Art Is Disappearing From Our Lives, But The Devil Is In The Details

By Lam Yat Yee

|| Note: Stick around until the end of this article for a small surprise! ||

Art. It is in the eye of the beholder. It is a shapeshifter. It knows no bounds and the only thing it defines is itself. Yet, everyday, everywhere, there are attempts to fit it into different boxes and moulds. To discredit Art and remake it into something smaller. 

In our community itself, the interest in pursuing the Arts is ever so commonly stifled, stigmatised, and ultimately terminated.

Art is vanishing from our lives, and the Devil is in the details.

But this is where an ambitious young artist, Yan, comes in.

This story starts, too, during the pandemic, a time of self-discovery for Yan, for it was when she uncovered her passion for art. 

And so, having worked in Kuala Lumpur as a wedding planner and then an F&B retail manager at 27, Yan moved back to the quieter hustle and bustle of Ipoh to bring life to her dreams.

With a deep appreciation for Art herself, the self-taught fluid artist aspired to set up a platform here in Ipoh where local artists, aspiring and professional alike, can gather to explore and work on their own unique styles of art. 

Yan’s philosophy is that; 

“Art can be anything. There is no right or wrong in Art. There is nor form to Art, no rules, because if one thinks that something is Art, it is Art.”

Which is where the name of the studio, Wuju, comes from. The mandarin characters 无拘 ( pronounced wú jū) bear the meaning “Free and Easy”, or in other words, freedom, the very soul of art. 

“There are no rules, and you can do anything you like. So you can create anything you want here, you can draw anything you want here. There is no judgement, no stress, and there’s no rules in my studio.”

Her idea was to establish a creative platform where customers were free to come and go. An art studio that focuses on expression rather than technique.

“Why not create a space where I can learn from them [the customers] and they can learn from me too?”

So, she rented and renovated the two-storey shoplot, transforming it into a minimalist concept art studio where she hopes to meet more people who share the same passion

However, there are some who struggle to accept her studio’s concept as she does not offer regular classes or technique classes, but rather, runs the studio on a come-and-go basis.

But despite the heavily stereotyped misconception on Art being an unwise choice of career, Yan believes that art can indeed bring success to a person’s career should they work smart and hard enough.

“It’s not that you cannot earn money, but of course there are challenges. But if you don’t solve the problem, you just keep on not being able to do it. Like “okay lah cannot do, I don’t want to do it”. But then you lose something you like. Is that worth it? Why not just do something you like and make it sustainable?”

After all, her studio itself is proof!

In the future, Yan hopes to launch and host art exhibitions on the second floor of her art studio. Though, her studio itself is already a work of art itself; full of unexpected, imaginative decor at every corner.

May her journey be met with success!

 

***

Thank you for reading this far! Here’s a little surprise for you, dear reader;

!!! Use This Promotional Code To Get 10% Off A Canvas [ IpohEchoXWuJu ] !!!

Located at 19, Jalan Theatre, Taman Jubilee, 30300 Ipoh, Perak, WuJu Studio opens from 3pm to 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays, and 1pm to 9pm on weekends. 

They offer acrylic painting, sand painting, and fluid art on varying sizes of canvas, charging based on canvas size. They also offer keychain fluid art, and tote bag painting sessions. 

To commemorate Mother’s Day, they are holding a flower bouquet arrangement class on the 13th and 14th of May from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM.

WuJu Studio also has a photography room available for rent, with changing decor depending on Yan’s mood.

For further inquiries, find out more on instagram @wuju_studio or text/call them at 012-775 2998.

***