Proud artists: Hah (left) and Wong showing their creations at their house in Taman Pakatan Jaya, Ipoh. — RONNIE CHIN/The Star
IPOH: With Christmas approaching, a couple in their late 60s have turned their home into a warm, festive workshop, where hand-painted bags, mirrors, glowing decorative pieces and dioramas come together in the spirit of the season.
Carmen Hah Siew Fong and her husband Kevin Wong, both 69, have turned retirement into a flourishing world of colour, craftsmanship and handmade creations.
What began as a way to fill their days has grown into a shared passion project, one that blends recycled materials, intricate handiwork and self-taught artistry.
Hah said painting has always been her first love, adding that if paint could stick on something, she would paint it.
The self-taught artist said she loved art since childhood, but her career initially took her into music, where she taught at a music centre.
“Years ago, when I first started, I used to paint on shoes and T-shirts, gradually expanding to wooden boxes, ceramic pots and eventually canvas bags and mobile phone pouches that have now become my signature items.
“I prefer evergreen designs. I do have a few mini pouches with slight Christmas touches, but nothing fully themed this time,” she said when met at her house in Taman Pakatan Jaya here yesterday.
Her husband, meanwhile, approaches creativity from an entirely different angle, combining electronics and technical design.
A former electronics professional, Wong said he builds detailed dioramas, crucifix lighted boxes, miniature lighthouses, castle-like structures, a horseshoe-centred clock and a church model made from cardboard, egg cartons, paper strips and other recycled materials he could find.
“After retirement, I wanted something to occupy my time.
“Then a diorama collector saw my work and asked me to design pieces for him using knights and horse figurines, and that’s what started it all,” said Wong, who later retired from the hotel industry.
Together, the couple have created a productive, creative partnership, where she paints and he constructs.
Hah transforms plain cotton and canvas into colourful accessory pieces, while Wong brings recycled materials to life with lighting and precision detailing.
On some days, he helps her hammer snap buttons onto pouches, and on other days, she adds finishing touches to his handmade structures.
Their home, often visited by friends and curious buyers, feels like a mini-gallery, each shelf and table lined with handcrafted artworks.
“I post my creations on Facebook, where some people buy them as gifts throughout the year, with the occasional bursts of Christmas interest.
“My hand-painted bags and pouches are especially popular,” said Hah, adding that she does intricate glass and mirror painting as well.
Wong, on the other hand, rarely uploads any posts about his work.
“I wish I could sell more, but the market here is small, though through word-of-mouth I am sometimes asked to make special dioramas,” he said.
The couple will next showcase their creations at a community event at a church.
Hah said it is not really a business, although they do sell some of their products, but mainly it’s passion, and the joy they get from making and transforming their creations.
“It gives us satisfaction to create something beautiful and to know someone out there appreciates it,” she said.
