Kreasi

KREASI 

a Malaysian art magazine

Cover Art by Khiddir Baharudin 

“Laman Eden” Garden of Eden. 

Acrylic and ink on canvas.

KREASI 

a Malaysian art magazine 

Featuring: 

Adibah Khalil, Fatin Quraisya, 

Khiddir Baharudin, Nadhir Nor 

and Nizar Sulaiman

PREFACE 

This is KREASI. KREASI is a Malaysian word 

that translates to ‘creations.’ 

In accordance with the title of the magazine, 

KREASI is an art magazine made to feature up 

and coming Malaysian content creators. Be it 

clothing, illustrations, paintings, photography, 

writing or any other form of content. 

For such a small country, Malaysia has 

benefitted extremely from the rich multi-cultural, 

societal background. Arts and music have a long 

tradition in Malaysia, with Malay art dating 

back to the Malay sultanates, yet the art scene 

is still in the shadows of most of its neighbors. 

Currently, the local art scene has developed 

slowly but surely over the last few years and 

has thrived into a more professional one. The 

Asian art boom has gradually begun to stimulate 

more interest in Malaysian art, but the country 

still lags behind its neighbours in terms of 

international exposure. We have a presence, 

unfortunately not enough of one. 

This current issue features full-length interviews 

with five different creators, each differing from 

one another in terms of expertise and experience. 

This is to provide more of a variety to the 

readers of KREASI, to allow creators of all 

stages to be able to understand or relate to how 

art and creativity works in all stages. 

Each feature begins with a short introduction of 

the artist and then proceeds to the full-length 

interviews. The spreads are accompanied by 

evocative photos, illustrations or art pieces on a 

variety of subjects by the respectful artists. 

A thousand thank yous to Adibah Khalil, Fatin 

Quraisya, Khiddir Baharudin, Nadhir Nor and 

Nizar Sulaiman for agreeing to be apart of the 

very first issue of KREASI. Many thanks also to 

Guy Villa and everyone or anyone who helped 

out in the formation of the magazine. 

KREASI hopes to inspire all artists to continue 

creating with great passion and vigor. 

Therefore, the purpose of KREASI is to bring 

light to the art scene or the art world of our 

colorful and vibrant country, Malaysia.

Artwork by Nizar Sulaiman

Khiddir Baharudin 

Fatin Quraisya 

Nadhir Nor 

Adibah Husna Khalil 

Nizar Sulaiman

TABLE OF 

CONTENTS 

.................................................6-19 

...............................................20-35 

...............................................36-49 

...............................................50-67 

...............................................68-81

KHIDDIR 

BAHARUDIN 

FULL TIME 

ARTIST & 

ILLUSTRATOR

Khiddir Baharuddin is a 28-year-old full time 

artist and illustrator based in Malaysia. A 

graduate of the MARA Institute of Technology 

(UiTM), the largest higher education institution 

in Malaysia, he majored in Graphic Design 

and Illustration. 

Known in the local artscene as Kide Baharudin, 

he hails from Kuala Pilah, a town in Negeri 

Sembilan, Malaysia. Both his parents were very 

interested in art which helped him develop his 

own interest in it. 

According to the artist, 

“I love drawing ever 

since I was a kid. Some 

kids even asked for 

commissioned pieces. My 

first time getting paid 

to draw and I was just 9!” 

In his spare time, Kide likes to cycle around 

Kuala Pilah with his friends, discovering hidden 

or secret places. His family also owns a honey 

bee farm that he occasionally assists with. 

Most of his creative works are inspired by 

the local culture and are loosely based on 

his parents ‘kampung’ or village lifestyle in 

Kuala Pilah back in the 60s and 70s which is 

represented extremely well in his illustrations 

and paintings. With cartoon-like features and 

generally, a crowded canvas, his creations are

endered beautifully with vibrant colors. His 

use of acrylic ink on his paintings and sketches 

allows his creations to pop out even more, 

leaving audiences with an evocative force. 

The Malaysian artist describes his art style as 

a cross between Naive or Pseudo-Naive Art 

with cartoon-like or comical art forms. It is 

also a mix of the Impressionism and Pop Art 

movement. Kide tries to balance the traditional 

Malaysian art style of his strokes with modern 

and contemporary pop art colors. 

A lot of research is done before Kide proceeds 

with his creations. Often he would get inspiration 

by re-watching old Malaysian films by film 

legend Tan Sri P. Ramlee. Referencing his old 

history textbooks and looking at his parents old 

collection of photographs helps too. On ocassion, 

he would get his mother to write notes based on 

her memory of the past to help him get an idea 

of what to do next. 

