Illustration and digital artists in Malaysia
Being home to a mosaic of ethnic groups, traditions and rich heritage, Malaysia’s cultural diversity is a wellspring of inspiration for artists. The nation’s flourishing creativity has been apparent in recent years, with local artists consistently sweeping up prestigious awards and art festivals that have graced our lands.
While the art landscape in Malaysia is instrumental at highlighting the country’s diverse cultural heritage, the new generation of local artists have been impressively pushing the boundaries of contemporary artistic expression and making waves on a global scale.
From calligraphed high-fashion portraits to anime-inspired local landscapes, this list of 10 artists in Malaysia brims with creative expressions and artistic visions, contributing to Malaysia being a true gem on the canvas of the global art stage.
Table of Contents
- Illustration and digital artists in Malaysia
- 1. Michael Lim – created animations for NewJeans’ MV
- 2. Lihuà Wong – calligraphy-inspired fashion illustrator
- 3. Rachel Ho – illustrated artwork for Disney
- 4. Chong Fei Giap – anime-inspired illustrations of the local landscape
- 5. Ilham – narrative-driven visuals
- 6. Oh Beatrice – children’s books illustrations
- 7. Wabiko – dreamlike illustrations
- 8. Vince Low – “scribble” art portraits
- 9. Ong Lyn Hui – created art poster for Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’
- 10. Tang Yau Hoong – hand-drawn optical illusions
- Artists in Malaysia that are making a splash with their illustrations
1. Michael Lim – created animations for NewJeans’ MV
Image credit: @space.dawg via Instagram
The seamless transition from a basketball and a court to an Earth blasting into the skies like a rocket, before falling through a basketball hoop and later transforming into a heart that cracks into two large eyes – Michael Lim’s animations for K-pop girl group NewJeans’ Hype Boy music video is bright, peculiar, and absolutely brilliant.
Lim’s animations were featured on three NewJeans’ ‘Hype Boy’ videos, which were all the rage last year.
Video adapted from: @space.dawg via Instagram
An independent 2D-animator based in Kuala Lumpur, Lim has an extraordinary aptitude in creating remarkable animations that showcase combined themes of science fiction and comics – two of his huge passions.
Going by an online persona of Space Dawg, Lim displays his quirky works on his Instagram account that is an impressive portfolio of out-of-the-world animations that he created for music videos and various companies.
Video adapted from: @hermes via Instagram
Lim’s craft has not gone unnoticed. His stunning retro art style that incorporates vibrant colours and immaculately seamless transitions has opened doors for collaborations with studios, artists and brands from all over the globe.
Noticeable projects and collaborations include the French luxury designer brand Hermes, and the American subscription streaming service, Hulu.
2. Lihuà Wong – calligraphy-inspired fashion illustrator
Image credit: @art.of.lihua via Instagram
If there’s anything that serves as a testament to the power of artistic innovation and cross-cultural influence, it would be Lihuà Wong’s illustrations that meld the fluid elegance of calligraphy with the glamour of fashion.
Hailing from Kedah with a family that deeply appreciated the old artform, the fashion illustrator started learning Chinese calligraphy at the tender age of six. This served as a foundation for her innovative fusion of calligraphy and fashion illustration.
Image adapted from: @art.of.lihua via Instagram
Combined with Wong’s fierce love for the world of fashion, her tasteful works effortlessly interlace the fluidity and masterful strokes of brushes onto the canvas of garments and accessories she illustrates.
Her paintings embody the beauty and diversity of fashion, featuring elements of intricate batik patterns, debonair fits, and graceful silhouettes dressed a la mode.
Image credit: @art.of.lihua via Instagram
Wong’s modish style has earned her recognition on the global stage. Her work has graced the pages of prominent fashion magazines, and has caught the attention of influential figures from the world’s most popular luxury fashion brands, including the likes of Chanel, Prada and Dior.
3. Rachel Ho – illustrated artwork for Disney
Image credit: @rachelhofs via Instagram
Having your very own artwork in the enchanting world of Disney is every girls’ dream – and illustrator Rachel Ho is proof that such dreams do come true. Once a small town girl from Sabah whose talent and passion are reflected exceptionally in her artwork, her spirited illustrations have now become a beacon of inspiration to many aspiring artists.
Image adapted from: @rachelhofs via Instagram
Ho has a knack for capturing majestic natural landscapes, rich cultures, and characters that seem larger-than-life in her illustrations – the very essence of Disney.
