Malaysia is a country that is full of creativity and art, as evidently shown by the hashtag #ArtistOfMalaysia that was trending on Twitter just last week. From dancers to graphic designers to beautiful embroidery work, the hashtag has truly shown a light on countless talented local individuals.
And while scrolling through the hashtag for hours on end sounds like fun (and it is! I’d know), here’s a list of 9 #ArtistOfMalaysia that you should totally support right now!
1. Yume Hoops
discovering alot of insanely cool artists through #ArtistOfMalaysia tag ‼️
been having doubts about calling myself an artist lately – but hi I’m Eliya and I enjoy embroidering anime and other animated characters ? ?
IG: yumehoops pic.twitter.com/Vfj8bLZF9V
— Eliya ?✨ (@asianeliya) January 27, 2021
If you’re a fan of anime and beautiful embroidered art, then this is right up your alley. What started as a way to form a closer bond with her mom, Eliyah has turned this simple hobby of hers into something so much more. In particular, she loves to embroider anything that has to do with anime and video games as that’s what she’s passionate about.
“I’m really passionate about video games and anime,” she told us. “It took a few rounds of trial and error to find a subject/theme that would keep me involved with embroidery without getting burnt out too quickly.”
“Having grown up with both video games and anime – it truly gives me the greatest joy to include them into my craft as each piece would turn out to be extremely meaningful to me and that I’d be able to pour myself into my work.”
You can find all her work on her Instagram page, @yumehoops!
2. Izzati Suza
Hi i’m Izzati Suza & i’m an #ArtistOfMalaysia ? i like to draw Malaysians- with thick lips!
I enjoy doing customs & commissions & collaborations, from murals to box designs ✨
i sell my merchandise as well on IG: @kedaisuza https://t.co/BXEuYfgwFK pic.twitter.com/lWh0LloQV1
— kobismenghijo ? (@izzatisuza) January 26, 2021
From being an architecture student to dropping out of university, Izzati developed her shop, Kedai Suza, to sell her artwork to support her family after her dad was involved in a serious car accident. What started as a simple hobby on the side soon turned into something so much more than that.
The big lips, a signature to Izzati Suza’s art style, started from as early as 2012 after a cartoon she drew of men with their mouths open.
“People told me that it was scary so I close their mouths. I feel the pouty lips carry a lot of subtle messages & distinctive style,” she told WORLD OF BUZZ.
Izzati Suza’s original artwork from 2012
You can also find her work on her Instagram, @izzatisuza, & buy her work from @kedaisuza as well!
3. Seni Sara
Hello #ArtistOfMalaysia ! I’m Sarah and I paint & illustrate women donning the beautiful traditional attires of Malaysia. I also turn them into tote bags, notebooks, stickers & others
Instagram: https://t.co/AtieXtnji6
Follow for updates on my lil art web-store opening soon ☺️ https://t.co/dnMCUC0woT pic.twitter.com/9XwEe98Wb4— nsarahr (@nsarahr90) January 27, 2021
After the whole controversy with baju kurung lately, it’s always great to appreciate true traditional Malaysian clothing, even if it’s in art form! Sarah encompasses the beauty of traditional clothing and the abundance of Malaysian culture in her illustrations, depicting beautiful girls donning beautiful traditional attire in all her works.
“It started from my fascination towards the Ngepan Iban (the traditional attire for the Ibans),” Sarah told WORLD OF BUZZ. “Then I decided to look into other traditional attires in Malaysia.”
You can buy her work on tote bags, notebooks, stickers and more from her art booth at Artists’ Corner @ Amcorp Mall every Saturday & Sunday (10am-6pm) (currently closed due to MCO) and her Instagram page, @senisara.my! An online web store is also currently in the works, so if you’re a big fan, keep a lookout!
4. Didi
hiii! my name is Didi 🙂 i love to play with colors since i was a little, i used to draw well but bcs of the lack of practice, my skill is faded away 🙁 but i build new hobby, rather than painting on paper, i do art on my eyes! not the best but i’m improving! #ArtistOfMalaysia https://t.co/pZApmsVK40 pic.twitter.com/wE00VYj1Gv
— ꕤ:Didihanbinnie (@xxxgdrlg) January 27, 2021
Who said makeup isn’t an art form? Didi is here to prove all the naysayers wrong with her beautiful eye looks!
From a lovely sunset to a peacock inspired look, Didi uses her eyelids as a canvas for her artistic mind. Although makeup has always been a passion for her since school, it wasn’t until recently that she started exploring different looks with her makeup. Her looks are mostly inspired by KPOP, as she interprets all their posters, music videos, songs and albums and integrates them into her makeup look. Other inspirations include pictures that spark her interest and fits her current mood.
“I do this art just to let my creative side alive,” she tells us. “Doing art as in makeup really makes me happy even though it’s just a hobby.”
You can find all her makeup looks and more on her Instagram page, @gdrlg___!
5. Imran Syaqif
I am an #ArtistOfMalaysia too. But my canvas is the stage and I draw using my body movements. Majored in Indian Classical Dance (Bharatanatyam) and trained in other forms as well ranging from Traditional and Contemporary dance. Ohh and I manage @AdcMalaysia pic.twitter.com/PY4JGaF67X
— Imran Syafiq (@imransanchez) January 26, 2021
But art isn’t only found on an empty canvas, the art of dance is something that is also rife within our community as proven by Imran Syaqif.