In 2017, Kide represented Malaysia at the Vans 

Asia Custom Culture Competition by designing 

a pair of shoes, and emerged as one of the 

finalists. 

This year, he was commissioned to create a series 

of illustrations for the House of Vans Asia Tour 

in which he made eight murals for eight different 

cities and countries. These places were Seoul, 

Malaysia, Singapore, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, 

Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia.

Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

What is your background? 

I grew up in a creative family. Both of my 

parents were art lovers. My parents saw that 

I was interested in art and introduced me to 

graphic design. I never looked back. 

I already started drawing as a little kid, so I was 

interested in art from the very beginning. 

What’s your strongest childhood memory? 

My strongest memory of my childhood is living by 

the beach. My family used to own a beach house. 

What are the tools/materials you use? 

I draw with brushpens and ink on paper. 

Sometimes I use a Wacom tablet. Coloring is 

done in photoshop with a Wacom tablet. 

I highly recommend the Copic brushpens and 

Unipin fine line pens, made in Japan. 

What work do you most enjoy doing? 

The Kuala Pilah 1960s series are some of my 

most enjoyable pieces because it’s all about my 

hometown. It was very nostalgic working on them. 

My parents were also involved in this series as 

art directors. 

10 

KHIDDIR BAHARUDIN

What/Who are your strongest influences 

or inspirations? 

I really love to see editorials, comics and 

children books! They’re very inspiring! I came up 

with the idea of local culture and heritage as an 

art direction. I feel like my strokes and my art 

style fit best in the illustration world to showcase 

our local culture. 

Dato’ Lat, best known for his ‘The Kampung Boy’ 

(the village boy) comic series that is published 

in several countries across the world is one of my 

strongest influence. 

I admire his work because his creations were 

his life. He was able to successfully promote 

social harmony, our culture and our heritage just 

through his cartoons. 

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever 

been given? 

Be original. Copying is a great way to learn, but 

a lousy way to make a living. 

What research do you do prior to creating? 

Or is it mostly spontaneous? 

I was really into cartoons and comic books and 

it made sense for me to pursue some sort of 

career involving drawing. I lean more towards 

linear styles and I am obsessesed with strokes. 

I love pop, contrast and bold colors. 

Sometimes I am very calculated, and work a 

traditional process of sketching, exploring, and 

refining. Other times, I just have a go on blank 

papers and let things happen spontaneously. 

The most memorable moment you’ve 

experienced as an artist in Malaysia? 

Recently I got the opportunity to work on and 

design illustrations for the House of Vans, in 

eight countries, across Asia. 

KHIDDIR BAHARUDIN 11

hoghuk 

pilah 60an 

or ‘Busy Pilah’ 

This is a scenery painting of a busy day in 

Kuala Pilah back in the 60s. 

Kuala Pilah is a town in central 

Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. 

This piece was inspired by my parents story. 

152cm x 152cm 

Acrylic & Ink on canvas 

12 

KHIDDIR BAHARUDIN

ghoman 

pilah 

maghin 

‘ Rupa Pilah Zaman Dulu’ o r 

‘Kuala Pilah back in the day’ 

This is a scenery painting of my parents’ 

childhood town of Kuala Pilah back in the 60s. 

Kuala Pilah is a town in central 

Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. 

I was fascinated with a story of theirs and got 

inspired to illustrate a particular moment. 

91cm x 91cm 



What are some of the struggles, if any, of 

being an artist? 

Mostly how the tools tend to get very expensive. 

What do you like about the art world in 

Malaysia? 

Community art in Malaysia is expanding. 

Especially with the development of street art. 

Some go from street art straight to the galleries. 

What do you dislike about the art world 

in Malaysia? 

When people start labeling each 

other’s creations. 

In your opinion, what role does the artist 

have in society in general? Also Specifically, 

Malaysia. 

My society plays a really important role in my 

art. It is a big part of me, as a person and 

what I do. My creations capture a lot of what is 

around me; the time, the place and the people. I 

love drawing and painting them. 

Name any artist you’d like to be compared to. 

One of them is Jean-Michel Basquiat. I admire 

his work progress. He works really damn fast. 

Among your works, which is your favorite? 

It’s the “Bahasa manusia” (human language) 

pieces. It was my first time joining a group 

exhibition at one of the top local galleries. 

I created one of my biggest painting, with 

the size of 9x6 ft, and four 6x4 ft pieces 

for the exhibition. Best part, they were 

all sold out before the opening event. 

What projects are you currently 

working on? 

I’m currently working with Vans Asia and 

Vans California, USA. 

With Vans Asia, I got the opportunity to 

design the House Of Vans illustrations for 

the Vans Asia Tour in eight different 

countries. With Vans California, I got to 

make an illustrative design on one of their 

summer shirts. 

