TAPE by ICAD: Issue 05

tape

05 issue

the icad mag

The Age Of Remote Learning People (feature) Mr John Ho Senior Lecturer, ICAD “I was the kid who was always drawing comics in my exercise books” Craft Pavilion Bukit Jalil x ICAD Pillar Design Project Da Men x ICAD Washroom Cosmetic Makeover Project Happenings FLUX 4.0 An ARctic Experience Place Capturing topophilia with illustration --Loka Made Studio Gallery

INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

ADVISOR Sean Lee EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ryan Cheah ART DIRECTOR & PUBLICATION DESIGN Azri Ahmad ILLUSTRATION & VISUAL ELEMENTS Azri Ahmad

PROOFREADER Rachel Tan Laura Chen

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES Ryan Cheah

ryansy.cheah@newinti.edu.my Laura Chen

laura.chen@newinti.edu.my Sue-Jane Yeo

suejane.yeo@newinti.edu.my

FACEBOOK

@inticentreofartdesign

INSTAGRAM @icadmedianews

FEATURING John Ho Loka Made

SOCIAL MEDIA & PROMOTION Azri Ahmad John Ho

Artwork @madebyazri

DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed or implied in TAPE are those of authors or contributors and do not neccesarily reflect those of ICAD.

TAPE CONTENT

people

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‘I was the kid who was always drawing comics in my exercise books’ Mr John Ho, ICAD Senior Lecturer

craft

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CO / LLABORATION CO / MMUNICATION CO / EXIST

happenings

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FLUX 4.0 : An ARctic Experience

place

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Capturing topophilia with illustration - Loka Made Studio Gallery

INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

FROM THE EDITOR Greetings from INTI Center of Art & Design (ICAD) !

The direction of this 5th issue of TAPE Magazine is inspired by the second discussion topic of the 2021 Industry Advisory Board, themed “Future of Design Practices Post Pandemic”. Together with our esteemed industry guests, we had conversations about emerging collaborations in the future and how we can explore different opportunities, ways, and methods to collaborate - between different practices of design, between industry and education, and even between different industries.

Hence, for this issue, we feature two stories on how these kinds of collaboration took place at ICAD. In CRAFT, we spoke to students from two different design disciplines - Graphic Design and Interior Design - on the spatial projects that they worked on together under our Co-exist initiative. For HAPPENINGS, we feature FLUX, our annual Audio Visual Festival, and look at how our students in the Diploma in Interactive Multimedia with Animation (DIMA) programme reimagined Christmas greetings by fusing two different mediums - physical and virtual. Have your smartphone scanner ready for a little surprise between the pages!

Artwork @madebyazri

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TAPE FROM THE EDITOR

John Ho, our Senior Lecturer in the Diploma of Interactive Multimedia with Animation (DIMA) programme, also shared with us in the PEOPLE column about his passion as a graphic novelist and his experience publishing his latest work.

In light of the continued Movement Control Order at the time of writing, we took on a different approach for PLACE for this issue.

We had a video chat with the founders of Loka Made, a home-grown paper goods and stationery store, about how they used illustration to capture Malaysia’s unique sense-of-place in their products.

We hope that you will enjoy this issue, and we look forward to creating more interesting content in 2022!

Ryan Cheah Editor-in-chief

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INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

Normal, New and Never be Be Normal Again?

THE DEAN SPILLS THE BEAN !

Year 2020 / 2021 was very much about in-action or bold participation to tackle the unfamiliar. TAPE Issue 05 wraps up year 2021. Despite the external factors, concerns, and influences that challenged every decision, at ICAD we continued to work with what we could control to get unstuck. Year 2021 was not about being perfect, but it was more about advancing & progressing, going beyond what we were used to, and making extra effort to continue practising “business as usual”. Most importantly, we learnt to get unstuck when making choices that prioritised each other’s mental and physical wellbeing.

UNSTUCK means: To Uplift our mood To listen to Noise that can boost creativity To seek or provide Support to build something To discover the Truth instead of living in the state of denial To set Urgency to complete a task To Care and love To seek Knowledge fast and utilise it Being resilient is one of the ways that help staff and students at ICAD continue to explore new ways to collaborate with different stakeholders to create new content and to stay sustainable.

