Viral M’sian Artist Who Drew DG Dr. Noor Hisham Overcomes The Struggles of Autism & Trauma Through Art

By Ameera Rosli  •  in Features
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source: Facebook / luqmanhakimarts

Despite the looming presence of Covid-19, Malaysians are constantly proving their optimism by engaging in acts of kindness or showcasing their impressive talents. From unknown cooks turned superstar chefs, Sugu Pavithra, to Malaysia’s first astronaut turned delivery boy, Dr. Sheikh Musazphar, Malaysians are never out of pleasant surprises.

source: Facebook / luqmanhakimarts

Now, a new talent has emerged in the form of 27-year old artist, Luqman Hakim. He recently went viral after sharing a gorgeous and meticulous sketch of Malaysia’s DG Health Minister, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, which he had drawn on a Starbucks cup. The picture was uploaded to Twitter and was recognised by the DG himself as well as the popular coffee-chain.

With that, Malaysians became increasingly curious about the artist who seemed to have incredible, yet enshrouded talent. From there, the artist, Luqman Hakim, has since received tonnes of praise and admiration for his artwork which he shares on his multiple social media platforms.

However, this artist is no stranger to me. Luqman Hakim is a student at Multimedia University, Cyberjaya and he is known amongst his peers (myself included) to be the man forever glued to a pencil and paper.

 

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Constantly seen feverishly drawing, Luqman has garnered deep appreciation from many onlookers. Some students even take time off from their busy schedules to sit nearby and watch Luqman sketch. Known as the talented introvert on campus, those who know him are not at all surprised to see him finally gain nation-wide recognition.

Despite his seemingly effortless sketches, he did not become a prodigy overnight. According to the artist, he spent 10 years disciplining and training himself to draw on a professional level.

The Starbucks cups, however, came to him during a break when he usually spends his idle time sketching. With COVID-19 preoccupying our minds, Luqman decided to pay tribute to the man at the front-lines, DG Dr. Noor Hisham.

 

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JUICE had a short chat with the artist to gain insight on his process, inspirations and upcoming work. This is what he said…

 

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As a student at MMU myself, I often see you drawing at the learning point and always coming up with new ideas. How many hours do you usually spend drawing?
Around 10-12 hours or more everyday.

What inspired you to pick up the pencil and paper and start drawing when you were just a child? 
From what my mom told me, I started to draw when I was 3 to 4 years old. I also love to see both my mom and big brother drawing. I just fell in love with it.

What was the first thing you drew?
It’s a stickman! Seriously! (This is a proof that drawing can be trained by discipline and skills). And the first portrait I drew was John F Kennedy since I watch a lot of History Channel.

If you are not drawing and attending classes, how do you usually spend your time?
Either I play video games or do bodybuilding. Maybe I read some art reference books.

source: Twitter / @luqmanhakimarts

I heard you are working on a comic, are there any panels that you can share with us as a snippet of what’s to come?
Yes but it’s still in a proposal stage. It is a cyberpunk comic and you can expect an action-packed, epic story and battle.

Are there any comics that have inspired your art style?
Yes, the one artist who I admire was Lee Bermejo. His shading was so detailed and intimidating. Yeah, I am a person who is obsessed with details!

Have you ever thought of monetising your talent? I’m sure people would love to buy customised Starbucks cups designs.
I’m not sure about that. But it will be an honour if Starbucks commissions me to do a series of artwork.

As a person with Autism, do you have any inspiring words for other budding talents such as yourself who are currently struggling to find themselves?
Every journey has its own pain. But the pain will develop our character and personality. It’s definitely worth the journey. We need to believe we are stronger and greater than our limitations.

What would you like to say to Dr Noor Hisham if you were to meet him?
I would say he inspires me to be proud and keep staying in Malaysia. I cancelled my plan to live outside the country because it’s my responsibility to develop my own country.

 

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Luqman has gone through his fair share of challenges throughout his life especially since he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as he was bullied profusely as a child for having Autism. As an escape, he immerses himself in a world of superheroes and strong warriors so much so that he decided to draw them to life.

With intricate sketches filled to the brim with details, it’s inspiring to see Luqman channel his “anxiety, fear and pain” into something so beautiful. It’s even more heartwarming to see him share his artwork as tributes to significant figures in the Malaysian government.

To support Luqman, follow him on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, where he sometimes does commissions. 

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