Rare disease unable to stop talented painter

Eye for detail: Nur Fariza working on her art in Klang. Besides painting, she also likes to play the piano. — Bernama

KLANG: Having a rare genetic disease does not stop Nur Fariza Abu Hassan from creating beautiful, almost life-like art that has not gone unnoticed on social media.

Her pictures of landscapes, still lifes and Star Wars characters, which were posted on her brother’s Twitter account @FaizTobeng’, have earned her praise and were even sold online.

Nur Fariza, 34, was diagnosed with mucopolysaccharidosis type IV, a rare genetic disease which affected her bones, skeletal structure, connective tissues and organs when she was little.

The fourth of five siblings said she was excited to find that her paintings had gone viral on Twitter and that she had begun to receive orders from clients.

“So far, the paintings are getting more than 30,000 retweets and 18,000 likes,” said Nur Fariza, who likes to paint sceneries and play the piano.

Besides using canvas, Nur Fariza also paints on wooden surfaces, biscuit tins and small boxes.

She has produced 150 paintings, with 50 of them having been sold for between RM100 and RM400, depending on the size and subject.

“Last December, I had the opportunity to showcase my paintings at a gallery in Pulau Indah,” she added. — Bernama