08/03/2026

ON SUNDAY March 8, 2026 X theSunday Special

A T this point, saying “art is subjective” just feels overused. It is an excuse not to try to understand or engage with a piece of art. It is dismissive. In a way, it is saying, “This is not for me.” B XW SHRSOH GR UHDFW GL̆ HUHQWO\ WRZDUGV art. That is, after all, the whole intention of every piece of art creation: To evoke emotion and provoke thought. New media is a form created using new technology such as projection, sensors, microcomputers, augmented reality, YLUWXDO UHDOLW\ PL[HG UHDOLW\ DQG DUWL¿FLDO intelligence. A smaller section of new media is digital art, which attracts a range of opinions. “Digital art for me is any art form that was created mainly using digital media, such as computer-generated software, digital cameras and digital scanning. $JDLQ WKH GH¿QLWLRQ PLJKW YDU\ EXW , guess digital art is just another medium that humans can use to express them selves. “ 7KHUH DUH DOVR GL̆ HUHQFHV EHWZHHQ “digital art” and “design”. For me, design is primarily problem-solving, helping clients address their needs, usually to sell a product or service. Digital art, meanwhile, is an act of expression using digital media, such as digital photography, video essays or experimental audiovisual installations,” explained digital artist Abdul Shakir Abu Samah. Abdul is also the co-founder of Filamen, a new media art collective. Filamen aims to serve as a platform for new media and digital artists to come together to create and collaborate. Abdul wants to do more than just create digital designs for advertisements or montages. He wants to express himself and tell his own story through the medium he is most comfort able with: Digital. Realising that Western and Far Eastern elements mainly inspire this form of art, he also wants to share more about Malay sia and its culture through his digital art.

Understanding digital art Fusing local motifs with new media, Abdul Shakir Abdul Samah is reshaping digital art in Malaysia

BY HANNEF ESQUANDER

I love how our ancestors used motifs not just as decoration but as a way to embed stories into everyday objects.”

“Local motifs mostly inspire my work. I grew up hearing my mother explain the meanings behind the motifs on songket, batik and wood carvings, so I’ve always felt connected to them. I love how our ancestors used motifs not just as decora tion but as a way to embed stories into everyday objects. “Malaysian culture’s maximalism, with LWV ¿OOLQJ RI HPSW\ VSDFHV ZLWK SDWWHUQV DQG FDUYLQJV UHDOO\ LQÀXHQFHV PH 2XU culture is also diverse and colourful, which is why my work is so vibrant,” Abdul shared.

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