The 1st Not Quite Right Video Competition: Results out!

A total of 55 short films were submitted from all over the country for the 1st Not Quite Right Competition, organised by Sunway University’s Department of Performance and Media for young filmmakers aged between 16-20 years. Many of the entries tackled the theme of ‘not quite right’ with great imagination, humour and gusto.

Ezra Zaid (Not Quite Right judge) with first prize winner, Tan Zen Kin (Hero Pills)

The competition was aimed at secondary school students. Sunway University intends to organise another competition like this next year and it hopes even more will participate.

Sunway University invited 3 talented people from the media and creative industries to be the NQR judges. They were Liyana Jasmay, award-winning film and television actress and Sunway University alumna; Amir Muhammad, publisher, writer, and award-winning filmmaker and Ezra Zaid, BFM radio host, publisher, and That Effing Show/Pop TeeVee host.

The results were announced on 25 March 2012, at the Roof Top Theatre, Department of Performance & Media, Sunway University.

Not Quite Right 2012 first prize winners, Hero Pills

The Top 10 Finalists of the 1st NQR Competition:
• Assassin 3.0 by Ee Kai Sheng
• Chronicles (NOT) by Fong Meng Khai
• Friend Zone Rejuvenate by Yeoh Jackson
• Hero Pills by Tan Zen Kin
• It Can Be Done by Seet Mian Mian
• Nerdception by Parminderjit Singh
• Once Upon A Dream by Adam Rizal
• The Prescription by Liew Khar Khiaw
• The Scam by Bryan Ong Cheng Mun
• This Is Not Write by Lee Ching Ching

The 1st NQR Competition Prize Winners:
• 1st Prize, RM2,500: Hero Pills by Tan Zen Kin
• 2nd Prize, RM1,750: The Prescription by Liew Khar Khiaw
• 3rd Pize, RM1,000: Chronicles (NOT) by Fong Meng Khai
• Jury Special Award, RM500: The Scam by Bryan Ong Cheng Mun

The Top 10 NQR Finalists and prize-winning entries can be viewed at www.sunway.edu.my/dpm

More than classroom learning with Sunway’s Department of Art and Design

Sunway University’s Diploma in Graphic and Multimedia Design and Diploma in Interior Design students were recently thrilled to exercise creativity beyond their classroom during a Visual Research Trip to Kuala Terengganu. The trip organised by Sunway University’s Department of Art and Design (DAD) required students to design a ‘new’ resort while integrating different expertise for interior design and incorporating a corporate identity design for the new resort. Students were also encouraged to identify surfaces, materials, structure, dynamics, shapes, and space among other things that might influence their perception of learning.

Syaza Abdur Rahman, Graphic and Multimedia Design student presenting the final outcome of the project.

Syaza Abdur Rahman expressed how fortunate it was for her and her peers to be given a chance to learn outside the classroom and stay in a 5-star resort in Terengganu. She said, “It felt great to be able to work with an Interior Design student as I feel we’ve obtained a taste of what is to come when we enter the working environment. There were many inspiring things in Terengganu, especially the local handicrafts there. The unique wood carvings, the songket and batik were absolutely beautiful to look at.”

Sunway University lecturer expresses creativity through Space Animation Movie

Sunway University Lecturer, Asmadi Jusoh from the School of Creative Arts and Communication (SCAC) will be showcasing his talent in Re-entry, the first space animation movie to be made locally. Contributing ideas in architectures and 3-D designs, Asmadi will join 6 other colleagues including Norul Rafidi, who oversees this project in making this space adventure thriller animation that will depict human life making their way to space in 50 years from now.

Sunway University celebrates World Graphics Day

Sunway University (Sunway) paid recognition to International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda) by celebrating the World Graphics Day which was on April 27, 2011 for the first time. A 3-day event in conjunction with this day had various talks, seminars and exhibitions for students to attend.

Sunway’s World Graphics Day was held to educate students on communication design and its role in other careers. The events covered different topics for the talks such as the “I am a future Toy Designer” by Luk Chee Chew, “FIABCI: Brown Paper Bag Seminar, a Journey of Pavilion through success” by Ms Joyce Yap, “Money Talks” by Khoo Kay Hong, “Motion Graphics/ Films from Malaysia’s Perspective” by Mr Hassan Mutalib and many more.

