealand Press Association news agency, including as a political reporter at Parliament, before holding senior positions at various daily newspapers. He joined NZME’s Open Justice team in 2022 and is based in Hawke’s Bay. His writing in the crime and justice sphere is informed by four years of front-line experience as a probation officer.
