02/11/2025

ON SUNDAY November 2, 2025 VI theSunday Special

S CROLL through Instagram and stumble upon @syahirah stargazer. You’ll find yourself transported into a universe of swirling galaxies, radiant nebulae and delicate poems that seem to bridge the LQ¿QLWH YDVWQHVV RI VSDFH ZLWK WKH LQWLPDF\ of human emotions. Behind these creations is Syahirah Stargazer, a Kelantan-born English and mathematics teacher who is also Ma laysia’s only member of the prestigious International Association of Astronomical Arts (IAAA). Her art, often described as “cosmic impressionism”, is more than just pretty galaxies on canvas. It’s a marriage of science and imagination, rooted in real astronomical data but translated through vivid brushstrokes and lyrical verses. “Science and creativity are two sides of the same coin. Even Einstein said imagi nation encircles the world. I truly believe art and astronomy thrive on curiosity and wonder,” she told theSunday Special.

Meet Syahirah Stargazer, Malaysia’s only member of the International Association of Astronomical Arts, who blends science, imagination and emotion in her celestial works A splash of stardust and a stroke of genius

Syahirah is an internationally recognised space artist and poet.

That telescope became her portal to the universe, cementing a fascination that would follow her well into adulthood. Yet the path wasn’t always starlit. Lan guage barriers marked her early schooling years and her drawings – especially anime ¿JXUHV ZHUH RQFH FRQ¿VFDWHG LQ VHFRQGDU\ VFKRRO EHFDXVH GUDZLQJV RI KXPDQ ¿JXUHV were discouraged. Instead of demoralising her, these hurdles only sharpened her resolve. “I took it as a challenge to never give up on my passion, no matter the circum stances,” she said. Between poetry and planets What makes Syahirah’s work particularly captivating is how she doesn’t just paint the cosmos – she writes it too. Her poetry, often inspired by the same celestial phe nomena as her art, acts as a companion to her canvases. “Poetry adds another layer of depth and emotion. It lets viewers experience the subject visually and intellectually, creating a more contemplative journey,” she explained.

Art is the bridge between imagination and knowledge.”

BY ASHRAF WAHAB

S \DKLUDK¶V ORYH D̆ DLU ZLWK WKH QLJKW VN\ began in Kampung Sungai Sok, a rural pocket of Kuala Krai, Kelantan, where the absence of city lights meant the heavens revealed themselves in full splendour. As a child, she would pore over astronomy books borrowed from her school library ZKLOH HDJHUO\ ÀLSSLQJ WKURXJK QHZVSDSHU clippings her father brought home. One night, her father surprised her with a telescope when she was just 14. “He woke me up in the middle of the night to show me. It was the sweetest moment,” she recalled with a smile.