An example of Dweey that was exhibited during the World Graphic Day.

Mr Michael Goh, the President of wREGA who launched the World Graphics Day in Sunway, said “Graphic Designing does not only solve problems and fulfil an objective but make things work beautifully”. Goh gave a talk entitled “Design”.

An example of Dweey that was exhibited during the World Graphic Day.

Shortly after his talk, an exhibition called “Toys no Fun” took place. Dweey, the icon was featured in the exhibition. This white vinyl short necked- giraffe called Dweey were an inspiration of Luk Chee Chew from Fusionwave Creative Consultancy who came up with a line of functional yet artistic toys that work as name card holders or fridge magnets. From a splash of colours to an environmental friendly theme, these adorable little moulds caught the attention of many who attended the event.

Students looking at the collection of Dweey during the “Toys no Fun” exhibition.

When asked how would you customize Dweey, Winnie Choo Wai Jien, a final year student in Diploma in Graphic and Multimedia Design said, “I would make an arm rest out of Dweey that are themed in a collection of funky colours ornamented with designs on its head”. There was also a workshop on Toy Design organized by Luk to educate people on the fun and artistic elements involved in designing.

Mr Hassan Mutalib said “Every picture has a story” during his talk at Sunway University.

Mr Hassan Mutalib who has over 45 years of experience in the Malaysian Film Industry gave his audience an informative speech on Motion Graphics from Malaysia’s Perspective. Ang Tong Yin, a Lecturer of the Department of Art and Design said, “We were fortunate to have designers from various companies make an appearance in Sunway and give students an overview of their company profile and the actual work that is being carried out in the designing industry.

Come Watch Ang Tau Mui!

Sunway Students Spread Deepavali Joy

As you step into the foyer of Sunway University College, you will be greeted with a symphony of colours embedded within a majestic peacock floor art. The students from the Department of Arts and Design skilfully crafted a marvellous creation that is a kaleidoscope of colours.

Chong Shiew Ee(from left), Malathy Karthiraesu, Teo May Yeen(center), Koh Wei Fang and Lim See Yean from the Department of Arts and Design who put together the beautiful kolam.

Amir’s art exhibition with a climate change message

Amir Ali, a final-year Fine Art student at Sunway University College and a native of the Maldives gave an exhibition of his paintings which was sponsored by Gloria Jeans Coffees Malaysia at its Sunway Pyramid outlet recently.

Amir with one of the paintings from his exhibition

Amir’s emotion-touched paintings, depicting how the world would look as a result of global warming, attracted Gloria Jeans to support the art exhibition as a climate change-themed one. The timing of the exhibition was deliberately chosen to coincide with the Copenhagen Climate Conference 2009 from December 7 to December 18.

Recent news showing the Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed together with his Vice-President and 11 ministers holding a meeting on climate change under water brought the plight of the Maldives to the world that it may be submerged if nothing is done to reduce global warming.

Amir (left) presenting a souvenir to H.E Mohamed Zaki, The High Commissioner of the Republic of the Maldives. Datuk Shalimin Shaffie is on the left of His Excellency.

Amir shared “Global warming is my personal concern. Even though the Climate Change Conference may not at the moment, deliver major resolutions towards saving the earth from being further destroyed by human action, the most important thing we can do now is to make sure we do not destroy nature further”

Amir, 39 earned a scholarship to pursue a Diploma in Fine Art from Sunway. Prior to that, he served as a crime scene officer with the Forensics Department in the Maldives Police Service. Amir will be furthering his studies in Forensic Art overseas.

The art exhibition was officially unveiled by His Excellency Mohamed Zaki, the High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives together with YBhg Datuk Shalimin Shaffie, Chairman of Malaysia International Franchise Sdn Bhd which owns the franchise rights for Gloria Jeans in Malaysia.

Two Times in a Row!

Gan (left) with his drawing and Susan Phua, a GMD lecturer

Gan Soon Bing won again in the Tanjong Heritage 2009 art competition. Last year he won first prize in the watercolour category for his pointillism rendition of a Chinese temple. This year he wins the second prize for his uniquely angled pencil drawing of fishermen in Port Dickson in the charcoal/pencil category. Gan completed his diploma in Graphic and Multimedia Design this year and is now working with an advertising agency. Not bad Gan!

