Art In The City (AITC) is a city-wide campaign showcasing the work of local artists and introducing their art to general public. There are 14 artworks are currently displayed on buildings and digital billboards across the city – pick up (or download) an Art in the City map and follow the trail.
We asked four of the featured artists about their views on the local art scene, their inspirations and what made them become artists.
For the full list of artworks and to download a copy of the map for Art In The City, click here.
JING CHUNG
Being born into an artistic family, Jing Chung was always surrounded by art, which led to her pursuing interior design and an academic career in China and Mongolia. It was after these experiences that she found her true calling with painting.
How does having an artistic family influence or encourage your work?
Since I was a child, I would watch my father paint and take part in artistic activities, as well as meet people from the art world. These experiences made an impact on my appreciation and understanding of art, and my father always gave me guidance and encouraged me to keep following this path.
What are your views on the art scene in Malaysia and do you think there's enough support for young talent?
I like the scene here due to the many cultures and ethnicities, variety of painting styles and themes. However, I think that there aren’t enough proper arts programmes to educate and support the younger talented generation. In other countries, even primary school students visit art galleries regularly. How many people go to our National Art Gallery? We should encourage young people to be more involved in art.
AHMAD SANURI ZULKEFLI
Ahmad is a self-taught artist known for his detailed pen and pencil drawings. To him, drawing is the ideal medium to depict human emotions. His illustrations are inspired by tales of local Malay folklore told to him by his father when he was a child.
What are your views on the art scene in Malaysia and do you think there’s enough support for young talent?
I don’t have much experience with Malaysia's art scene as I’ve only been actively creating art since 2015. However, I do notice that it’s slowly gaining momentum and being appreciated by more people. There are more art galleries opening and competitions held offering opportunities for exposure, especially for emerging artists.
You incorporate familiar local elements and folklore into your work. How has the response to that been?
So far, the feedback has been good. People love it because it represents elements inspired by Malay culture and heritage such as the traditional Malay house, motifs found on batik, the traditional fabric of songket and many more. They tend to take more notice when something familiar is represented in the art.
ART:TECH
Muhammad Najib bin Tumiran, better known as Art:tech is a self-taught artist, illustrator, graphic designer and drummer. The basis of his works is a combination of traditional drawing and digital graphics – art and technology. His artworks are also influenced by human advancement, the futurist and transhumanist movement, and the aesthetic of culture and religion.
What inspired you to combine traditional art and technology?
Since I was a kid, I’ve always been interested in drawing and science-fiction. ‘Back To The Future’ is still my favourite trilogy ever! Movies, comics and books about future technology have always attracted my attention. I never thought about combining my drawing with digital art until I learnt how to use Photoshop, and I started to add digital graphics, manipulation and colour to my traditional drawings. Recently, my drawings have progressed to include robotics, transhumanism and bionics.
What is the story behind your artwork ‘TAPAU’, and what’s the message you want to convey?
I was commissioned by TapauTV to come out with artwork for their poster for Tapau Fest. The artwork represents things that define our unique culture, and combines modern and traditional elements – music, film, pop culture, fashion against traditional clothing, food, games, musical instruments. It represents what being a true Malaysian is all about.
NOR AZIELA BINTI AHMAD
Nor Aziela graduated with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts (Honours) from UiTM and continued to pursue art under Azian bin Hashim of AZ Fine Art. Presently based in Kelantan, she spends her time working on her art.
What is art to you?
For me, art is an expression of human emotion containing elements of beauty, uniqueness and creativity. To appreciate art, you have to understand the basic elements of the piece. In order for an artist to create art of a high quality, professionalism, creativity and be interesting enough for people to notice it, he/she needs to understand the essential elements.
What inspired you to include floral patterns in your works?
The flowers are an interesting and beautiful natural attraction, and I use them to create an artistic identity of myself. They symbolise who I am in my work, and my passion to discover the world and everything in it, which I believe is as simply beautiful as a blooming flower.
