KUCHING: There are moments when words fall short, when feelings run too deep for language to hold, and that’s when colours, sounds, and shapes rise to speak.
Some stories are too raw for paper, so they spill onto concrete walls in bursts of colour, or light up digital canvases that speak louder than words.
In conjunction with World Art Day on April 15, a collective of young local creatives are pushing the boundaries of visual art using their work of art.
These creators, each with their own rhythm and path, are united by a shared belief: that art doesn’t need to be perfect to be powerful. It simply needs to be honest.
For Amey Sheikh Ali, a self-taught visual artist from Miri now rooted in Kuching, art is not just a craft, it’s a quiet companion.
With 13 years of experience behind him, Amey’s murals and digital work evoke a raw kind of truth, the kind you don’t need to explain.
“What I love most about art is how it just exists,” said Amey.
“It doesn’t ask for permission, or applause. It just is,” he added.
In Amey’s world, the process takes precedence over the final products.
“Art taught me that it’s okay to make mistakes, some of the most interesting parts of my work come from moments that weren’t planned,”
“That’s where the soul of the piece lives. In the flaws,” he said.
His murals, which adorn public walls and creative spaces across Sarawak, often carry themes of resilience, identity, and emotional expression.
Whether painting with a brush or designing digitally, Amey’s work continues to spark quiet yet powerful conversations about what it means to be human.
Meanwhile, Hani Basyirah, a 25-year-old designer and content creator at Ahmad Tamar, is fluent in visuals that speak with purpose.
Her work, whether in design, video, or campaign strategy, Hani brings a unique blend of emotion and strategy to every project she touches.
“Art lets you say things that words often can’t,” she said.
“It can be bold, subtle, or fun. That freedom to communicate and connect is what I love most,” Hani added.
She encourages others to let go of the idea of perfection.
“You don’t need to be perfect to create something beautiful. Trust your creative voice, even if you’re still figuring it out,” she said.
Al Hakim Iezara is a multidisciplinary artist whose work combines music, visual art, and film production.
Hakim creates art that reflects emotion through both sound and image.
His background as a pianist with Majlis Seni Sarawak and experience as a prop master in film has given him a unique lens.
“Art allows us to express what’s too complex to say out loud,” he said.
“It’s a space of emotional honesty,” he added.
Hakim’s work invites reflection, often exploring themes of memory, sound, and silence.
“It’s not about polish,”
“It’s about presence. Art has taught me to observe, to feel, and to lean into vulnerability, both in life and in creation,” Hakim said.
As a graphic designer, Athmar Helmi shapes ideas into visuals that spark, question, and linger.
“What I love about art is that there are no rules,” she said.
“You can craft something with intention, but once it reaches people, it becomes something else entirely. Everyone sees it through their own lens,” Athmar added.
Athmar believes that sometimes, impactful pieces are not technically perfect.
To her, they are raw, honest, and human.
“It taught me that people connect more with feeling than flawless execution,” she added.
By day, Dhiya Roslan designs brands.
By night, he transforms into Letterhythm, a calligrapher resurrecting forgotten scripts and alphabets.
His art is a hybrid of graffiti and calligraphy known as calligraffiti.
“Calligraffiti is my way of blending the old with the now,”
“I study Latin, Arabic, Jawi, even ancient Dunging script, and I let them dance together on the same wall,” he said.
Letterhythm’s mission is clear, which is to bridge cultures through letters.
“One letter can carry a language, a memory, and people,”
Through art, I hope to show how we’re more connected than we think,” he added.
Dhiya offers a quiet encouragement to artists everywhere.
“Not everyone will love your work. But someone will see it, truly see it, and that’s enough.”
Together, these artists represent a generation unafraid to explore vulnerability, culture, and identity through their work.
Whether on a wall, a screen, or a canvas, they’re proving that art in Malaysia is evolving.
