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Kanz is a freelance illustrator and animator from Brunei Darussalam. She is known for her character illustrations and vibrant luminous colours that reminded people of sweet candies.
She has participated in multiple zines, joined a few art exhibitions such as gallery IYN in Japan and had worked with multiple clients for her illustrations.
She has drawn some of the local delicacies that can be found in her home country which she had always enjoyed eating. She personally enjoys eating Nasi Katok and could eat up to 3 servings in one sitting, though she may be questioning her diet at that point.
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Penkuro is a Cambodian comic artist and illustrator based in Phnom Penh. Through humor and visual storytelling, Penkuro works to make education topics more engaging and accessible for youth, as can be seen on Wapatoa (FB+IG), a digital platform sharing illustrated articles and comics.
He is now working with Impact Hub Phnom Penh to build a community of digital creators in Cambodia. When he is not working on his art, Penkuro enjoys munching cream puffs at local cafes on the weekends.
I grew up learning about folktales and fables from my grandmother who was a bookseller at a market near our house. I fell in love with fantastical storytelling and the vivid illustrations of magical characters since before I learn how To Read. I remembered I used to pick up any picture book when I couldn’t even read and start reading out loud whatever the picture I was seeing at the time in grandma’s shop. People would praise me for being able to read for my age until they realized the book was upside down and they would laugh and began to have a conversation with my grandma.
Prah Neang Konghing – ព្រះនាងគង្ហីង (Princess Konghing) Or Neang Rumsaisok – នាងរំសាយសក់ (Girl Who Lets Down Her Hair) was a folktale I stumbled upon growing up. There is also a statue of her in my city, Phnom Penh, a woman with long magical hair (Not Rapunzel) combing her long hair and a crocodile posing beneath her. She is worshipped by many Cambodians and they believe that she would grant them blessings. Folktales have come a long way bringing along wild fantasy embedded with moral values to capture the attention of young minds. I love that there is slight modifications to the reiteration of the stories as those folktales continue to be told by people who remember them.
Umahyuma or Yuma, is a Balinese artist and illustrator who reads tarot in her spare time. She is currently working full-time at Florto Studio. Her passion for spirituality and otherworldly beings brings her closer to her roots as a Balinese, and it also helps her in her creative works. Her work is often described as magical and enchanting, inviting others to immerse themselves in her captivating utopia.
In my childhood, The Keong Mas (The Golden Snail) legend is always all about how loyal Raden Inu Kertapati is to Candra Kirana. He never gave up hope in finding his true love. But reading the legend as an adult woman, my focus has shifted to the relationship Candra Kirana (as Keong Mas) had with the old lady.
If not for the old lady’s kind heart, Candra Kirana would’ve never meet her prince ever again. And since the old lady has been nothing but kind and compassionate to Candra Kirana, now Candra Kirana invited her to live in the palace with her. Ultimately helping the old lady from the rough life she had.
They are both women that support women. By supporting each other, helping with kindness, they made each other life better. I will forever cherish this story.
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Originally from Vientiane, Laos, Emily is an aspiring 3D modeler and illustrator. For five years, she has worked as a 3d character animator for an indie game studio, Voracious Games, based in the US. And now she is exploring 3D character modeling as her latest interest. While she has mostly worked in the 3D world, her love for art and design inspired her to go into this creative field in the first place. Most of her art is based on fantasy themes, with characters in different mediums from animation, digital paintings, 3d models, to traditional art.
Here is the story of Maek Kala, the sea goddess. A magic ball was given to her by the Holy Naga. She was often chased by a giant who wanted the magic ball for himself. There is a lot of mischief in the goddess. It is common for her to play tricks such as offering the magic ball to the giant and fleeing away, which frustrates and angers him. Thunder and lighting will shoot across the sky whenever the weapon strikes the clouds in an attempt to harm the goddess. Growing up, I heard this story many times from my family. My inspiration came from the memory of saying “the goddess is being chased again today” during stormy days.
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Mvndeep is a Malaysian-born and Melbourne-based artist who focuses on capturing mythological figures and telling their stories through his art.
He’s known for his dark art style where he uses stippling to feature macabre red skeletons juxtaposed against the black and white beings that he draws, evoking the stoic idea of ‘memento mori’.
He is also the creator of the Arcana Mortis Tarot deck and is currently working on a new project; a mythology-themed deck of playing cards called ‘Arcana Divina’.
The artwork I contributed was ‘Puteri Gunung Ledang’. I remember being told her story as a child. It was one of the first folk stories I ever heard, and I was in love! I’d like to think her story helped play a small part in the kind of art I create today and my love for mythology.
