Close-ups of eyeballs, chubby and heavily mascaraed faces, baby heads arranged in an endless spiral – Apohapoh's art is weird, psychedelic, disturbing...and kind of cute.
Ask the Kuala Lumpur-based illustrator and tattoo artist, and she'll say it's very much intentional. "I've always been curious about crime and psychological horror," says Apohapoh, who grew up on a diet of "weird" cartoons like The Ren & Stimpy Show, which follows the misadventures of a psychotic chihuahua and dimwitted cat. And those uncomfortable close-ups in SpongeBob SquarePants? Her favourite thing about the show.
Funny enough, Apohapoh says that she's never been able to create the kind of 'frightening' art she's so drawn to. So, why not make it a little cute? This blend of kawaii (meaning "cute") and kowaii (meaning "scary") has worked very well for her. As she says of the people who encounter her art, "The more they stare, the more they feel weird. But they like it."
The tattooist-illustrator dilemma
Enough to put it on their skin. Now 36, Apohapoh has been drawing since she was a kid, but has now branched out into tattooing. This dual identity – as a tattooist and illustrator – was initially difficult for her to reconcile.
There's the difference in approach to both. Apohapoh shares, "Tattooing is something I enjoy, but it's also something that I do 'for someone'. I work for a long time to understand how to put myself into the picture in a way that works for my clients too. But when it comes to illustration, I don't have to be concerned about whether my clients will like it. I just need to focus and be happy with what I draw."
Then there's the surprising difficulty of having people understand that she's both a tattoo artist and illustrator. "In Malaysia, a tattoo artist is a tattoo artist, and an illustrator is an illustrator. If I say that I'm a tattoo artist, they don't want to understand the illustration part and vice versa. So, I took a long time to figure out how to gel both."
Her solution? "I just emphasise my art style. Like, hey, Poh is doing psychedelic stuff, and she's able to do it both ways. Then it's easier for people to understand."
It's in the little things
Whichever medium she works in, art is undoubtedly a bridge to others—and herself. As a self-professed quiet child, Apohapoh used paper and pen to draw and communicate her emotions to family and friends.
This act of drawing was often even the first step to understanding herself. When asked about the work that's meant the most to her so far, Apohapoh recalls an unpublished sketch she eked out while homesick and depressed in the United States. While brooding, she instinctively drew "a meaty human, with a small face and a small body". It was dressed in tight clothes, hemmed in by words and images describing what she'd seen and done in the US. There was no colour.
Analysing her final piece helped to bring clarity to her emotions. "After I was done, I realised it was exactly how I felt," says Apohapoh. "Often, I feel small in a big body because I'm trying to be tough in an unfamiliar environment. I don't fit."
Maybe that's why Apohapoh is not so fussed about some 'big message'. "These are problems that all of us experience and have a hard time talking about. If something as 'small' as my art can help create a small conversation, help people feel better and go through their life more easily, then it helps me to heal as well. So, I focus on the small stuff but express it with bigger, more colourful visuals," says Apohapoh.
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Going 'professional'
Nowadays, Apohapoh is busy looking ahead. Having completed her first-ever solo show in Kobe, Japan, she's considering heading back to the country for another one. Here's a teaser: she might contribute to an annual exhibition held at a temple, which aims to encourage kids to get involved in the arts. Having worked on a lot of digital art in 2024, Apohapoh is also exploring turning those pieces into actual paintings, and generally, exploring different mediums and materials.
Her next challenge is 'professionalising' – making sense of her existing body of work and creating a coherent narrative for audiences at galleries and exhibitions.
We have faith that she's got it in the bag, though – and Apohapoh seems pretty certain too. "I'm not the most confident person in the room, but when it comes to my work, I'm confident to say that I know what I'm doing and I'm not afraid of trying different things."
Apohapoh's favourite spots in Kuala Lumpur
Wayang Kulit Tatu
Apohapoh works as a tattoo artist at Wayang Kulit Tatu. It's worth a visit for the many artworks that adorn its walls. "It's not just our drawings," says Apohapoh, "but drawings from around the world by guest artists from Spain, Belgium, Taiwan, the UK, and more...and each art piece has its own story and personal meaning."
Grab a coffee from the tattoo studio's café, admire the artworks, and maybe get a tattoo with Apohapoh the next time you're in Kuala Lumpur.
Chinatown
Apohapoh used to think Chinatown was overrated – until she went on a typography-focused tour of the district. On the tour, she learned about the Chinese, Malay, and English typography on the old signboards around, and now makes it a point to return to Chinatown regularly to sniff out more of these historical gems down lorongs and side streets.
REXKL
Also in Chinatown, REXKL is a creative hub with indie shops, a library, and dining in a former cinema. For Apohapoh, this is people-watching central. Like her, take a seat at Fafaba KL, which sells fermented drinks like kombucha and natural wine. "I like to sit here and talk to friends, talk to the owners, see what people are wearing, and what the trend is. It helps me to understand people better," says Apohapoh.
Check out Apohapoh's works on Instagram and Southeast Asian art and lifestyle platform GOFY.
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