Tigers are the largest of the world’s big cats and with their distinctive orange and black stripes as well as beautifully marked faces; they are truly a sight to behold. Global Tiger Day, held annually on 29 July was created in 2010 at the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit with the aim to raise awareness for tiger conservation. In the last century, 97% of all wild tigers had disappeared, leaving a mere 3,900 left in the wild. It is now more important than ever for this issue to come to light, and Global Tiger Day aims to do so and bring a halt to the decline of tigers.
In conjunction with this significant occasion, the Maybank Foundation had organised an art competition open to all tertiary education students. The competition required participants to interpret Maybank’s TIGER values, Teamwork, Integrity, Growth, Excellence and Efficiency, and Relationship Building, presenting it photo imaging, illustration or sequential art. The competition was an enormous success drawing 363 entries from 264 students from 29 universities and colleges around the country. Out of these, 8 students from The One Academy have emerged as finalists with two going on to win top prizes.
Juan Edwin Kusmartin produced his exquisite illustration titled ‘The Fundamentals’ which bagged him the 3rd prize in the Illustration category whereas Chai Bao Yi was awarded the 2nd prize in the Sequential Art category for her masterpiece ‘Saving Box’. Cheang Yu Huan, Vianka Gunawan, Law Xue Jing, Febiola Mathovanny Tengku, Chaw Wen Ching and Chia Chee Ming emerged as finalists in the Illustration category with their inspiring artworks.
When asked how she felt about clinching the second prize, Chai Bao Yi remarked that she was ecstatic and proud of herself. “My painting skill is not very good so I worked very hard on this part, this competition has truly taught me how to create a meaningful image and also finish a completed artwork”, she said.
Another participant, Vianka Gunawan, whose art was inspired by the Tiger value ‘Teamwork’, said that the competition had equipped her with essentials skills for a young creative. “Some of the preparation I was required to do was research and learning more about the values, as well as identifying references”, she said of the habits she picked up along the journey of the competition. She also advised future participants to “not to be discouraged by others’ design”.
Cheang Yu Huan, one of the finalist in the Illustration category with her digital art titled ‘Eternal Growth’ thanked The One Academy for inculcating great researching and drawing skills in her. “TOA also helped a lot in the sense of letting us discover ourselves but also pushing us to discover more. I think that is a really important aspect as a learning designer, because that is how you would learn and recognize good or bad design which helps to develop your own unique style”, said Yu Huan.
Ventures such as these are in line with The One Academy’s aim of nurturing creative talents that are aware of the industry standards in addition to providing them the platforms to further hone their skills. Through participation, these students are also able to meet, exchange ideas with as well as get inspired by other talents in the creative scene which ultimately opens up tons of networking possibilities.
When asked about their advice to fellow juniors, many of them wished them luck and reminded to never give up. Chaw Wen Ching, another finalist, said “express yourself as much as you can, let the creativity flow. Time management is also very important”. Febiola Mathovanny urged students to “listen to the lecturer as they are more experienced and will give us more knowledge. In school we need to learn from zero to be able to learn something new”.
The One Academy is committed to providing the best art education programmes and continues to nurture its students passionately through its ‘Masters Train Masters’ coaching philosophy, which has been practised for the past 28 years, by providing diploma and degree courses namely Advertising & Graphic Design, Digital Animation, Digital Media Design, Film Visual Effects, Interior Architecture & Design, Illustration, Fine Arts and Paris Fashion Design & Pattern Making. For more information on The One Academy, visit www.toa.edu.my or call (+603) 7875 5510 or e-mail your enquiries to [email protected].
The One Academy of Communication Design
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Chai Bao Yi receiving the prize for her winning entry, ‘Saving Box’.
Attendees admiring the work of the talented creatives at the exhibition.
