For two young Sabah artists, old people are beautiful

Story by Olivia Peter
Pictures by Flanegan Bainon

Two young artists Caroline Asan and Wilker Vilan Libin, both 19, find grandmothers particularly fascinating and beautiful. And their black and white portraits of them in pencil drawings have won them prizes. Old people, they say, are excellent subjects for their art. “An old woman's face has a lot of inspiring details,” says Asan who is attracted to wrinkles. Her portrait “Bodu”, which simply means “grandma” in her Kadazandusun language, won her one of the top prizes at the 25th Sabah Annual Art Awards on October 7.

Asan’s winning entry gave her 1,200 ringgit ($387) in the upper secondary school category. Libin took a 600-ringgit prize with his black and white portrait of a smoking grandmother which he titled “Momungkus”— smoking in his native language.

However drawing such portraits with graphite pencils has been arduous. Asan took one year to complete her masterpiece while Libin spent eight months. Both of them drew their subjects from pictures taken with a camera because it was impossible to get the grandmothers to sit for them over such a long period.

Asan learnt to draw when she was 15 while Libin started at eight. The pencil is their preferred medium. Asan uses soft lead pencils ranging from 2B to 8B. Libin draws with HB, 2B, 4B, 5B and 6B. The higher the B number, the softer the lead as the pencil has more carbon than clay.

Libin is obsessed with old people. He has drawn an old man with a cap which he named “orang tua” (old man in Malay) and another of a grandfather giving his grandson a piggyback.

Finding time to draw poses a problem for Libin and Asan who are form six students of SMK Narinang in Kota Belud, about 60km (37.5 miles) from Kota Kinabalu capital. They are sitting for their higher school certificate (STPM) or A-level examination.

“It is very hard to find good pencils in Kota Belud,” Libin says. The best brand that he can find there is the German Staedler which is made in the peninsular Selangor state. He spends about 10 ringgit on pencils for each of his drawings. He says he has to spend 20 ringgit on bus fares if he goes to Kota Kinabalu to buy them.

Asan wants to further her studies in art after her A-levels. Libin hopes to find a job as a teacher or journalist and draw on the side.

Masidi Manjun, minister of tourism, culture and environment, notes that Sabah artists are producing better work which will bring them greater rewards if they sell them overseas.

“I believe our local artists can sell their work abroad,” he says.

“Art, which is a significant milestone in the development of a society, will boost Sabah’s cultural image,” said the head of state Ahmadshah who gave away prizes to the winners. “Young people should be encouraged to take up art and artists should produce higher quality works.”

Sabah's most sensational and adventurous artist Benedict Chong, 64, was given a special award for his feats in producing the world's longest neckties and Malaysia's biggest fan.

There were 258 entries from 233 artists but only 30 of them won prizes in the contest divided into three categories: open, lower and upper secondary schools. – Insight Sabah

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