Artwork @madebyazri

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TAPE THE DEAN SPILL THE BEAN

In fact, 2020/2021 has been filled with new experiences and reset buttons for every one of us; we have had to unlearn and relearn to adapt to new models of living and doing things. Every move that we have made was not about being perfect, but was focused on advancing and progressing, going beyond what we believed was impossible.

I am signing off on the year 2021 by wishing everyone a Happy New Year 2022! May we continue to celebrate the changes and opportunities that arise especially in borderless collaboration and new content creation.

Ang Tong Yin Dean, INTI Center of Art & Design

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INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

‘I was the kid who was always drawing comics in my exercise books’ PEOPLE John Ho lectures in ICAD’s Diploma in Interactive Multimedia with Animation program.

Find out more : Diploma in Interactive Multimedia with Animation Design (DIMA) TEXT Ryan Cheah PHOTOS John Ho

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- John Ho One can instantly recognise ICAD senior lecturer John Ho’s desk at the staff room. Pinned with posters of Marvel and DC comic book covers, his workspace portrays how John balances his lecturing role with his alter ego as a graphic novelist and illustrator. TAPE spoke to our quiet resident superhero artist about his origin story and experience in publishing his works.

TAPETAPE HAPPENINGS PEOPLE

EARLY YEARS Your interest in drawing - when and how did it begin?

Were there any catalysts or influences?

I have always enjoyed reading superhero comics.

I loved to draw Adam West’s Batman as a kid. I vividly remember doing a drawing of him on a Bat-Ladder which I was fond of. Comics were in abundance during my childhood. Visiting my grandparents, I discovered stacks of old fantasyhorror comics with titles like The Unexpected, The Witching Hour and The House of Mystery.

I was the kid who was always drawing comics in my exercise books.

But it wasn’t until I hit secondary school that I discovered realism. Funny story, I was bored and started sketching a portrait of a HK star in class. And the next thing I know I was drawing portraits of celebrities for my friends and charging them money for it! My parents are the biggest impetus in my creative life. They were the ones who encouraged me to study graphic design.

Jackie Chan commercial, 2001

Aukland Institute of Technology, Graduation Show, 1997

What were your education and work experience before INTI that led you into this career path as an illustrator & graphic novelist?

After graduating from the Auckland Institute of Technology (currently known as AUT) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design in 1997, I worked briefly in Auckland as a Graphic Designer before returning to KL. It wasn’t until I discovered the world of visual effects and TV commercial editing that I became motivated! It was the visual storytelling aspect that I loved.

I worked in the post-production industry for 7 years and one of the highlights was editing a Jackie Chan commercial and an award winning corporate video for Malaysian Airlines!

However, I needed a change from the often 16-hour work days so I left the post-production industry to run my own art enrichment centre.

It was also at this time that I renewed my passion for illustration and published my debut graphic novel Scary Ever After in 2009.

The Age of Remote Learning Illustration, 2021

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INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

AS AN ILLUSTRATOR & GRAPHIC NOVELIST What are the common subjects / themes behind your illustrations / graphic novels?

On the surface it may seem my specialty is telling horror stories. But the stories I tell are actually about people: there’s a level of complexity; there’s darkness; there’s fun and sometimes quirky design. It’s different each time. We are all jittery about things we don’t understand. But at the same time we are urged to ask: what lies in the darkness? The possibilities scare us and yet we are compelled to find out. That’s why horror stories are so much fun to create!

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What is your thought process when planning a graphic novel - story first then visuals, or vice versa?

I freak out sometimes when I don’t know how my stories will end.

Usually I write a screenplay (please forgive my ‘film director’ complex!) before I start drawing as I need my characters to have a voice. But there were occasions when my enthusiasm got the better of me and I started drawing with only a vague idea.

Then, I developed it further as I went along.

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Debut graphic novel, Scary Ever After, 2009

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Cover illustration for The Bomoh’s Apprentice, 2010

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1st International Graphic Novel, Zombie Terrors, 2010

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Never Scream In The Dark, 2020.

Are there any subjects or topics that you

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wish to explore in the future?

Best Writer and Best New Comic Awards, Anugerak Pekomik, 2010

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The Jiang Shi, a short story featured in Zombie Terrors, 2010

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Wedding Comics, 2012

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Preview from Never Scream In The Dark #1

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Book signing in Borders, 2010

I enjoy images that give a sense of wonder, so that’s what I’m hoping to explore. If something sparks an idea, sometimes the story tells itself.

