By Muhammad Basir Roslan
KUALA LUMPUR: Who would have thought that a love for experimenting with designing traditional Malay houses using three-dimensional (3D) graphics over two decades ago would place Faizal Rahmat in a class of his own as a 3D artist?
The 41-year-old architect and interior designer’s expertise in marrying classical Malay architecture and other modern civilisations has drawn much attention, both in and outside the country. In fact, among the prominent buildings in Malaysia that have received Faizal’s magical touch are Istana Negara and Istana Besar Johor.
His 3D artworks have also been featured in the German history magazine GEO Epoche.
Speaking to Bernama about his Johor palace experience, Faizal said he was invited by a leading interior design firm here to prepare a 3D design of Istana Besar Johor’s throne room and banquet hall in 2015 in conjunction with the coronation of Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
“I was so excited as that was the first time I was involved in such a project. After studying the concept that was to be highlighted, I chose to combine British and Malay architectural elements.
“Using Buckingham Palace as my inspiration, I created a design that was more Islamic and infused with Malay characteristics,” he said when met at his residence in Setapak here.
Faizal, who graduated with a degree in architecture from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 2005, said he was also commissioned to redesign the Sultan of Johor’s crown to add a more contemporary touch to the ornament in line with Sultan Ibrahim’s modernisation efforts.
Istana negara
In 2019, Faizal, who was born and raised in Pekan, Pahang, collaborated with a well-known fashion designer to redesign Istana Negara’s throne room and its Seri Mahkota, Seri Negara and Seri Maharaja audience halls in conjunction with the installation ceremony of the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Recalling how he landed this job, he said one night while he was back in his kampung he received a message on Facebook concerning an “Istana Negara project”.
“I was sceptical initially as I thought it was a scam so I told the person to contact me personally. The next day, the person contacted me and introduced himself as (fashion designer) Datuk Rizalman Ibrahim. Of course, I wasted no time in accepting the offer!”
For this project, he drew inspiration from the audience halls of the olden-day palaces on the peninsula’s east coast that belonged to the Malay rulers.
“For instance, I used a combination of the decorated wooden wall panels (found in the ancient palaces) and traditional Malay carvings. I also gave it a modern touch by using glass panels,” added Faizal, who has also worked for several architectural firms in and outside Malaysia.
His works are also shaped by his deep interest in classical Malay and English literature such as Hikayat Hang Tuah and the Malay Annals by Tun Sri Lanang as well as the writings of A. Samad Ahmad, William Girdlestone Shellabear and Richard Olaf Winstead.
“My principle is to add human elements in every design I create for buildings. I ‘humanise’ my works by way of including shadows of human beings or a chair that has been pulled out or shoes left behind (on the floor) or dishes arranged on a table.”
Testing times
In 2020, however, the talented architect’s health was dealt a severe blow when his left leg was amputated due to peripheral vascular disease (PVD) which he had been suffering from since 2013. PVD is a condition that causes narrowing, blockage or spasms in a blood vessel.
“Actually, I have been having throbbing pain in both my legs since 2013… I used to be a heavy smoker and this could be the cause of my condition.
“While working on the Istana Negara project, my legs hurt a lot and even turned black. I sought treatment but it did not work. So finally (in 2020) I had no choice but to get my (left) leg amputated at Hospital Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
While his disability prevented Faizal from having a full-time job, he did not allow it to stop him from putting his expertise to good use.
He went on to become a freelance 3D designer, with one of his achievements being creating 3D artworks of the historic city of Melaka (Kota Melaka) as well as Istana Melaka which he sold via online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and non-fungible token websites. His pieces are priced between RM100 and RM150 each.
“I’ve been getting a lot of repeat orders for my artworks. In fact, one person contacted me saying he wished to buy my entire set of Kota Melaka artworks for RM10,000… I didn’t expect to receive such an offer.
“I’m thankful that my works depicting the glory of Kota Melaka are appreciated by the general public,” he said, adding that his Kota Melaka creations resulted from his arduous study of history books such as the Malay Annals, Hikayat Hang Tuah and Suma Oriental.
Incidentally, it was his Kota Melaka artworks that found their way into the German publication GEO Epoche.
“The magazine editor Jan Dressler contacted me in May 2021 and sought my permission to publish my works in his magazine’s special Southeast Asian history edition.
“He told me that before contacting me on Facebook, he tried searching for photographs that reflected the magnificence of the Melaka Sultanate era but failed,” Faizal said.
He is now focusing on publishing a visual arts book featuring his artworks highlighting the splendour of Melaka city and also plans to produce a book containing a compilation of his 3D art pieces including his Malay palace collection. – BERNAMA