From watching his sister learn and practice traditional dances at home to performing those very dances himself on stage, Imran grew a fascination towards the art of traditional Malaysian dances from a young age. His passion for dance continued to follow him throughout high school and long after that, as he continued to pursue his love for dance in University and in his career.
“My dance background starts with traditional Malay dances – Joget, Inang, Zapin, Asli. After high school, I decided to pursue my passion for dance where I enrolled in the National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (ASWARA) for my Diploma and Bachelor in Dance,” he explained.
“In ASWARA, we were trained in a multicultural syllabus where we need to learn various types of dance. From Malay traditional dance to Ballet, Bharatanatyam, Contemporary, Chinese dance, Sabah and Sarawak, etc.”
He had to learn various traditional dances from cultures all over Malaysia and it was then that he fell in love with the Indian classical dance, Bharatanatyam.
“I believe each type of dance form compliments each other because every dance form requires different techniques, qualities, and disciplines. As a performer, you need to be able to be versatile not just on the surface but embodied with all these movement vocabularies. Malaysia is so rich in culture but we often forget our roots as we are now focused more on pop culture on mainstream media.”
He now works as Managing Director of ASK Dance Company where they teach kids aged nine and up traditional Malay dances through eLearning. You can learn more about them here, or visit Imran’s Instagram, @imransanchez!
6. Yunik Stitches
Hello, I’m Ayuni. I do embroidery for fun. Mostly I made floral wreaths, initial embroidery & also portrait embroidery. Feel free to follow my Instagram: yunik stitches
#ArtistOfMalaysia https://t.co/FNKY8Xkafq pic.twitter.com/4av3rbvxnj
— yuni (@ayuni_hamdan) January 26, 2021
With what started as a curious fascination to the craft, Yuni went from wondering what embroidery was to create her own beautiful artworks herself! The self-taught artist first found love for her craft after seeing embroidery pieces on her Instagram explore page, so she just watched online tutorials and learnt the craft herself.
Finding her inspiration through the flowers she grew up seeing, Yuni creates beautiful floral pieces for her friends and family in her free time. “I love how the flowers have their own meaning behind it and to me, the flower is also a part of love language,” she tells WORLD OF BUZZ.
“Most of my designs were made as gifts to friends and family thus it is a great way to include florals to my embroidery artworks too.”
You can find her work on her Instagram, @yunikstitches!
7. W?rry Hats
Hi #ArtistOfMalaysia ✨
I am Ad, I design & paint custom bucket hats called W?rry Hats! I am also an art practitioner who loves trying all kinds of creative sorts from various art medias.
Check out my stuff on my ig<3 (photos shot by amir chan hihi) pic.twitter.com/bcLCSdk8Vu
— wanita venus (@adlyn_sofea) January 27, 2021
Who doesn’t love a good ol’ bucket hat?
Worry Hats was created by Ad as a way to cope with her anxiety habits and bring awareness to mental health in Malaysia. What started out as painting bucket hats for free for friends soon became a full-time job of taking in commissions after receiving support and encouragement from the people around her.
“Whenever I paint them, I will give my dedication to produce my artworks so it really trains me to stay focus,” she tells WORLD OF BUZZ. “The bucket hats symbolize the overwhelming things in my mind that I worry about a lot.”
You can find her lovely work on her Instagram page, @adlyn_sofea!
8. Inda Zubir
Hello beautiful people, I’m Inda!
Story-telling is my life and it is my passion to illustrate them into storyboards, comics & illustrations. It’s a pleasure to know you and I hope we can learn from each other ?
ig profile: https://t.co/5UYAZWl3SB#ArtistOfMalaysia https://t.co/dlIJ8EEsXF pic.twitter.com/geimlvpUcd
— Indasya (@IndaZubir) January 27, 2021
Whether it be Marvel comics or something more local like the classic ‘Kampung Boy’ by Lat, everybody loves a good old story told via engaging and beautiful illustrations– and that’s exactly what Inda Zubir does!
Having been inspired by the Marvel and DC comic books her had would always read since she was a kid, Inda tells stories centred around heroism with either a fantasy or sci-fi theme and a pinch of humour, with the occasionally slice-of-life comic here and there!
Her art style and stories can be described as a mix of the hard-hitting fight scenes found in Western comics while still maintaining the light-hearted fun found in many Mangas.
“Personally I know that everyone has a story to tell, may it be from a bad experience or something inspiring,” she tells us. “However, the magic comes from illustrating these stories for others to immerse and getting lost in that world. You’ll never know how good your stories are until you’ve told it to the world.”
You can find bits and pieces of her storytelling on her Instagram page, @indasya.
9. Baiti Fauzi
Hi, I’m Baiti! I do islamic illumination and pour painting on canvas. Feel free to check out more of my work on my IG : baiti.fauzi#ArtistOfMalaysia https://t.co/thoMrSvYmP pic.twitter.com/1Z3x3GMpGn
— Baiti Fauzi | COMMISSION CLOSED (@BaitiFauzi) January 26, 2021
Having once foregone her dream of being a full-time artist to become an architect instead, Baiti Fauzi found herself gravitating back to the very hobby she had once left behind and turn it into the full-time career she had always dreamed about.
Inspired by a trip to Spain she had taken when she was studying abroad, her work mostly centres around the traditional Islamic arts. You can find her beautiful artwork on Creative United and Printcious!
Well, did we miss anyone? Tag your favourite local artists and tell us about them in the comments below!
