Hotlink And Terengganu Artist Nas Suha Celebrate Local Culture Through Mural & NFT Launch
The colourful, vibrant mural and NFT collection feature elements such as wau and batik.
By Gowri Chitra — 27 Jul 2022, 11:29 AM
Meet Nas Suha, a Malaysian born-and-raised doodle illustrator and mural artist with an undying passion for art
Hailing from Terengganu, Nas' love for art started from a young age, and could often be found doodling as a child. As an adult now, he continues to draw doodles, which is something he loves because it gives him freedom.
"It has no rules, endless possibilities, and I can draw whatever comes to mind. After the first stroke, I just keep creating — not knowing what the final outcome would look like. To me, that's the fun in doodling," said Nas.
Though he graduated with a degree in engineering and worked in that field for a while, his passion for art soon led him to leave it behind and become a full-time artist. Now, you can find gorgeous murals drawn by Nas all over Malaysia. He has since had collaborations with multiple renowned brands and makes a living through contests, commissions, and sales of his illustrations.
Speaking on the importance of Internet to his career as an artist, Nas said, "Preserving heritage and culture through visual art, that's my goal. Whenever I need to find inspiration for my art, I tend to browse the Internet for new ideas.
"For me, posting my art online is what helps me grow my reach on social media."
Nas credits his mother as his biggest supporter even from his childhood days, as she would not only buy him art supplies, but also submit his drawings to art competitions on his behalf
One day, his mother brought home a bag of prizes, telling him that he had won an art competition. It was this incident that sparked Nas' confidence in his skills, and it wasn't until much later that he found out it had all been a ruse.
Recalling the incident, Nas shared, "It was only a few years later that I found out that I had never won any of the contests. Turns out, my mum was the one who bought the gifts for me so I wouldn't feel disappointed about losing.
"At first, I felt lied to. But when I look back... I think... If it wasn't for my mum, I probably wouldn't be able to #BikinSampaiJadi as a mural artist with my biggest artwork [up for display] in Terengganu today."
Nas adds another feather to his cap with his biggest piece ever — a collaboration with Hotlink — which not only showcases his talent but also pays homage to his home state of Terengganu
Located at Bangunan REX in Kuala Terengganu, the huge mural is colourful, vibrant, and absolutely stunning. Paying homage to his hometown, Nas took inspiration from local elements like the wau and intricate batik patterns to represent his state's rich culture.
In fact, the wau-maker featured in the mural is a real third-generation wau maker that Nas visited for inspiration and to learn the wau-making process. As a result, and also drawing on his own memories of playing with wau as a kid, Nas' mural features the floral prints that Terengganu folks like to use in their wau patterns.
Nas (right) consulting with the third-generation wau maker in Terengganu.
Image via @wau_tradisi_terengganu (Instagram)Meanwhile, Nas also chose to promote and represent the arts and culture in Terengganu by featuring the state's batik, which is renowned for its vibrant colours, bold prints, and versatility. It is exactly those qualities that Nas captures in his portrayal of a girl wearing a batik hijab in his mural.
Nas' goal with this mural is for tourists and visitors to be able to see Malaysian legacies and learn more about our culture through the visual arts when they visit Terengganu.
This collaboration with Nas is part of Hotlink's ongoing efforts to celebrate the #BikinSampaiJadi spirit of our local artists
By working with local artists and getting them to express themselves through art, Hotlink aims to highlight the uniqueness of each state, while simultaneously giving our homegrown talents a chance to shine.
Through this, Hotlink wants to be seen as a brand that empowers and enables local talent through the help of Internet and connectivity.
They previously collaborated with Sabahan street artist, Kenji Chai, on creating a mural in Kota Kinabalu that features many kinds of native Sabah wildlife, giving both locals and travellers a glimpse into the state's vast beauty, strength, and diversity.
What's even more exciting is that Hotlink is also bringing the artwork of local artists like Nas and Kenji to the digital world by creating non-fungible token (NFTs) featuring their artwork, wow!
Through the power of connectivity, Hotlink wants to empower homegrown artists to bring local culture to the digital world via NFTs, helping them create art pieces both on ground and online.
Celebrating local culture and the #BikinSampaiJadi stories of the artists and their home states, Hotlink aims to not only display artwork for the world to see, but also make them ownable by anyone, anywhere in the world.
With this mural in Terengganu making for an impressive addition to Nas' portfolio, this homegrown talent is on his way to big things
Watch the video below for more insight into Nas' journey and his collaboration with Hotlink:
His journey is far from over, and Nas will continue to dream big and work hard in order to achieve those dreams his way.
Find out more about #BikinSampaiJadi on Hotlink's website
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