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TAPE PEOPLE

What or who are your biggest influences?

I grew up reading American comics so I guess my drawing sensibilities reflect that. I love the classic Twilight Zone series by Rod Serling with its wicked twist endings. Now I’m particularly fascinated by Junji Ito and Neil Gaiman.

How has your approach / style / subject

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changed over the years?

How would you describe your visual style?

In my graphic novels, I try to infuse a sense of realism with a moody film noir look. That’s why I love the black & white medium. It’s so raw and powerful. I also use models to pose for the characters I draw in my stories. It’s a great way to capture the camera angles of the ‘shots’ and nuances of expression that you cannot get any other way. And it’s also lots of fun to play ‘film director’!

I think my storytelling has become more compact and concise. There’s vigour, there’s energy. It’s all about the momentum. At the climax of each story, high voltage action convulses from one frame to another and at the end you’re left with the feeling of wanting more.

What are the tools you usually work with?

My 1st graphic novel was done old school with pen on paper. These days I’ve gone fully digital with Photoshop. It saves time from having to scan the drawings and clean them up. I’ve grown to love the option of being able to move, rotate and scale anything on screen. And the undo shortcut has been a godsend.

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CRAFT

CO / LLABORATION CO / MMUNICATION CO / EXIST

TEXT Ryan Cheah

What happens when you put a group of design students from different specialisations together to tackle actual project briefs provided by one of the biggest mall operators in the country?

TAPE spoke to 11 ICAD students who experienced this unique learning opportunity, which exposed them to the realities of a design project from the industry.

The Co-exist initiative is a feature of ICAD’s design degree programmes in collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, UK.

Find out more : BA (HONS) Interior Design, in Collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, UK (BIDSHU) BA (HONS) Graphic Design, in Collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, UK (BGDSHU) BA (HONS) Fashion Mangement and Communication, in Collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, UK (BFMC)

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Being able to collaborate with professionals from other specialisations is an increasingly valuable skill in the job market today. At ICAD, the Co-exist initiative - which began in April 2018 - put students from our degree programmes in a shared timeslot to collaborate on various semester-long projects. Besides the expected knowledge sharing, the initiative also hoped to allow students to form bonds and improve camaraderie with their counterparts from other programmes.

On the other hand, ICAD’s strong relationship with our industry partners also allowed us to consistently receive Employer Project (“EP”) proposals. EPs are project briefs issued by a client - which could be an actual company, industry partner, or an independent professional - and are intended to be attempted by students as an assignment. While some clients use EPs as a way to gain fresh ideas, there are some EPs that are intended to actually solve a design need of the client. All EPs come with similar issues, requirements and limitations as one would expect to face in the industry. Some examples of the EPs ICAD students have completed include designing a new corporate identity for a popcorn brand, the production of corporate videos for an NGO, and even designing and painting a mural on the side of a nearby shop lot.

TAPE CRAFT

For the April 2021 semester, ICAD received 2 EP briefs from Pavilion KL Sdn Bhd, the owner and operator of some of the largest malls in the Klang Valley. Both involved a brief to propose design schemes for a certain part of the mall interior. Students from Year 3 and Year 2 of two programmes, BA (Hons) Graphic Design and BA (Hons) Interior Design, were given this brief to tackle as a Co-exist group project, in which each group has to consist of members from both programmes. Both projects were deployed as a competition, which will see the selection of the top 3 teams, and the winning entry having a chance to have their proposal adopted by the client.

With the project now completed, we spoke to the members of the winning group from both projects as they reflected on their experience and lessons.

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INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

CRAFT

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PAVILION BUKIT JALIL X ICAD PILLAR DESIGN PROJECT Pillar Design Project

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Group 6 BA (HONS) Graphic Design, in Collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, UK (BGDSHU)

1 Fara Diyana

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2 Mohammad Omar Al Hakeem 3 Muneeb Abdulla Ahmed Abdulla

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4 Iriss Layyamansa 5 Athirah Yasmin

Pavilion Bukit Jalil is an upcoming mall located in the southern part of KL. A new asset under the Pavilion Real Estate Investment Trust’s (REIT) portfolio, the mall is scheduled to open at the end of 2021.

