SHARINA Shahrin may be known as a visual artist, but she's an activist at heart, who draws ideas and inspiration from the vast fields of existentialism, women's rights and culture.
She co-founded Safe Space, a platform for women to express themselves, build connections and learn from each other.
"My goal is to continue raising awareness of the issue, and to remind women of their value and boundaries. We deserve more than just a seat at the table," she says.
She is also the founder of Baju by Sharina, a fashion brand with the goal of reclaiming and promoting the beauty of Malaysian batik.
"I started my career young and I experienced misogyny from society, clients and the industry," she says.
Sharina, who hails from Kuala Lumpur, is one of the seven local female artists who collaborated with Swedish fashion brand Monki for its sixth store in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.
As a fashion brand for young women, Monki is globally known for its efforts in women empowerment, self-acceptance and size inclusivity, and its latest project is another testament to that.
All seven artists had created artworks themed Seven Sisters Salute Sisterhood, which were used as posters to mark the opening.
THE LOOK OF STRENGTH
Sharina says the idea for her work was the art of rattan weaving and how it represents history, culture and strength.
"Salute Sisterhood, the common thread of all the art works, means acknowledging how every woman -- past, present and future — are contributing pieces to our ultimate goal. And we need to celebrate what binds us together," she says.
Sharina adds that despite the medium, she uses colours, composition, patterns and strokes to express her concepts.
"Exploring themes such as identity, women's rights and culture both inspire me and are conversations I gravitate towards. Discourse, films, books and my alone time are also an important part of my creative process," she says.
INSPIRATION EVERYWHERE
For Kuantan-based designer Shobana Nair who heads Shonaa Creative House, inspiration comes from everywhere and everything.
Shobana says the challenges she has been facing from her college days until she becomes a professional artist remains the same -- the lack of diversity, colour and background in the industry.
"This remains an issue even now and I am constantly searching for and exploring new styles and mediums in digital art.
"When I come across something that inspires me, I can visualise how that could look in my design, and immediately execute it," she says.
"Sisterhood is about bonding and unity among women. When we talk about 'Salute Sisterhood', it is about accepting and supporting each other's imperfections, which will lead to a sense of belonging, enhancing personal growth within ourselves."
She says the women represented in her artwork show that they are emotionally, mentally and spiritually diverse.
"It reflects their life challenges and healing process and I dedicate this to all the amazing, strong, resilient and kind women out there to show the power of coming together to create safe spaces within hostile environments and society," she says.
FUN AND GAMES
Growing up with video games and comic books, hobbies have been the greatest influence on Nurul Atika's style, which are character illustration and stylised portraiture.
She describes her style as bold and contrasting. "I love mixing blues and reds, and black is my favorite colour. Beyond that, it's a direct translation of my emotional affliction on a daily basis.
"My main inspirations are comics and movies. They were probably the largest inspirations for me as a child reader, and my love of character design evolved as a result," she says.
Nurul Atika says she has been surrounded by a great community who sees beyond her gender.
"Being surrounded by encouraging people is undoubtedly a blessing, but I am also well aware of the inequality that's happening not only in the art community but also in other parts of society,"
"My work is an extension of myself and my audience, and there are indeed lovely people who appreciate my art, without making distinctions based on my background or gender," she says.
Because I enjoy creating fantastical figures, she says, the mediaeval era served as her inspiration for this project.
"Here's a group of strong, fierce woman warriors who ruled the land and went to the battlefield to fight for peace. Witches and women warriors gathered then and created an establishment which formed a community. This, in my opinion, represents the solid sisterhood they share," she adds.
Other artists who took part in the Seven Sisters Salute Sisterhood project are Sarah Reza, Florence Khoo, Dianne Tahir and Shari Jaffri.