Ceramic Workshop - "Wheel Throwing"

The Community Art Workshop is open to all with the key objectives to relentlessly create interest in art, unselfishly share art knowledge and simple techniques in art and craft making. The ceramic wheel throwing workshop focuses on centering & cylinder making. Check the fun and colorful event out in Sunway University College (http://www.sunway.edu.my/).

For enquiries & registration, please contact Sammy at Tel: 03-74918622 Ext: 3501 and Email: sammyc@sunway.edu.my.

Pottery Workshop - "Plant Pot"

The Community Art Workshop is open to all with the key objectives to relentlessly create interest in art, unselfishly share art knowledge and simple techniques in art and craft making. The pottery workshop focuses on coiling and pinching techniques. Check the fun and colorful event out in Sunway University College (http://www.sunway.edu.my/).

For enquiries & registration, please contact Sammy at Tel: 03-74918622 Ext: 3501 and Email: sammyc@sunway.edu.my.

Wild Creativity Earns Students a Prize

Left to right (centre) students Kenry Tang, Laura Viviana Acero Collazos, Sharmila Shresta, Lyana Shamsudin, Amir Ali with their lecturers Joseph Fernz (left) and Nasarudin Ahmad (right)

In the Design & Illustrate : Horse Sculpture Competition organised by the Selangor Turf Club, Sunway University College students vivid painting on a life-size horse sculpture won them the third prize of RM3,000.

The title of their creative work was “Through the eyes of the Artist”. Their concept reflected the great master paintings of horses from primitivism to post-modernism covering the works of artists like Carvaggio, Peter Paul Reuben, Picasso and others.

The expression of the painting was as free as the movement of a horse on an open field, wild yet beautiful and controlled.

The competition was organised in conjunction with the Selangor Turf Club International Racing Carnival 2009.

Pottery Workshop - "Tea Pot"

The Community Art Workshop is open to all with the key objectives to relentlessly create interest in art, unselfishly share art knowledge and simple techniques in art and craft making. The pottery workshop focuses on slab & coil techniques. Check the fun adn colorful event out in Sunway University College (http://www.sunway.edu.my/).

For enquiries & registration, please contact Sammy at Tel: 03-74918622 Ext: 3501 and Email: sammyc@sunway.edu.my.

Ceramic Workshop - "Wheel Throwing"

The Community Art Workshop is open to all with the key objectives to relentlessly create interest in art, unselfishly share art knowledge and simple techniques in art and craft making. The ceramic wheel throwing workshop focuses on centering & cylinder making. Check the fun adn colorful event out in Sunway University College (http://www.sunway.edu.my/).

For enquiries & registration, please contact Sammy at Tel: 03-74918622 Ext: 3501 and Email: sammyc@sunway.edu.my.

PYGMALION by Department of Performance+Media Students

"He picked up a girl from the gutter and changed her into a glamorous lady.

Can she, in turn, change him?"

14-17 May 2009

8.30pm shows: 14-16 May (Thursday to Saturday)

3.00pm show: May 17 (Sunday)

Tickets at RM10

Bookings: Call 017-2372459 (Pygmalion Hotline)

Email: info.pygmalion@gmail.com

Batik Workshop

Fun-Time with Flowers..

Last Saturday, Dept of Art & Design has organized Flower Arrangement Workshop as part of their community project. It was open for staff and students and as well as for the public.. Flower arrangement has been always my passion, so I took this opportunity to enroll and learn something out of nothing.. Not forgetting the pretty ladies from the HR Dept; Carmen, Natalie, Ching Mun, Michelle, Betty and Joanne from ADTP have also joined me and few other staff..

These roses are looking so fresh..

I would say, majority of us didn’t have any basic knowledge but yet we learnt quite a lot of tips and skills from our facilitators.. We started off with learning to make corsages..

This was done by me.. Isn't that so lovely? *grins*

Pretty ladies posing with their corsages..

The facilitator has divided us into two groups since there were 20 of us in total.. One group learnt to do the bridal flower and the other was table settings.. And obviously I went for the bridal bouquet.. =P

Here are some of the table settings ready for sale.. oopss I mean ready for display...

Simple and yet beautiful table settings..

The making of bridal bouquets..

Due to time constrain, the facilitator showed demo to us on how to make a simple hand corsage..

Carmen willingly offered her hand to model this hand corsage for us..