For this EP, Pavilion’s brief for our students is to produce design proposals for the pillars in 3 zones within the mall with the given themes: Connectivity, Malaysian Culture, and Food. The design proposal can be in the form of illustrations on the pillar or a 3D structure wrapping around it.

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“It was very challenging, especially since the mall was still under construction at the time of the project, we did not have a complete picture of how the overall interior would look like. At the same time, it was also an exciting and new experience to think about how we could design a pillar that can connect with the users.”

“We have previously done a mural design before, but this was on a whole different scale.

We couldn’t just design and paste the graphics on the pillar, but also had to consider other aspects of the interior - how it would fit in with the existing surroundings, and how to construct them. The client also changed the theme quite often before settling on this one, hence there were a lot of amendments.”

What was it like to work on this project entirely online?

BA (HONS) Interior Design, in Collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, UK (BIDSHU)

What was your initial impression of the project brief?

“We set up a Whatsapp group to keep in touch, and tried to meet every week on Microsoft Teams. We also used Google Docs to consolidate our ideas and feedback and shared everything on Google Drive.”

“We tried coming up with our own ideas individually for the first few weeks, then meeting up to discuss and decide on how we can combine our best ideas. After finalising our overall idea with our lecturer, we then separated ourselves into different groups to work on applying the idea to each pillar separately.”the pillars and rendered it to show the material application, and also produced the detailed CAD drawings.”

TAPE CRAFT

3D rendered pillar concept artwork

“The live online presentation was nervePrism ofmaybethe Present.

“It was an eye opening experience as GD students wracking, because hearing the feedback How was your overall experience in this project?

Life unfolds from in the the present.

But groups so often,made we letus thea present slip away. earlier bit anxious.

But do not often get projects with this kind of scale To reflect the connection between the surrounding and us, the reflection allows us to see this connection at different scales and perspectives. and scenario.

The ofproject would make a nice our went well the reflected Inviting us tothankfully interact with its presentation mirror-like surface and seeand our images from a variety perspectives.

Grounding us together was with welcoming.” the core of our existence, the constellation-like patterntoaround the pillar acts as a reminder of the universe: Despite addition our portfolio, too.” feedback the scale of the universe, our existence is still massively significant.

How did the collaboration between Graphic and Interior Design students go?

“It was a good opportunity to work with actual clients as we have to consider their expectations.

“ID students are familiar with materials and It was quite challenging as well since we did not construction methods that are suitable for the get to visit the site, but it wasAPR2021 great to5 COEXIST be able to PILLARS DESIGN PROJECT LEVEL ideas.

They listened to everyone’s proposals and PAVILLION BUKIT JALIL X ICAD ZONE 3- MATERIAL PROPOSAL apply what we learned in the programmes into thought about how to bring those ideas to reality. this project.”

They worked on creating the 3D models of the pillars and rendered it to show the material application, and also produced the detailed CAD Flat illustration drawings.”

Hexagonal geometric ceiling design with polished stainlesssteel finishes with installed LED strips Custom holographic pattern design with polished metal panel

Polished stainless steel metal inlay strips

“The client provided us with Pavilion’s brand guidelines, so GD students studied how to adhere to the brand identity and how to stay true to it. GD students also provided different interpretations of the given themes and provided new ways to illustrate them.”

Custom stainless steel surface plates cladded and welded

Polished metal panel

Hexagonal shape seating area with steel frame

Polished stainless steel metal inlay strips

Hexagonal geometric ceiling design with polished stainlesssteel finishes with installed LED strips

pillar drawing

Custom stainless steel surface plates cladded and welded

Custom perforated stainless steel polished metal panel cladded on the pillar

Polished stainless steel metal inlay strips

15 Copyright of Centre of Art and Design (ICAD) X Pavilion Bukit Jalil. All Rights Reserved

INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

CRAFT

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DA MEN X ICAD Washroom Cosmetic Makeover Project

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Group C BA (HONS) Graphic Design, in Collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University, UK (BGDSHU)

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1 Heidi Wong Sin Yee 2 Tan Ying Le 3 Liau Ke Xin BA (HONS) Interior Design, in Collaboration with

Da Men Mall is another mall by Pavilion REIT that is located in the vicinity of Subang USJ. Located less than 2km away from INTI’s Subang campus, the mall is strategically located near a number of private colleges and universities. Da Men’s brief for the students was to provide design ideas for a cosmetic makeover of the mall’s washrooms and the corridor leading to them. The mall’s management hopes that the makeover will liven up visitors’ experience, even for something as mundane as going to the washroom.