It is no surprise that she became one of the few Southeast Asian artists commissioned by Disney to illustrate the poster artwork for Raya and the Last Dragon. Her dreamy illustrations perfectly encapsulates the cultural nuances that’s elemental to the film’s storytelling, with vibrant colours and intricate symbolisms.
Image adapted from: @rachelhofs via Instagram
Ho’s works extend beyond aesthetics – they bring to life familiar characters and stories that rekindle the magic of childhood and comfort like a warm embrace. If her pieces bewitch you, you’ll be pleased to know that she sells her artworks and merchandise on several platforms so you can show your support.
4. Chong Fei Giap – anime-inspired illustrations of the local landscape
Image credit: @feigiap via Instagram
If you’re wondering what the Petronas Twin Towers are doing in a Hayao Miyazaki-esque anime art, that isn’t a scene from a Studio Ghibli film. It is the work of Chong Fei Giap, a local artist and illustrator who blends the magic of anime art into familiar Malaysian landscapes.
Image adapted from: @feigiap via Instagram
Bringing to mind the fantastical worlds of anime-inspired art, Chong creates digital art that captures the essence of the evolving landscapes of his homeland by portraying the small beauties of the mundane daily life in Malaysia. His illustrations imbue vivid bursts of colours and semi-realistic details into sceneries of our homeland that we know so well such as small town alleyways, heritage shoplots and colonial buildings.
Image credit: @thelokamade via Instagram
In 2015, Chong became the co-founder of Lokamade – a local creative brand that manufactures items and lifestyle gifts that are designed with arts and local culture illustrations.
5. Ilham – narrative-driven visuals
Image credit: @unagilham via Instagram
A freelance illustrator and designer with a deep fervour for the arts and storytelling, Ilham crafts visual tales that shape perceptions, evoke empathy, and illuminate the human experience.
“Our perennial conversations; a record I don’t need to flip”.
Video adapted from: @unagilham via Instagram
From the delicate nuances of her hand-drawn pieces to meticulously curated digital designs, Ilham’s artworks resonate with a sense of purposeful storytelling. Her illustrations usually boast saturated and lively hues with overarching narratives that compel viewers and prompt introspection.
6. Oh Beatrice – children’s books illustrations
Image credit: @ohbeatricee via Instagram
When it comes to children’s books, we don’t fall in love solely with the words, but with the wondrous illustrations that adorn the pages too. And Oh Beatrice has a gift in conjuring worlds and characters that will transport young readers to far-off lands and magical worlds.
Image adapted from: @ohbeatricee via Instagram
Using classic mediums of art including brushes and watercolour, Oh’s artistry taps into the authentic emotions of humans and life experiences with elements of childhood nostalgia that sparkles with mischief and playfulness.
From whimsical animal tea parties to cheeky kuih lapis thief rodents, her works are imaginative landscapes of innocence with endearing characters and captivating stories that ignite the flames of creativity in earnest minds.
Image credit: @ohbeatricee via Instagram Artists in Malaysia
While Oh has illustrated a couple of children’s books, she has also published her very first original children’s book called Dumpling the Tiger. It tells a lovable story about an unexpected adventure and friendship between a little girl and her newfound friend, a tiger, as they go on a journey to find out where this tiger belongs.
She also runs an online store offering immortalised tokens of her playful imaginations too in shapes of greeting cards, posters, and stickers.
7. Wabiko – dreamlike illustrations
Image credit: @_wabiko via Instagram Artists in Malaysia
Unnerving yet captivating, absurd yet intriguing – the art of surrealist artist Kexin Tan grapples between the realm of the subconscious and conscious, a grey area where reality and imagination intertwine in mysterious and fantastical ways.
When she draws, Tan uses an alias Wabiko, a bilingual punny name which stems from two origins. Wa bi means “nose-picking” in Mandarin, implying that she is indifferent about how the public wants to perceive her. The other is derived from the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, which highlights the beauty in imperfection and the natural cycle of life.
Image adapted from: @_wabiko via Instagram & @gof_y via Instagram
Her portfolio boasts an avant-garde aesthetic that captures a dreamlike and otherworldly atmosphere, characterised by logic-defying imagery and metaphoric narratives.
From complex portraits that depict a black-caped ghost-like figure on a tilting seesaw above a pyramid to drawings of fish-headed men, Wabiko’s illustrations are vessels for her to express her complex surrealist mind. It teeters between the real and the extraordinary, when words cannot quite convey her emotions.