Any advice you’d like to give to people who 

are struggling with creativity? 

Try to get inspired everyday and slowly learn to 

develop your own style. 

16 

KHIDDIR BAHARUDIN

How do you take criticism? 

Remember that each criticism represents just one 

person’s point of view. Know what your strengths 

are and don’t let other people’s opinions keep 

you from working hard towards that goal. If 

someone says you’re too short to be a power 

forward, start working on that jump shot! 

How has your practice changed overtime? 

My style is slowly improving with time. I think 

my style has been progressing ever since I got 

my first job. I try hard to keep pushing new 

styles and ideas in my work. Generally though, 

I try to keep building on things I’ve accomplished 

with my creations. To me, that’s what keeps my 

work consistent and, at the same time, gives 

me the space to grow. After a while, a certain 

direction will feel exciting to me and I’ll start 

focusing in that particular direction for my 

style to grow. 

What is your dream project? Professionally, 

what is your goal? 

I would love to get the chance to exhibit my 

creations in Europe. 

From your point of view, what’s integral to 

the work of an artist? 

Preserve the balance of the artworld. Be 

consistent and attentive to the local artworld. 

Then, slowly move up to the global art scene to 

be able to influence future generations. 

Check out more of Kide’s creations 

on his instagram: @kidebaharudin 

Photos by Mohd Azim Nong 


9

ahasa 

manusia 

or ‘Human Language.’ 

This piece is about the language of mankind. 

We learn from each other; good manners and 

good conduct. 

This is the way of our heritage. May our 

language be strengthened forever. 

91cm x 91cm 



FATIN 

QURAISYA 

ASPIRING PAINTER 

FREELANCE 

WRITER & 

PHOTOGRAPHER

Fatin Quraisya is a 26 year-old full-time fraud 

analyst, in Malaysia. A creative writer and 

photographer for years, Fatin just started 

dabbling in the arts of watercolor and 

calligraphy. Having been an imaginative and 

expressive individual from such a young age, art 

has always been apart of her life growing up. 

Below is a short introduction to the life of Fatin 

Quraisya, in her own words. 

“My name is Fatin Quraisya and I am from 

Malaysia. I think it is vital that I state this as I 

believe it gives great impact on how I evolved. 

In my time back in school, I feel like arts was 

never really a priority. Our curricular centred 

around academics, especially in public schools. 

We had one art class and it felt like more of a 

chore, never really about creativity. And if one 

were to pursue arts, they would often be shunned 

upon and labelled “less intelligent”. I think what 

stemmed the change in this day and age is social 

media and exposure, everything is a lot more 

accessible now. 

As for my background, growing up and being 

the middle child of five siblings, I felt the need 

to always try and be resourceful. I always had 

this guilt build up in me if I were to ask for 

anything from my parents because of the number 

of people they were supporting. I think this has 

definitely lended a hand at me being creative 

with what I already have. Every so often I try to 

make new things with what I was given. 

My mom travels quite a lot and I remember that 

every time she came back she would gift me with 

notebooks that had really beautiful covers on 

them. Something new and solely mine. I cherished 

them and penned my deepest thoughts in them. 

I’d make up poems, draw in them, and have 

stickers on every page, etc. I remember thinking 

the content had to be as beautiful as the covers 

were. That was where it all started, I suppose. 

In all honesty, I don’t think I have ever asked 

for much from anyone. I grew up a very angsty 

child without the ability or outlet to express 

myself. I did not have much friends. Barely spoke 

to my family. All I felt I had at the time was 

myself. A lot goes on inside my head and I kept 

it that way. I had a lot of pent up frustration, 

and I actually found great relief by writing or 

drawing or by just being alone. I was a weird 

kid. Whatever friends I did have, my role was 

the listener. I never talked about my worries, 

concerns or frustrations. I merely listened. I had 

a lot going on inside my head, from piecing 

people’s troubles together to dealing with my 

own. People find comfort in confiding in me and 

to this day, I think they still do. 

But this is not a dismal story. All in all, I’m 

not mad about how things were. It was just, 

circumstantial. Looking back, I think it panned 

out pretty well. I’ve grown, and I like who I am as 

a person now. I believe in the concept of Yin and 

Yang. You don’t know what’s good if you haven’t 

seen the bad and vice versa. I believe these 

emotions are what crafts my art.” 

22 

FATIN QURAISYA

24 FATIN QURAISYA

Why/how did you decide to become a creator? 

To be honest, I never did decide. 

What’s your strongest childhood memory? 

Thinking I could be a published author at the 

age of 8 and writing really cringe-worthy 

short stories. 


Watercolor, dip pens and cellulose paper. 

Which current art trends are you following? 