Group C’s proposed idea is heavily influenced by nature. Titled “Nature’s Calling” - also a pun on answering nature’s call - it aims to highlight that mother nature is calling for help, raising awareness for the topic of endangered animals in Malaysia.

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Sheffield Hallam University, UK (BIDSHU)

4 Lynne Mbaika Musembi 5 Mariam Hesham Hatem

Early sketches of the project

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TAPE CRAFT

What was your initial impression of the project brief?

“As a GD student, it was a bit overwhelming since this was the first time we had to do something about a whole space and not just on a 2D surface.

We needed to put in more work and research to see how we could fit the concept into the space.

It was also our first time collaborating with ID students and experiencing a project that can leverage the skills from both sides.”

“As for the interim presentation, since we have experienced doing pre-recordings before, we delegated the tasks among ourselves to do the slides preparation, voiceover recording, and video editing.”

Mural V

“Compared to the shutter project we did previously, this one deals with an actual client so we needed to meet their standards on a higher professional level too.”

Mural Visualization

Mural Visu

[Editor’s note: The shutter project is an earlier Coexist project that this group of students were involved in. They were tasked to produce a design for the shutter blinds covering the facade of INTI Subang’s Block Y entrance.]

What was it like to work on this project entirely online?

“It was actually the smoothest Co-exist project I have ever been involved in. The team had good communication throughout the project using various platforms, such as Whatsapp and Teams.

We also used Google Drive to share files and research. Everyone was clear with our roles and responsibilities.”

“We were pretty worried at first that some team members might not check their messages or reply as regularly, but it turned out fine. However, sometimes it could have been better to discuss ideas face-to-face, as some idea interpretations might be off. Nevertheless, the advantage of working online is that the chats and discussions were recorded, so we could easily search for them.”

Collection of concept artwork

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INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

Flat lay of final design

How did the collaboration between Graphic and Interior Design students go?

“Ke Xin volunteered to take the lead for the project. She got things moving, prepared everything beforehand, communicated with us, managed the deadline, and got everyone to cooperate well.”

“Both sides proposed multiple ideas and we put those to vote. Generally, the concepts were developed by the GD side, and the renderings of the space were done by the ID side.”

Toilet ns Elevations

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How was your overall experience in this project?

“It was a pretty good experience and we also got to see what the other students were capable of.

It was also a good exposure to work with actual industry partners, as we could see how they plan to market their ideas.”

Final project elevation view

TAPE HAPPENINGS

HAPPENINGS FLUX 4.0 An ARctic Experience

TEXT Ryan Cheah

ICAD offers Diploma in Interactive Multimedia with Animation and Diploma in Immersive Design.

Find out more : Diploma in Interactive Multimedia with Animation Design (DIMA) Diploma in Immersive Design (DIMD)

Camouflaged beneath what appeared to be a seemingly conventional Christmas-themed setup were greetings enhanced by technology waiting to be discovered. We explored this innovative attempt by ICAD students to reinvent Christmas festivities.

FLUX Audio Visual Festival is an annual exhibition organised by final-semester students from ICAD’s Diploma in Interactive Multimedia with Animation (DIMA) program. The intention of FLUX is to showcase their application of a selected new media into a full-fledged exhibition experience - complete with the branding and promotional strategies of the event - as part of their Digital Media module. Earlier iterations of FLUX experimented with projection mapping, but for this year, the direction is Augmented Reality (AR).

FLUX has been held twice – once on campus and in 2020, online due to the pandemic. This year, however, an opportunity for a physical event came in the form of an invitation from Da Men Mall, a shopping mall around 2km away from INTI’s Subang campus. With the steady reduction

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INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

FLUX Audio Visual Festival is an annual exhibition organised by final-semester students from ICAD’s Diploma in Interactive Multimedia with Animation (DIMA) program. The intention of FLUX is to showcase their application of a selected new media into a full-fledged exhibition experience - complete with the branding and promotional strategies of the event - as part of their Digital Media module. Earlier iterations of FLUX experimented with projection mapping, but for this year, the direction is Augmented Reality (AR).

