Kedah-born calligrapher Fong Sheeney, who has since subsisted in Kuala Lumpur for the major parts of her adult life, explains that she began practicing the art form at the sprouting age of seven. A brush, ink, and rice paper would accompany her into the endless hours of practice, where, as she explains, the practice was akin to breathing. “I think that’s what pulled me in; the idea that ink on paper could emote so much,” she explains.
Though having practiced the art form since childhood, the major turning point in cultivating calligraphy as an art form for Fong took off during the pandemic—a motivating factor for many artists and creatives like her. With idle time amassing before her, she decided to once again pick up her calligraphy brush. The rest, as it has been said time and time again, is history. Like her peers, Fong began the process of documenting her work online. Using a separate Instagram profile to exhibit her work, she began amassing a following.
Since taking off, the calligrapher has built a career around this art practice, competing in local and international competitions whilst sculpting a calligraphy style that is unique to her and her only. When implored to speak on the artistry that lies in calligraphy, the artist explains, “I want people to experience calligraphy, not just see it as an ancient art. For me, it’s more than just beautiful writing—it’s storytelling, it’s presence, it’s emotion captured in a single brushstroke.”
Creativity is, as Fong describes it, something one has to nurture. “It is fluid, not something you simply have.” For someone who engages in a traditional practice of art, where set rules are put in place and made to be followed, Fong remains to explore the boundaries in which her art practice can grow from, evolving with every new brushstroke on paper.
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