The Atelier

A scenic 45 minute drive Northbound from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, nestled in the shade of a rainforest is the artist's Atelier. This is where Intan Suria creates her signature hand-painted pieces such as 'Plume' and 'Monsoon'.

An orchestra emerges from the rainforest, originating from all kinds of Fauna that habitat the green surroundings. A consistent pitch from Giant Chicadas (especially after the rains) is common all day long. One might be lucky enough to pick up sounds from Hornbills, Wild Gibbons, Macaques, Woodpeckers, Tree frogs and so on.

Suria approaches the first stroke on a blank silk canvas as a ritual, whispering a small prayer before hand painting each piece, in hopes that her work will be beautifully finished.

The studio is a creative collaboration with local marginalised artisans and their communities. Each piece is an individual story, hand crafted by local artisans. SURIA works towards creating sustainable initiatives where fabrics are painted, to reduce water footprint and remnant wax is recycled to minimise the environmental impact. Where circumstances are favourable, SURIA contributes to TRCRC (Tropical Rainforest Conservation and Research Centre), a local non-governmental organisation (NGO).