Calligraphy and watercolor. 

Any memorable responses you’ve had to 

your work? 

When I was offered to do commission pieces. I 

turned them down because I don’t think I’m ready 

just yet. Although, it is absolutely flattering and 

gives great motivation to strive harder. 


have in society in general? 

Also specifically, in Malaysia. 

The work of an artist should give pleasure and 

serve as creative inspiration. 

To the artist, it is a way to connect with yourself. 

Also, it is absolutely therapeutic, something 

imperative in this day an age. 


Right now I am mainly practicing technique as 

I am pretty new to this medium. I can’t wait to 

give my work deeper meaning. 


being an artist in general? or in Malaysia? 

Expensive material. In Malaysia, the lack of 

exposure. But I feel like times have changed. 

Describe a real-life situation that 

inspired you? 

Seeing paintings by Juan Valdez Leal at the 

Santa De La Caridad Church in Seville, Spain. 

Those paintings I saw pushed boundaries in the 

most appropriate way, and to think that I came 

across the place by circumstance is 

pretty amazing. 

What do you like/dislike about the art world 

in Malaysia? 

I love how the cultural diversity gives you 

limitless access to ideas and inspiration. 

Unfortunately, art is not taken very seriously 

here. Although things are slowly changing, there 

is still a lot of room to grow. 

FATIN QURAISYA 

25

26 FATIN QURAISYA


27



Just start somewhere, I suppose. 


I don’t think I have one yet as I am still learning. 

What research do you do prior to creating? 

Or is it mostly spontaneous? Explain. 

I go on Youtube a lot to learn techniques and 

build up my skill. But when it comes to personal 

work, it’s just getting paint on paper, the rest 

comes after. 

Sometimes I do have epiphanies, in which I 

immediately jot down. Or sometimes I’m just sad 

and want to write or paint my thoughts. 

How has your practice changed overtime? 

I just started calligraphy and watercolor painting 

about 6 months ago and it has taught me a lot 

about patience and perseverance. It does get a 

little tiring but the outcome is gratifying. 

I discovered a lot of new techniques and I am 

keen on implementing them to my work. I get 

bored easily and the wonderful thing about art is 

that it knows no bounds. 


been given? 

You are your biggest critic. I am actually not 

quite sure if that is considered an advice. 

What is your dream project? 

To do something that involves art for a living 

and provide a platform for everyone to be able 

to pursue their artistic desires. 



Van Gogh for his passion, Salvador Dali for 

his creativity, Juan Valdez Leal for his intense 

imageries and Edgar Allan Poe for being Edgar 

Allan Poe. The list goes on... 

When it comes to photography, what kind of 

gear do you work with? 

My iPhone 7 and a really old Lumix GF1 

Mirrorless camera. 

What kind of pictures do you like to shoot? 

What do you avoid? 

Nature and candid imagery of people. If the 

subject is aware an image of them is being 

taken, they would most often manipulate the 

emotions that they convey in the photo, like say, 

a smile for example. But when I see those images, 

what goes through my mind is, “Are you 

really happy?” 

I believe a candid imagery is a bit more “raw.” 

28 

FATIN QURAISYA

From your point of view, what makes a 

good picture? 

When it demands your attention and evokes 

an emotion. 

How do you educate yourself to take 

better photos? 

I find inspiration from other photographers and 

if an image is not compelling enough, I try again. 

One thing you wish you knew when you 

started taking photos? 

That it does not take expensive gear or good 

props or locations. 


One that was taken at Batu Caves of a burning 

fire (refer to the next page.) 

Fire is offered to the Agni Lord as a symbol of 

devotion. It is regarded as a form of purity a 

means for light and also wisdom. 

Is there anything else you’d like to include 

or mention? 

In order to be able to hone your creativity, one 

must not be swayed by societal pressures. 


33

34 FATIN QURAISYA


35

Check out more of Fatin’s 

creations on instagram: 

@fatinquraisya and blogspot: 

eskitrek.blogspot.com 

FATIN QURAISYA 31

NADHIR 

NOR 

FREELANCE 

ILLUSTRATOR

Nadhir Nor is a 24-year-old freelance illustrator 

based in Malaysia. He mostly works with 

digital illustrations and watercolor paintings. 

Nadhir has been making art for years now and 

according to the creator, probably only took 

things more seriously at the age of 16, when he 

was in high school. 

A graduate of The One Academy in Sunway, 

a top leading art and design institution in 

Malaysia, Nadhir has been involved in a few 

Southeast Asian art scenes with the relationship 

of mythology, ancient cultures and modern 

society being the major subject he explores. 

