Dhan Illiani’s installation and art exhibition ‘Hanya Satu Niyat’ at the National Art Gallery, is on until Feb 19. — Photos: Bernama
DHAN Illiani Yusof has been skilfully managing her time as a multidisciplinary artist and a member of the Women’s National Ice Hockey team, proving that nothing is impossible with hard work and perseverance.
She said she had been active in various sports since primary school.
However, due to some injuries, her sporting dreams were temporarily put on hold.
“After a few years of taking a break from sports and recovering from injuries, I tried to make a comeback by throwing myself into the community of freestyle hockey.
Dhan Illiani has been keen on art since the age of 15.
“After completing my Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), I was unexpectedly approached by Malaysia’s Ice Hockey Federation to be part of the national women’s ice hockey team, after attending several selection sessions,” she told Bernama.
The 27-year-old said she fell in love with the sport because it required her to balance her whole body to glide across the ice rink while controlling the ball with a hockey stick.
Stamina and speed are crucial to each movement’s execution.
According to her, ice hockey is a high-intensity sport requiring great cardiovascular fitness, as each player must wear an estimated four to five kilogrammes of protective equipment during a game.
“When it comes to balancing career and interests, I will look at what is more practical in the current situation, and make a compromise.
“If there is an ice hockey championship, I will focus more on that and vice versa, without neglecting my creative endeavours,” she said.
Dhan Illiani, who has been active in the local ice hockey sports fraternity since 2014, said the current focus of the national women’s ice hockey team was to raise at least RM50,000, to enable the team to participate in various international tournaments and prepare for the 2025 SEA Games.
One of the biggest achievements of the national women’s ice hockey team was winning the Ice Hockey Women’s Challenge Cup of Asia 2018 at the Empire City Damansara Ice Hockey Stadium.
The competition featured teams from countries such as the Philippines, India and the United Arab Emirates.
Touching on her career as a multidisciplinary artist, Dhan Illiani, the youngest of three siblings, said that she was focused on the creative fields of fashion design, fine arts, installations and performing arts.
“I have been interested in art since the age of 15 and it has come naturally.
“I like to experiment and am very curious about things. Many aspects related to art I learn through interaction with the community.
“As for my artwork, I produce fewer physical pieces like paintings as my work depends on invitations from galleries or exhibitions.
“I lean more towards expressions which contain experimental elements and use different materials, such as mixed media,” she said.
Dhan Illiani obtained her Diploma in Fashion Design from INTI International University and Colleges.
