FOR some 300 children taking part in an art carnival, learning about Malaysia’s diverse culture came with a brush, sheet of paper and plenty of room for imagination.
Held at Megah Rise Mall, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, the three-day Artsense Carnival brought children and families together through art, cultural workshops, performances, competitions and creative activities.
Among the activities were hands-on workshops featuring batik, wayang kulit puppetry, Deepavali decorations, felt Chinese fan-making and Merdeka-themed painting.
The carnival also featured the “100 Sun Bears, 100 Malaysian Stories” art exhibition, which showcased artworks inspired by Malaysia and its stories.
Among the 100 young creators was a six-year-old who painted her sun bear pink – her favourite colour – and dressed it in batik cloth.
Art Sense Studio chief executive officer and art director Shawn Yap said the event was inspired by the belief that art could be a simple, meaningful way for children to learn about the world around them.
“Seeing the children experience Malaysian culture through art and then express it in their own way is exactly what we hoped to achieve with this carnival.”
Ten children from the National Autism Society of Malaysia (Nasom) also participated and had their artworks featured.
The event also had the support of Tourism Malaysia and Tourism Selangor.
Tourism Selangor corporate strategy manager Halim Hamdan said art and creativity could help younger generations experience local stories and traditions and encourage families to discover more of the country together.
The weekend programme also featured a dance competition by Dance Zone, International Children Drawing Contest by JCI Petaling Jaya, public-speaking sessions by ChampsMan Academy and child deejay performances by DJs Playground.
Yap said he hoped to expand Artsense into an annual nationwide platform, with future editions planned for Melaka, Johor and Penang.