In 2016, Nadhir was commisioned a mural for 

Urbanscapes, Malaysia’s longest running creative 

arts festival. He was then commisioned by 

Journalife for their 2017 collection of journals, 

planners and pocket sketchbooks. He was also 

apart of the Illustration Arts Fest, Singapore’s 

first indie illustration-centric festival, in 2018. 

Most recently, from August to September of 

2018, Nadhir was given a residency with Rimbun 

Dahan, a centre created to develop traditional 

and contemporary art forms. This is where 

Nadhir decided to break out of his usual use of 

digital media and work with watercolors, a more 

traditional medium where he developed his most 

recent watercolor collection entitled ‘Segan.’ 

This series explores on the relationship between 

vulnerability, passitivity and the comfort 

folklores and natures offerings for them. 

NADHIR NOR 39

Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

What is your background? 

I’m Nadhir Nor, an illustrator from Sungai Buloh, 

Selangor. I’ve always been surrounded by games 

and cartoon since I was small and I am still very 

much inspired by them until now. There’s 

something about the idea of a getaway, a 

fantastical world to explore or to run 

away to that had always fascinated me. 

As an artist, I hope to bring that little magic too 

to everyone else, just like how enamored I had 

always felt by entertainment and art 

that have given me that. 

What’s the strongest memory of 

your childhood? 

I grew up in a ‘kampung’ (village) so I was 

always surrounded by jungles and forests to 

explore and just jump around. I would always 

go out of the house in the morning, look for a 

wooden stick and pretend that I was Legolas 

every single day. 

What are the tools/materials you use for 

your creations? 

A digital tablet and pencil for my 

illustrations. Alpha artists watercolour set 

for my traditional paintings. 

40 NADHIR NOR

What research do you do prior to 

creating? Or is it mostly spontaneous? 

A little bit of both. I’d always be inspired by 

things and write them down. So when I sit, I 

could just pull out the list and see what I 

can come up with. 


inspired you? 

Seeing shy, possibly closeted queer people 

lighting up when they see my work and for a 

split second, feel safe and represented. 

Seeing themselves in my art and then 

running away after they buy it. 


being an artist in general? also in Malaysia? 

To have to choose between playing safe or to 

really be truthful with what you have to say. 

As a queer Malay Muslim artist, there’s so much 

to be discussed and explored on especially in 

art and entertainment and yet, everyday the 

climate for these discussions grow more and 

more unwelcoming. 

Name three artists you’d like to be 

compared to. 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ako Castuera and 

Will Wiesenfeld. 

NADHIR NOR 

41

srikandi 

This piece explores on the 

idea of hidden potentials 

and holding back when 

you had always been 

made to shine. 

. 

Watercolour on paper.

segan 

or ‘shy.’ 

This piece is the embodiment 

of holding back from your 

full self when the truth is, 

your biggest opportunity 

is just up there dripping in 

front of you. 


asa 

rindu 

or the feeling of missing something. 

The piece is about nostalgic, waiting and the 

passing of time. 

Watercolour on paper. 

44 NADHIR NOR

murni 

or ‘purity.’ 

This piece is the idea of 

what it means to be on the 

highest frequency of being 

passionate, to bloom with 

just pure love and warmth. 


kekurangan 

or ‘inadequacy.’ 

This piece is on passivity, 

vulnerability and being 

unsure of what it means to 

go forward. 


What do you like about Malaysia’s art scene? 

How supportive and warm the community can be 

and how nice it feels to be in this together 

with them. 

I always love seeing mutuals working and 

collaborating something new, it always makes me 

want to make more beautiful work so I can grow 

as they grow. 


have in society? Specifically, Malaysia. 

To remind Malaysia of how truly diverse it is, and 

how colorful, non-binary, non-monolithic it had 

always been. 


Rasa Rindu. 



Would be cool to direct an animated music video 

and my hands have been itching to try ceramics 

since forever. 

Check out more of Nadhir’s art 

on instagram: @snadhir and tumblr: 

yourlastnadhir.tumblr.com 

NADHIR NOR 

49

ADIBAH 

HUSNA 

KHALIL 

FREELANCE 

VIDEOGRAPHER & 

PHOTOGRAPHER

Adibah Husna Khalil is a 23-year-old freelance 

photographer and videographer in Malaysia. 

She takes photos, films, edit videos and, on 

occassion, she makes dresses. Adibah, known by 

her friends and family as Diba or Dibs, claims 

to have started both craft when she was just 

13 years of age. Growing up amidst nature, she 

developed an appreciable love for animals 

and greeneries. 

A graduate of The University of Bristol in the 

United Kingdom, Adibah graduated with a 

Bachelor of Science in Animal Behaviour and 

Welfare just two years ago. Now, she is back in 

Malaysia and have since been working 

on editing. 

