How To Make Designs Unforgettable, According To Three Malaysian Artists

Most people view art and design at the surface—judging by visual or function—but Matthew Lim, founder and principal of Matthew Lim Associates, seeks to explore what makes a creation human. “Emotions shape how you create, how you experience design, and, ultimately, how you connect with the world,” he says. For the second edition of Cosentino’s Voices of Design series, Lim is joined by three prominent names in Malaysia’s design industry: interdisciplinary artist Pamela Tan, contemporary artist Red Hong Yi, and co-founder and creative director of Youngblood, IDr. Ei Ling Tay.

With her architectural background and training, Tan is strongly influenced by the spaces around her. Well known for her public installations, she creates art that piques curiosity, prompting pedestrians to pause and engage, shifting the mood of the environment in those times. “When I was in Shanghai, I stumbled upon an installation called Real Fiction Cinema. At first, I tried to peek inside before realising there was a door that led into this live theatre. Inside, you hear laughing, and you see people who were watching others do the same thing I did,” she explains. “I sat down for a while, and something about it felt very poetic—seeing so much of life changing in that street. It was one of the moments that made me realise why I wanted to do public art.”

Red is internationally acclaimed for her large-scale portraits and has been commissioned by global brands and high-profile figures such as Jackie Chan. In addition to her role as an artist, she is also a mother. “When I gave birth to my son, I created a series of 30 pieces of artwork about my experience as a first-time mom,” Red shares. Her work depicts days when she felt unattractive, difficult nights, feeling guilt over placental complications, and more. “I was really inspired by the English artist, Tracey Emin, who tried to show what it felt like after a heartbreak in one of her works,” she says. “I wanted to express my perspective on life and what my experience was like.”

As someone who is people-oriented by nature, Ei finds joy in designing for the community. “My studio works extensively with supermarkets and grocery spaces. They’re what I call the people’s place,” she states. Among her projects, she is most fond of her design for ST Rosyam Mart. “It seemed impossible to transform it at first, but we managed to elevate this local community market. We considered what people sought in here, and, in a wholesale market, there is always the feeling of wanting more—so we gave them more,” she explains, enveloping the ceiling in imagery of produce. “It creates a sense of abundance and, with the use of bright lights and colour, it enlivens the space.”

At the end of the day, Lim emphasises that “a memorable space is not necessarily the most visually dramatic one; it is the ones that make people feel something”. This idea is also reflected in popular works such as Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night painting, which expresses his inner turmoil, or the colour palette of Wes Anderson’s films, which evoke a sense of nostalgia—proving once again that emotionally driven designs are more lasting.

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