FLUX has been held twice – once on campus and in 2020, online due to the pandemic. This year, however, an opportunity for a physical event came in the form of an invitation from Da Men Mall, a shopping mall around 2km away from INTI’s Subang campus. With the steady reduction of reported cases at the time of writing, shopping malls were allowed to reopen under strict guidelines. Da Men Mall offered their Live Studio at Level 1 - a multifunctional exhibition space - as the venue for FLUX. The event would be held throughout the month of December 2021.

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The main poster of FLUX Audio Visual Festival

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Instagram filter with dancing robot AR

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QR codes to activate AR filters

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Instagram filter with polar bear AR graphic

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Instagram filter with snowman AR graphic

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Hence, to coincide with the celebratory atmosphere that comes with Christmas, DIMA students experimented with using AR to bring Christmas greetings to live. The idea was to use Spark AR Studio, a software developed by Facebook to easily create augmented reality effects and filters for Facebook and Instagram. The students first created their artwork in the form of an animated image or a 3D model, and then the artwork was imported into Spark AR to generate the AR filter.

The filters and effects were accompanied by a QR code and a “trigger” artwork, which were also designed by the students. These artworks were printed out in various forms: Christmas tree ornaments, posters, stickers and standees, and were used as decorations around the event space. To trigger the effect, one only needed to scan the QR code using their smartphone, which would prompt either Facebook or Instagram to turn on the camera. By pointing the camera at the corresponding artworks, a filter or animation would activate and spring to live!

TAPE HAPPENINGS

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“This project challenged the students to be aware of the latest technology and its applications,” said Kevin Chan, the Head of Program for DIMA and another new ICAD program, Diploma in Immersive Design. “With Facebook’s recent launch of the Metaverse, AR and VR technology will be very relevant in the near future. We can expect a greater variety of applications in different fields. It would be good for the students to be exposed to these new technologies and mediums and start exploring them creatively.”

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INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

PLACE

TEXT Sue-Jane Yeo PHOTOS Loka Made

Capturing topophilia with illustrations *Topohilia : A strong sense of place, mixed with mixed with the sense of cultural identity

Loka Made Studio Gallery is located at First Floor, No. 35-2 Jalan USJ 9/5S, Subang Business Centre, 47620 UEP Subang Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.

Website: https://lokamade.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelokamade/

Website

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Instagram

As our country slowly opens its interstate and international borders, we are reminded of a time when travelling had fewer restrictions and more freedom. We have spent the past 2 years cancelling trips and reminiscing about the places we have visited. As life goes on within our four walls, we long for the day to come when we can travel freely again.

In this issue, instead of featuring an actual place of interest, we decided that it would be ideal (and much safer) to showcase a home-grown merchandise brand that prides itself on whimsical illustrations which are based on the more underrated destinations and places in Malaysia. We sat down with Fei Giap and Audrey, co-founders of Loka Made, to find out more about their works.

TAPE PLACE

Can you tell us a little bit about your origin story?

Fei Giap: Audrey and I both have an Illustration background. When we first started our studio in 2012, we were mainly working with agencies and providing illustration services such as commissions to create the backgrounds for mobile games and production.

Audrey: Our humble beginnings started off as an idea to compile our collection of illustrations into an art book entitled Loka Made. Most of our initial artworks were inspired by local places of interest in Malaysia, with our own twist of fantasy. Later on, when our company was officially founded as a creative brand in 2015, we decided to keep the name, Loka Made.

Fei Gap and Audrey at Loka Made

booth at Creative Expo Taiwan, 2018

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INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

Fei Giap: Prior to that we did a lot of research and looked into overseas illustration brands for inspiration, mostly from Taiwan and Japan, and we decided that it would be interesting to develop our own illustrations to showcase the uniqueness of our local scenes.

So, it all started as an artwork compilation?

Audrey: Yeap, from there we expanded into a collection of pop-up cards and postcards. We only started to develop other kinds of merchandise in 2016. We have now developed a total of 3 pop-up card series.

Tell us more about your pop-up cards.

What does each series focus upon?