Having been an imaginable and inventive 

individual from a very young age, art and nature 

has always been her outlet, contributing to her 

creativity and talent. 

According to the creator, 

“Art provokes feelings 

and emotion and human 

beings connect better in 

mutual feeling/emotion 

situations.” 

Although Adibah just got her foot into the door 

of freelancing, she is a very perceptive individual 

and will always be able to spot the milk and 

honey in every situation. 

ADIBAH KHALIL 

53

Tell me a little bit about yourself. What is 

your background? 

I’m the second child of 5 siblings. Growing up 

I had always been into art – music, drawing, 

painting, dancing, collaging, playing with clay. 

I would get really competitive with this one 

particular classmate of mine, she was always 

trying to outdo me in every ‘Pendidikan Seni’ 

class (art class) when I was in primary school. 

Why/how did you decide to become a creator? 

It wasn’t really a decision per se. It was just 

something that I enjoyed doing. 


Filming and editing GREAT clips, knowing they 

are going to turn out fantastic in the 

final product. 

Any memorable responses you’ve had to 

your work? 

I emailed Christy Dawn (an LA based dress 

designer) about a dress I made that was inspired 

by one of her works and she wrote back! 

What do you like or dislike about the art 

world in Malaysia? 

There is a disconnect between those who do art 

for passion and understand the basis of it, and 

those who exploit art for money and fame. A 

classic Socialist vs capitalist situation.


being an artist in general? or in Malaysia? 

Being underpaid, all the time. Money is hard to 

come by, unless you’re a wedding photographer, 

but I’d assume the work satisfaction dies fast in 

the industry, at least for me. 

Also trying to come up with your own style while 

maintaining the public’s interest on what is 

trendy and what is not. 



Also specifically, in Malaysia. 

To create a space where people can be 

vulnerable and safe, where they can relate and 

express themselves in avenues that are accessible 

to everyone – a simple example would be music. 

And of course, to have fun and a good time. 

Art provokes feelings and emotion. Human 

beings connect better in mutual feeling/emotion 

situations or environment. Hence, creating a 

better community. 



My mom. 


been given? 

Progress is better than perfection.



Either to become a skilled concert photographer/ 

cinematographer, touring with the best artists/ 

bands around the world, documenting every 

moment in stills and films. 

Or to create wildlife film documentaries, 

preferably on falcons in the middle east. 

What kind of gear do you use for your 

photography? 

I use a canon 70D with a 18-135mm kit lens and 

a 50mm f1.8. 

What kind of pictures do you like to shoot? 

What do you avoid? 

I’d like to think that my style leans more towards 

street photography, but I don’t think I’ve taken 

enough photos yet. For the time being, I try to 

shoot everything and I’m keen on learning more 

about fashion photography. 

From your point of view, what makes a good 

picture? 

Any kind of art that evokes emotion is great 

art. Same goes to photography. Bonus points for 

conscious impacts. 

How do you educate yourself to take 

better photos? 

Keep. Taking. Photos. 

The more you do it, the more you develop an eye 

for what’s good to capture. 

Also youtube tutorials are great as well. 

Among your works, which are your favorite? 

These are some of my favorites (refer to the 

next page.) 

I tend to avoid confrontations. If I have to ask 

someone to take their photo, I would probably 

not take it. 


started taking photos? 

How costly it is. It’s definitely an expensive 

passion. I cannot stress enough. 

60 

ADIBAH KHALIL

Check out more of Adibah’s 

photography on her instagram: 

@dibatookthis 

ADIBAH KHALIL 

63

What tools/materials do you use when it 

comes to clothing? 

For dresses, I mainly use whatever leftover fabric 

I could find. My mother makes clothes all the 

time and she has a tall, white wardrobe filled 

with fabric. I would also buy fabric that is on 

sale or deadstock. 

We’ve always had a sewing machine at home 

because my grandmother used to sew and she 

passed it down to my mother. But I also have my 

own Singer sewing machine, which I copped at a 

carboot sale in Bristol for just 9 quid! 

What kind of clothing do you like to create? 

I am very keen on designing dresses and jackets. 

They are clothing pieces that require minimum 

effort but make a statement. My ideal dress 

type/genre would be occasion wear, particularly 

dresses that you could wear to a wedding but 

still remain lowkey and modest. 

Why did you start making/designing clothing? 

What sparked it? 

I have been sewing my own ‘baju kurung’ 

(traditional Malaysian dress) since I was 13. 

My mother had to make a custom uniform when 

I was in school because I used to be so small I 

couldn’t fit in a standard sized school garment. 

Among your creations or designs, which is 

your favorite? 

This one. (refer to the next page.) 