Wabiko’s illustration for a Gucci campaign in their Malaysian store.
Image credit: @_wabiko via Instagram
Wabiko’s art has been shared through various outlets, including digital platforms, solo exhibitions – such as Memories Are Kept and Down The Rabbit Hole – and even fashion collaborations. Her versatility and the powerful symbolisms of her art invite viewers to delve deeper into her work and contemplate personal interpretations.
8. Vince Low – “scribble” art portraits
Image credit: @vince_low via Instagram
Art isn’t just meticulous brushstrokes and carefully-crafted lines. It could also be chaotic doodles and aimless scribblings.
Vince Low is a portrait artist with a distinctive talent of transforming seemingly random lines into emotionally resonant portraits, using his signature technique known as “scribble art”. His intricate art comes to life with an astute understanding of human anatomy and the interplay of light and shadows, using layers of disorderly lines to create depth and realism.
Image adapted from: @vince_low via Instagram Artists in Malaysia
As a person with dyslexic, Low started gaining public attention through his portraits of other artists who used their dyslexia to overcome any perceived drawbacks – such are pen-line portraits of Albert Einstein, Picasso and John Lennon.
Image credit: @vince_low via Instagram
Since then, his works have earned him international recognition and acclaim, with many of them being featured in prominent media outlets such as The Daily Mail and Huffington Post, as well as at exhibitions around the world.
9. Ong Lyn Hui – created art poster for Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’
Image credit: @lyn_hui via Instagram Artists in Malaysia
Penang-based illustrator Lyn-Hui Ong is definitely warming hearts with her mesmerising illustrations and delicate digital artworks that capture familiar characters and raw emotions.
Lyn is not afraid to voice her emotions and vulnerability in her artworks, often with her own rendition of characters from a popular TV series, or something entirely new and her own.
Ong’s illustrations of Netflix’s ‘Anne with an E’ and Studio Ghibli’s ‘My Neighbour Totoro’.
Image adapted from: @lyn_hui via Instagram
With such a stunning narrative tapestry of work, it is no wonder she has caught the attention of many who have encountered her art. Amongst huge projects that she has taken on includes a commissioned poster for Netflix’s #StrangerRewind – a project which involved 18 artists from all over the world to create a poster based off an episode of the popular Netflix series, Stranger Things.
Lyn’s poster was based on the Trick or Treat, Freak episode of Season Two, and her artwork was shared on the hit Netflix show’s official social media pages.
Image credit: @strangerthingstv via Instagram
10. Tang Yau Hoong – hand-drawn optical illusions
Image credit: @tangyauhoong via Instagram
At the heart of Tang Yau Hoong‘s work lies the art of illusion. The illustrator and graphic designer is a self-taught digital artist based in Kuala Lumpur, with a penchant for bending visual reality in his artworks.
Conceptual portraits series – The canvas of faces
Image adapted from: @tangyauhoong via Instagram
Seamlessly crafting images that manipulate viewers’ perceptions of reality, Tang’s work is conceptually surreal, open-ended and abstract.
Elements such as optical illusion and negative space are delivered with simple lines and a hand-drawn touch, contributing to a product of a multilayered experience. His works are often dedicated to shedding light on societal issues, prompting viewers to question hidden messages that are often more profound than what initially meets the eye.
One of his artworks, titled ‘Miscommunication’.
Image credit: @tangyauhoong via Instagram
Whilst thought-provoking, his illustrations maintain a sense of playfulness that draws the audience into his creations, creating a fine balance between contemplation and delight.
Tang’s extraordinary art style has garnered him recognition from big brands, with his list of clients being Nike, TED, and various foreign publications including Harvard Business Review and The Observer.
Artists in Malaysia that are making a splash with their illustrations
Malaysia’s art scene is a dynamic and evolving tapestry of cultural diversity, innovation, and creative expression. Our blooming community of talented artists and illustrators have been instrumental in solidifying Malaysia’s position as a dynamic hub for creativity and artistic excellence, as evident from this list.
They do more than chasing their passion – these artists have woven a tapestry of creativity that creates spaces for people to connect and challenge societal norms for a better future.
For more listicles like this, here’s 10 Malaysian authors and their must-read books & 8 mythical creatures from Malaysian folklore and legends.
Cover image adapted from: @strangerthingstv via Instagram, @_wabiko via Instagram, @art.of.lihua via Instagram & @tauyauhoong via Instagram