The art scene in Malaysia is immense, although not as massive as it should be. Fortunately, a few talents were given recognition and it is these guys who have set the local standards up high for budding artists especially burgeoning photographers.
Read up on some of these photography veterans you should be aware of by now, and understand why their work has brought them to where they are.
1. Che Ahmad Azhar
Also known as Che Mat, this highly praised street photographer has had his work published on The New York Times on a blog post titled “A Street-Level View of Kuala Lumpur”. Initially a landscape photographer, he took his talents to the streets and captured some of the most beautiful photos that perfectly encapsulate the city. It’s easier to believe that he was trained professionally, but Che Mat was actually a graphic design major from UITM.
These are some of Che Mat’s best work from his photography series called “Walk of Life”:
2. Nick Ng
What started as a camera to record implant cases soon turned into a string of award-winning photographs to Nick Ng, a former oral implantologist. Known as a category winner in the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards (WPA), which is also the world’s biggest photography competition, he took home the champion title in the Low Light Category, a category that is no easy feat. But Nick Ng is also a winner in other aspects, as he is known to be extremely humble through it all.
Here are some of his most captivating photographs:
3. Yaman Ibrahim
Besides photography, Yaman Ibraham has had experience in being an art teacher and senior manager in Creative and Multimedia. A self-described visual storyteller, there’s no denying that his specialty is people, although his skills mostly lie in both portrait and landscape photography. Through his images, Ibrahim brings out the soul of his subjects through a well-balanced juxtaposition, bringing out colours and character. His great talent made him win first place for Photographer Of The Year at DCM UK.
We’ve filtered out his archives for some of his best photos here:
4. Edwin Tan
Accolades of Excellence receiver in 2010 at the WPPI 1st Half International Photography Competition, Edwin Tan is well loved for his wedding photography which uses a relaxed approach, expecting a more natural flow to his work to capture deep emotional moments – an important aspect of wedding photography. He is also an example that passion and patience is key to good photos, as his humble beginning into photography was inspiration from a wedding photography workshop. From taking photographs of his children to now the photographs of loving, happy couples, Edwin Tan has helped many people make sweet memories in pixels.
Check out some of Edwin Tan’s photos down below:
5. Tan Yong Lin
Nature is fickle, yet Tan Yong Lin’s camera lenses never fail to capture them despite the difficulty. Despite his young age, Tan won Youth Photographer of The Year at the Sony World Photography Award in 2015, a completely fascinating tale and surprise since his winning shot was taken at the alleyway of his grandmother’s house. Nature and the environment isn’t the only thing Tan’s good at, he sometimes captures people too. A quick look at his photos shows a refined talent that will only keep growing in many more years to come.
Take a look at some of his best photos here:
Header photo credits to Tan Yong Lin, Nick Ng, Edwin Tan & Yaman Ibrahim