I wore to a couple of my friends’ wedding. The 

fabric was actually really tricky I feel like I had 

to fight with it whilst making the dress. 



As aforementioned; progress is better 

than perfection. 


started making/designing clothes? 

Pattern making is KEY and it takes up 90% of 

the whole process. A good pattern makes a great 

garment. A bad pattern makes a horribly, 

ill-fitting one. 

Check out more of Adibah’s 

creations on her instagram: 

@adibahkhalil 

64 ADIBAH KHALIL

NIZAR 

SULAIMAN 

FINE ART 

ARTIST

70 NIZAR SULAIMAN

Muhammad Nizar Sulaiman is a 2013 Fine Art 

graduate from MARA Institute of Technology 

(UiTM), the largest higher education institution 

in Malaysia. His concentration was Painting with 

a minor in Liberal Art Studies. 

An art instructor for six years now, he is 

currently teaching at Nilai International School 

in Malaysia. 

Known in the local artscene as Nizar Sulaiman, 

his friends call him Louis and his students call 

him Sir Nizar while his family refers to him 

as Ijal. 

Nizar plays video games, modifies his motorbikes 

and creates beautiful, emotive artworks during 

his spare time. His interests are mainly in 

readymade art, particularly in Malaysia’s art 

scene. The pursuit of this particular art form 

started during his studies in 2012 and was 

heavily influenced by artists Marcel Duchamp, 

Jasper Johns, and German philosopher 

Martin Heidegger. 

He is very interested and involved in 

community-based art. The experience of 

connecting with individuals through art is most 

interesting to the artist and he finds it is a 

remarkable way of giving back to the community. 

Padang Jawa with beautiful, expressive and 

significant messages on the walls of the area. 

Another project was from Marecet, a 

non-profit, non-governmental organization, solely 

dedicated to the research and conservation of 

marine mammals in Malaysia. Nizar participated 

in the dolphin project which was set up to study 

those charismatic animals and increase public 

awareness on their existence while enhancing the 

conservation of Malaysia’s marine environment. 

In 2010, he worked on a social experiment done 

on color blindness in relation to art. 

Color-blind individuals were asked to participate 

by analyzing and interacting with artworks 

and paintings. 

Apart from community-based art projects, Nizar 

has been exhibiting his creations since early 

2013, making it almost five years in total. 

According to the artist, 

“Most of my exhibited 

artworks are not 

commonly accepted by 

the public, especially in 

the Malaysian art scene.” 

Amongst the projects that Nizar was involved 

in, there were three that stood out to him most. 

The first was the 2013 Padang Jawa Street 

Art Festival in Selangor, Malaysia. This was a 

community event done to enrich the streets of 

Even so, he is slowly working towards having his 

first solo exhibition in Malaysia which he hopes 

will happen in the nearest future. 

NIZAR SULAIMAN 

71

Tell me a little bit about yourself. What is 

your background? 

I was born and raised in a creative family, my 

dad was a carpenter for the railway and my mom 

was a clerk with a passion for gardening. While 

my eldest sister got into economics, banking and 

finance related fields, my other sister was into 

science, specifically tissue engineering. Me? I was 

into arts. Quite an all rounder kind of family. 

My dad LOVES to paint and I joined in ever 

since I could remember. Upon entering college, 

he wanted me to graduate with a diploma in 

Graphic Design but I was against it and was in 

my rebellious phase that I joined the Fine Arts 

Department instead. Eventually he noticed the 

projects I was working on were not even graphic 

related (I was doing wood carvings, metal 

welding, etc..) and I was caught. But I was too 

deep into it and have fallen in love with art, 

exhibitions, creating artwork and other 

art-related stuff. 

What’s the strongest memory of your 

childhood? 

My strongest memory was when I was in 

kindergarten. We were given the task to draw our 

mothers going to the fish market and I was the 

only boy that drew my father instead. I was so 

insistent on drawing my father that they decided 

to call him into school because I “did not obey 

the teacher’s instructions.” 

72 NIZAR SULAIMAN

The funniest part that my dad still tells me and 

that I remember until today is his response to my 

teacher. He told them, “My son has never seen 

his mother going to the market, because I am 

the only one that goes out to buy groceries. He’s 

telling the truth.” 

Why/how did you decide to become an artist? 

We are all artists in our own way. I like doing 

and creating artwork but my approach as an 

artist is very slow. One artwork per year. 

I am an instructor and an artist at the same 

time. I share my artistic and creative ways with 

my students while practicing it as an artist. 

What kind of art do you most identify with? 

My artwork since the beginning of 2013 was 

readymade art. I exhibited those kinds of art 

pieces for about four years. But ever since I 

travelled to Jogjakarta, Indonesia, I was indulged 

with paintings and while I was there, I learned to 

convey my ideas through images. 

