VETERAN Penang-based artist Lee Hoi Har has called on the younger generation to embrace creativity as a life skill, rather than viewing art solely as a career path, saying that creative thinking is essential across all professions.
“Art is not just about becoming a painter or making money from drawings. Creativity is needed in every field — whether you are an engineer, a doctor or a designer,” she said in an interview with Buletin Mutiara recently.
Lee, who has more than four decades of experience in the art and design industry, said many students today are discouraged from pursuing creative subjects due to the perception that art offers limited financial security.
“I often hear students say, ‘Cikgu, don’t be an artist, there’s no money.’ But creativity is not limited to artists; it involves thinking critically, imagining possibilities and solving problems,” she said.
Lee recalled that her journey into art began at a young age when a teacher recognised her talent and encouraged her to draw by providing art materials.
That early support, she said, laid the foundation for her lifelong career in the creative field.
After completing her SPM, Lee moved to Penang from her hometown in Kedah and began working as a trainee oil painting artist, producing artworks for foreign tourists, particularly from Australia and New Zealand.
To supplement her income, she later gave tuition in Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and art, while also producing watercolour paintings for sale in Batu Ferringhi.
Over the years, Lee gained experience in galleries, commercial art studios and multinational companies, including Japanese firms, where she produced technical drawings, installation manuals and multilingual instruction materials.
“At that time, there was no AI. Everything was done by hand — drawings, layouts, translations. It required discipline and accuracy,” she said.
Despite later transitioning into the corporate sector as a packaging engineer, Lee continued to remain active in the art scene, participating in exhibitions annually and holding leadership roles in several local and international art societies.
In 2023, she led a group of 16 Malaysian artists to Tokyo for an international art residency, an experience she described as challenging but meaningful.
“When we bring Malaysian artists overseas, we are also representing our country. When we do well, people remember Malaysia,” she said.
Lee said art also plays an important role in emotional well-being, describing it as a form of therapy that helps individuals express feelings and manage stress.
“I have seen students who could not even draw a human figure become confident and happy through art. Some tell me they don’t know how to describe the happiness they feel when they are finally able to draw,” she said.
On the role of artificial intelligence in the creative industry, Lee said AI should be viewed as a supporting tool rather than a replacement for human creativity.
“AI can help us organise ideas or generate references, but it cannot replace human emotion, experience and imperfection — that is where real creativity comes from,” she said.
Lee added that greater support for the arts could also contribute to cultural exchange and tourism, noting that international exhibitions often attract foreign interest and visitors.
“Art can connect people across countries and cultures. With proper support, it can also help promote Malaysia on the global stage,” she said.
Story by Edmund Lee