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Kevin Hlaing is a Burmese artist and an Illustrator for Blue Belu Studios. He is known to draw fantasy-based illustrations and characters.
His Style features bold colours, graphic shapes and wide dynamic compositions with lots of action and movement.
Ngamoeyeik Chaung is a classic story in Myanmar. It to me has everything, a romance, a weirdness factor being the crocodile ferry and a tragic yet hopeful ending that stuck with me.
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Shane Agir is a Negrense artist based in Manila, Philippines. He’s known for his solid black creature designs inspired by shadow play, vase painting, and relief prints.
His works under the pseudonym Sidlakang Babaylan (meaning Easter Shaman) often depict themes from childhood lore and local mythos. Shane has worked on book covers, TTRPG illustrations, and tattoo designs.
“Ang Arimaonga at Ang Minokawa” features two fantastical beasts from Philippine lore who both envied the power of the sun and sought to feed on its light. It serves as a metaphor for greediness, but at the same time it can represent ambition, determination, and perseverance.
Andrew Goh is a Cinematic Artist, Storyboard Artist and Character Animator from Singapore. He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta in 2015 with a BFA in Animation. He has worked at Telltale Games as a Cinematic Artist on properties such as Telltale’s Batman series, Telltale’s The Walking Dead and Telltale’s Game of Thrones. Currently, he works at Immersed Games as a 2D Artist and Animator
A big hallmark of Singapore’s relatively short history is that it used to be a haven for pirates to settle and trade, until it was subsumed as a trade center into the British Empire.
Long Ya Men or Dragon’s Teeth Gate was purported to be a seminal symbol of this pirate haven before the British tore it down for their large vessels to dock. The much reduced remains that persisted to this day are one of the few physical pieces of structural evidence of this particularly unknown and enigmatic period of Singapore’s history.
As such, the artist’s intention was to commemorate it as though it was a widely beloved tourist spot.
Pavii is a Thai freelance illustrator based in Germany. She loves drawing cosy stuff and little creatures and finds beauty in the domesticity of everyday life then mingle it with imagination, warmth and whimsicalness. Her work mainly belongs in the kid-lit field, but still she enjoys illustrating novel covers, designing packaging, music album covers, and many more, as she is always seeking new and exciting opportunities to showcase her creativity and bring joy to people everywhere.
When illustrating Nangkwak in the Spirit House, I sought to capture the essence of this revered figure and the significance of the spirit house in Thai culture. The artwork portrays Nangkwak, a benevolent spirit associated with prosperity and good fortune, seated gracefully within the spirit house. Surrounding her are numerous offerings, symbolising the reverence and gratitude expressed by those seeking her blessings.
Through my artwork, I aim to convey the deeply rooted belief in the interplay between the spiritual and material worlds, which is an integral part of Thai culture. The presence of Nangkwak in the spirit house signifies the desire for abundance and prosperity, while also showcasing the spiritual connection between individuals and the divine.
It is my hope that this illustration brings a sense of tranquillity and inspiration while honouring the traditions and beliefs associated with Nangkwak and the spirit house in Thai culture.
Listen to our Guest Interview – Part 01 | Guest Interview – Part 02
( Part 2 Coming Soon )
Lala Berekai is a Luso-Timorese artist that works in illustration, animation, comics and video games.
Throughout their career, they have participated in several traditional and digital art projects, being the most recent the art for the series of children’s books Aventureira Marielle. Their style is a fusion of traditional drawing and painting transposed into digital media.
Lala’s most recurring topics are to spread awareness of Timorese culture and art and the perspective of a second-generation Timorese artist.
The King of Lequeçan’s tale talks about the importance of a timorese woman’s word and her position in the society. There aren’t many female empowerment in timorese folklore tales, so this was the one who resonated with me the most, especially coming from a family with powerful and hard working women and in my life.
Listen to our Guest Artist Interview ( Coming Soon )
Camelia Pham is an illustrator based in Hanoi. Her work is primarily focused on telling stories through human bodies, bold colors and decorative frames.
She has won multiple awards for her work and dabbled in the animation field as an art director. She is now freelance, enjoying her life creating art at home, all while snuggling her dog and trying to find good working cafes in the city.
The story featured is part of a Vietnamese myth. It’s about a princess betraying her kingdom for her husband but eventually ends up being tricked by him into giving away the kingdom’s secret to a rival kingdom. She ran away with her dad but deliberately left behind feathers from her coat for her husband to be able to find her and eventually her dad killed her for this. Her blood touched the ocean and turned into pearls. When the husband found her body, he threw himself into a well and legend said if you wash pearls with that well’s water they will shine brighter.