Fei Giap: Our first series was very experimental; we had cutting lines and folding lines that our customers could cut and fold to make their own pop-up scenes. It was also very difficult to find a proper printer locally that would meet our demands in printing quality, but we were very fortunate to find one that we could trust and work with.

So, it all started as an artwork compilation?

Audrey: That’s right. It was sparked by my personal love for postcards; I collect postcards.

But we found that postcards sold locally were pricey, so I told Fei Giap if we were to design our own postcards, it needs to be affordable. And that was how we came up with our Malaysian-style postcards. These were the first 2 merchandise we came up with.

Earlier you mentioned a little on the distinctive style of your illustrations that are merged with a tint of fantasylike elements. Perhaps we can talk a little bit more about the design process that goes behind these illustrations?

Fei Giap: We started experimenting around with illustrations after we graduated from college. We were actually very interested in and inspired by the Japanese styles of scenic illustrations.

We love how they used their buildings and heritage elements and turned them into something fantasy-like. From there, we took some inspiration from the architecture from Kuala Lumpur, deconstructing and reconstructing them into something new. We would use 3D software to construct them in a 3D space first, and then After we launched our first series of pop-up cards, repaint them again in Photoshop. we actually received some feedback that it wasn’t very user-friendly as most people don’t have the Yes, we definitely can see some Hayao Miyazaki influence in your works. proper tools at home. So for the later series, each of these cards has die-cuts and the customers just Fei Giap: We really admire the colourful scenes need to fold according to the instructions given to in the Studio Ghibli works, so we try to refer to their colour schemes and watercolour feel. Many create their imaginary scenes. people think that these illustrations are painted with watercolour, but in fact, it is all digitally Audrey: The first series is the shophouse series created to mimic the style of watercolour. and it showcases the nostalgic shophouses most Malaysians grew up with. The second series is our cultural series, and our third series showcases local sights and sceneries.

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TAPE PLACE

Do you guys travel to get inspiration for your artwork?

Fei Giap: Before the pandemic, yes we would travel around Malaysia to places in Penang, Johor, Malacca to get inspiration.

Audrey: Sometimes we would just stumble upon a random kampung house during our travels and we would fall in love with it and then use it as inspiration.

Fei Giap: Most of the time we would stumble upon hidden places and smaller alleys to capture the mundane everyday scenes of the locals. I’m especially drawn to the older houses and architecture because I feel these buildings are very specially aged with aesthetics and texture. I like how it is combined with digital tools to create an interesting bond between something old and something new.

Some of these illustrations tell very interesting stories and experiences that even we as Malaysians would not know.

Audrey: Before we did this piece, we stayed over at Pulau Pangkor for a couple of days and got to know the people and their stories. The red flag is an iconic symbol that local fishermen would raise and hang to welcome an abundant catch of fish for the day.

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INTI CENTER OF ART & DESIGN

Audrey: This was a piece for One Pearl Malaysia.

The idea behind this piece is a re-imagination of KL throughout the years. It starts from a recreation of KL 50 years ago and ends with how we would envision the city in the future.

What you guys are doing now has become quite important especially during the pandemic when many small businesses have been badly affected. The process of capturing these stories will help record the atmosphere and memories. Speaking of which, how is Loka Made staying relevant in the current times, since the tourism industry has been affected? Has it affected your work in any way?

Audrey: I think we do realise that as well, and that is why we are slowly exploring other concepts and art directions for our products. Some of our products are based on cutesy style illustrations and collectibles now because that sells. Besides that, products such as puzzles are also doing surprisingly well during these “stay at home” times.

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Any future plans for Loka Made?

Audrey: One of our plans is also to collaborate with local artists and illustrators. I think there is a pool of good talents in Malaysia.

Fei Giap: Recently we have been working with a lot of bigger brands such as Milo, McDonald’s, Touch ‘n’ Go. We hope to continue with that and get more opportunities to work with brands.

TAPE PLACE

Fei Giap: This was based on an old street in my hometown, Seremban. Back in those days, this street was filled with little sundry shops that sold all sorts of things.

Audrey: This particular piece was commissioned by a client from Hong Kong for his wife, to remind her of her younger days growing up in her parents’ shophouse. When she received it, she cried tears of joy.

Fei Giap: The shop is still there, but it has changed slightly throughout the years. During our process, we went back to the street and researched the history, and then we modified it a little to bring back the nostalgic look and feel.

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