“Like a proud father” – M’sian Student Surprises Retired Teacher with Stunning Acrylic Portrait of Him

We all have that one teacher who will always hold a special place in our hearts. When they retire, there’s always a heavy feeling as we say goodbye. But making the most of it is a great way to cope with the sadness.

In a recent viral TikTok video circulating online, a student known as @orked.08 shared a video featuring herself and her art teacher, who was retiring at the time.

Speaking to WORLD OF BUZZ, Aqilah, a student from SMK Padang Garuda in Kuantan, shares how she has always been close to her teacher, Zul. She expresses how her teacher is the reason why she is where she is today.

Aqilah’s talent was noticed by another teacher, who then informed Zul about it. When she was 14 years old, she was placed in Zul’s class to further her art education.

Aqilah continued to share that,

She then revealed how her teacher, Zul, taught her about acrylics and explained that the paint is relatively cheap and easy to find. He even told her about famous acrylic artists in Malaysia, such as Amron Oman and Rony, which made her even more excited to learn.

Aqilah then shared that at Zul’s retirement party, she gave him a beautiful acrylic portrait painting of him in between two tigers. She also mentioned how happy Zul was when he received the portrait.

“Cikgu Zul was overjoyed. He even asked me lots of questions about the painting. It felt like he was a proud father.”

She also shared her sadness about her favourite teacher retiring. She explained how he’s the only teacher in the school who truly understands the students and has never scolded any of them for making mistakes, knowing that making mistakes is part of learning and growing.

“I was really sad to see him go. He was the only teacher who understood us, and he never yelled at us. He even enjoyed chatting with us.”

You can watch the full video here.

We hope that Zul continues to inspire others to pursue what they love, especially in art. And we look forward to seeing Aqilah create even more beautiful acrylic art in the future.

What do you think of this? Share your thoughts with us in the comments down below!

Also read: USM Art Teacher Shares How His Chinese Students Love Learning Khat Calligraphy Since 2012