We all had great fun-time with flowers.. Hopefully we apply what we had learnt in our daily life.. We heard Helena said might be organising another workshop and perhaps this time to learn different designs and techniques. Really looking forward for it! =P

The Department are organising part-time courses for Basic Drawing & Painting and Basic Pottery. For enquiries, contact Tel: 03-74918622 HELENA (ext. 3500, Email: helenac@sunway.edu.my).

Flower Arrangement Workshop

Performance + Media: Student Productions

Niiiiice....

COMING HOME by Faiq Syazwan Kuhiri


KA SI PA CEH by Zalika bte Harun


THE PURPLE LINE by Aileen Gabriella Robinson, June Wong, Aaron Wong, Khazmen Shamia


YAN SE by Grace Chua Su Shyan

Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze, Ghost, Clay...

Remember that scene in Ghost, with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze behind the potter's wheel? Yup, that famous scene.

Last Saturday, a few staff gathered at the Art & Design Department hoping to be able to re-enact that scene. Our dreams of Patrick Swayze shattered when we were told that we had to undergo at least a year of basic pottery training before we are even allowed near the equipment.

Everyone arrived at the Ceramics class organised by A&D Dept eager to get our hands dirty. I even cut all my nails short for the occasion. It's not often that you can see the staff acting like kids.


L-R : Jeannie(Psychology), Yoke Yap(Nursing), Karen(Directorate), Betty(HR) and Irma(ALevels)

Clay is a more complicated material than I thought. I kept treating it like plasticine, until Cindy, our teacher, told us that if any air bubbles are formed in the clay, the whole thing will explode when baked in the kiln (oops).


L-R: Wan(Art&Design), Yati(HR) Neda and Susan(Art&Design), and Cindy(our teacher)

Most of us didn't end up with what we had in mind. Our spirits were willing, but our hands were less-than-skillful. Few of us did though - Betty (HR) managed to make the pot she wanted for her office plants with pretty butterflies surrounding it. Watch out to see if she actually decides to use it in her office.

Our MASTERPIECES before it is dried and sent to the kiln (we think they're beautiful and no one can convince us otherwise):

The Department are organising part-time courses for Basic Drawing & Painting and Basic Pottery. For enquiries, contact Tel: 7491 8622 HELENA (ext. 3500, Email: helenac@sunway.edu.my) or WAN NOORAZILA (ext. 3501, Email: noorazilaw@sunway.edu.my)

15 Grandparents Stories - A Devised Theatre Piece

Yay! Another performance by our Performance+Media students was staged yesterday. I've always enjoyed their shows and never ceased to be amazed at how talented some of these students are. I've caught a few of their previous productions, like Three Fat Virgins and The Coffin is Too Big For the Hole, and I loved...

1) how each student play multiple roles yet carry it off without confusing the audience.

2) the full use of the most minimal of props - simple and 'un-distracting'.

For 15 Grandparents Stories, these 15 students dug for stories from their grandparents to tell to the audience. The stories mostly dwelled on the Japanese Occupation, superstition, a tale or two from Africa (there was an African student in the cast), etc.

When the audience entered the Uni's Roof Top Theatre, the cast was already sitted along the back of the 'stage'.

I like the concept of having no 'backstage' and the actors have to remain in character from beginning till end.

You have to be willing to get physical if you wanna take up this course. I mean, you have to do things like this:

Hiding from the Japanese soldiers in a 'temple'

My favourite story out of the 15 had to be Under The Umbrella. It explained why our grandmothers scolded us for bringing an open umbrella into the house. Apparently, as I found out yesterday, ghosts can 'hide' under our umbrellas and we risk bringing them home with us if we do not close it before entering the house. Interesting...

Not only was it enlightening, but the student who acted as grandmother, ghost and boy-who-brought-open-umbrella-into-house-and-got-a-spanking switched between the roles effortlessly from one to the other and back again all within 5 minutes (see what I mean about the multiple roles?) as another student became the narrator.

They also used bottles filled with water and sand, leaves, and simple musical instruments to create the sound effects. Who knew that blowing unto the mouth of an empty mineral bottle can make a sound unbelievably similar to a ship's horn (see what I mean about making the full use of minimal props?)

They are going to stage the show one more time at SMK Methodish, Ipoh. Break both legs!