My paintings consists of different types of art, 

but I mainly identify with surrealism. 


Acrylic paintings for readymade art is one of 

the materials that has very great meaning and 

sentiment to me. 


73

ku sangka 

ku sawan 

or ‘I Think I’m Insane.’ 

The collection is about the alter ego; 

a projection of myself as an astronaut. 

A play of words, the title of the collection is 

an anagram of ‘angkasawan,’ or astronaut. 

A collection of drawings and illustrations. 

74 NIZAR SULAIMAN

76 NIZAR SULAIMAN

Why art? 

Art is subjective, you can share your emotions 

and your ideas and be accepted or rejected by 

people that don’t even personally know you. It’s 

a great outlet and a place for you to express the 

feelings you have about the world. 



The artist is a person that highlights the 

forgotten issues, the lost cultures, the lack of 

emotion in the community. The need to build the 

community, making it level to the nation itself 

which can be conveyed in any form of media. 


Any kind of artwork. From paintings to drawings 

to prints to digital arts. I will even participate in 

video arts. I also like community art. 


inspired you? 

Real-ife situations that inspire me the most 

is when someone shares a similar feeling and 

emotion you had when working on your artwork, 

when they see your artwork. 

The most touching/memorable moment you’ve 

experienced as an artist in Malaysia? 

It was during the exhibition of my environmental 

art piece. Two viewers were having a discussion 

about my artwork. The piece had a small image 

of a dolphin with an abstract metal sculpture in 

front of it. When I explained the meaning of the 

piece to them, they started to share their own 

experiences and understanding. In that moment, 

I knew my artwork has reached and actually 

touched someone’s heart and emotion. It was a 

great feeling of accomplishment knowing that my 

piece has achieved it’s true purpose.


being an artist in general? or particularly 

in Malaysia? 

As in many places, the struggle is to survive. 

Surviving is the number one challenge as an 

artist, and, personally, how I overcame it was by 

being an art instructor. After that the challenge 

is time management. You lack time to produce 

quality artwork. It is the struggle that every 

artist faces. 

What do you like or dislike about the art 

world in Malaysia? 

The art scene in Malaysia is very small in 

comparison to Singapore or Indonesia. 

Although we might be a bit slow in the 

contemporary art scene, we have the diversity of 

our people and our culture that makes it much 

more “colorful.” 

However, the art scene is also very disconnected. 

Academic institutions, commercial galleries and 

collecters are all separate entities, struggling to 

succeed alone and fighting amongst each other 

to be labelled ‘the best in the country.’ This slows 

down the art scene and dulls it, in my opinion. 



My dad, my friends, my family, my students. 

My students help inspire me. I don’t have many 

people to look up to so seeing my students 

create art and give it their best puts me in a 

position where I also want to give it my best and 

showcase my artworks so that my students can 

say “Hey! That’s my teacher.” 

Name any artist you’d like to be compared to. 

Locally, Samsudin Wahab or Edroger Rosili. 

Internationally, artist Jasper Johns or maybe 

Marcel Duchamp. 

80 NIZAR SULAIMAN



In Islam everything comes God, thus creativity 

can come in the moment you least expect it to. If 

you are truly passionate in what you’re creating, 

but struggling with it, means it is nothing more 

than a test for you. And to pass the test is to 

not give up. In the moment you keep trying, 

inspiration will come. 


All of them. It’s hard to go from intangible 

ideas in our head, to a tangible, physical 

form. So when I’m able to produce anything 

at all, they’re my favorite. 

The blood, sweat and tears involved 

in creating them makes them much 

more meaningful to me. 

What is your dream project? Or what is your 

goal, professionally? 

The comic that I’ve been working on but never 

completed. It’s a fantasy adventure 

inspired by Malay mythical stories 

and concepts. I hope to be able to 

collaborate with the two famous 

Japanese animation companies: 

MadHouse or Sunrise. 


81

82 NIZAR SULAIMAN

Acrylic on canvas 

Check out more of Nizar’s 

creations on his instagram: 

@nizarsulaiman 


83

COLOPHON 

Copyright © 2018 Qasryna Kamarudin 

All rights reserved. 

Cover art by Khiddir Baharudin. 

Book design by Qasryna Kamarudin / qasryna.com 

Typeface: Josefin Sans by Santiago Orozco 

No part of this book may be used or reproduced 

by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, 

including photocopying, recording, taping or by 

any information storage retrieval system without 

the written permission of the publisher except in 

case of brief quotations embodied in critical 

articles and reviews.

Qasryna Kamarudin © 2018 All Rights Reserved

Kreasi

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Delete template?

Save as template ?