We’ve always wanted to organize a solo exhibition that brings together some of our proudest projects from the past three years. Not just to showcase what we’ve made, but to reflect on how far we’ve come, the ideas we’ve explored, and the people we’ve met along the way.
It only made sense to do it in George Town.
Shin Chi and I spent our formative years here, studying, making things, and growing into the artists we are today. When Hin Bus Depot was just getting started, we were still students ourselves. To see how the place has since grown into a gathering point for artists, creatives, and people who care about art and culture has been incredibly meaningful to us. It felt right to bring our work back to a city that has played such an important part in shaping who we are.
That was why we reached out to Lee Choo from Penang Book Island to ask if she would be open to hosting our exhibition. We’re incredibly grateful that they generously sponsored the exhibition space and even extended the exhibition period until next weekend. Having this opportunity to share our work in a place we love means a lot to us.
Over the past few years, we’ve attended exhibitions, workshops, and talks organised by Open Studios Penang. We’ve always appreciated the opportunities they create for artists to connect and share their practices. This year, we finally felt ready to put ourselves out there and contribute something of our own. And so, IMPRESSION by Inkling Studio came to life.
Re-Riso Collage Workshop: Giving Mistakes a Second Life
Before we submitted our proposal to Open Studios Penang, we reached out to Penny Tan to ask if she would be interested in leading a collage workshop with us. We’ve always known how passionate she is about collage and journalling, and she said yes almost immediately.
That was how the Re-Riso Collage Workshop began.
Over the years, we’ve accumulated a sizeable collection of failed, misprinted, experimental, and leftover Riso prints around our studio. We’ve always found it difficult to throw them away. Even when a print doesn’t turn out as expected, the paper still carries interesting colours, textures, and unexpected marks. We kept telling ourselves that one day, we would find a use for them.
And finally, that day came.
With Penny leading the session, participants explored the possibilities of collage by cutting, layering, and rearranging these discarded prints into something entirely new. It was a lovely reminder that mistakes don’t always have to be wasted, and that sometimes, a different perspective is all it takes to discover something worth keeping.
We were also happy that Penny and a few lecturers brought students from The One Academy Penang to visit the exhibition and take part in the experience. We hope the session gave them a little more exposure to alternative ways of making art and working with printed matter.
Thank you, Penny, for being so enthusiastic about the idea and for bringing your knowledge and energy into the workshop. Seeing our old Riso prints find a new purpose was deeply satisfying.
Zine Author Sharing: Stories Behind the Pages
The sharing session was another highlight of the weekend.
Initially, the plan was to organise a zine launch for Kelvin. But as we discussed the idea further, we thought it would be much more meaningful to expand it into a group sharing session, bringing together artists with different practices and stories to tell.
And somehow, we managed to gather everyone in George Town.
Eevon travelled by train from Kuala Lumpur, Yippee drove up from Kuala Lumpur, and Kelvin flew in from Johor. Knowing that each of them made the journey specifically to be part of this session made the whole thing feel even more special. We’re genuinely grateful that they were willing to spend their time and share their work with us.
Each artist brought a different perspective on storytelling, and there were things from every presentation that stayed with me.
Kelvin — Along the Shorelines
I’ve always loved the sentimental quality of Kelvin’s photography. His zine, Along the Shorelines, is a reflection on his childhood home in the Federal Territory of Labuan, revisiting the memories, experiences, and emotions attached to a place he once called home.
There is something intimate about the way he approaches these photographs. They feel less like documentation of a place and more like an attempt to hold on to a piece of time that has already passed.
I especially love how the Risograph texture complements his subject matter. The grain, slight imperfections, and layered colours lend the images a tangible quality, almost as if the photographs themselves have become fragments of memory. It feels fitting for a project about looking back at a place that can never quite be returned to in the same way.
Yi Pei — Stillness Speaks
I also loved hearing about the thoughts behind Yi Pei’s illustrations, especially because they sit outside her usual design practice.
Her pen name, Pitordinary, combines the idea of a pit with something ordinary. To me, there is something thoughtful about that name. It acknowledges that everyone carries a pit of negative thoughts within themselves, even if those thoughts are not always visible to others. Perhaps we are not as different from one another as we sometimes imagine.
Her zine explores anxiety, overthinking, and the process of letting go of expectations. Rather than treating these feelings as something to overcome immediately, the work creates space to acknowledge them and sit with them.
I appreciate that honesty. We all have our own internal struggles, and sometimes the first step towards feeling lighter is simply recognising that we’re not alone in experiencing them.
Eevon — Right To Housing
Eevon’s sharing took us somewhere quite different, exploring how social housing in Vienna can be designed to be resourceful, sustainable, and affordable.
I found it inspiring to learn how housing can be approached not merely as a place to live, but as part of a wider system that supports communities and everyday life. It made me think about what might be possible closer to home.
To imagine a future where local social housing can also be sustainable, thoughtfully designed, and genuinely affordable is a dream worth holding on to. It reminds us that the world we live in is not fixed; there are always alternative ways to organise our communities and care for one another.
Of all the things shared that afternoon, I especially loved how Eevon concluded her presentation. She spoke about how this kind of work is also an approach to putting hope into the world: reaching out to people who love storytelling and those who want to turn their thoughts, feelings, and ideas into something tangible, while remaining hopeful that there is so much more for us, as human beings, to care about.
That sentiment stayed with me. It also brought me back to why we started Inkling Studio in the first place.
A Little Note of Gratitude
The past few days have been a whole range of emotions for us. We spent months planning the exhibition, workshop, and sharing session, and so many connections, friendships, and helping hands came together to make everything happen.
We’re genuinely grateful to everyone who played a part.
- Thank you to Lee Choo and Penang Book Island for sponsoring the exhibition space and giving IMPRESSION more time to be seen.
- Thank you to KJ from COEX for helping us arrange the spaces for the workshop and sharing session.
- Thank you to Penny Tan for her enthusiasm, time, and guidance in bringing the Re-Riso Collage Workshop to life.
- Thank you to Kelvin, Yi Pei, and Eevon for travelling from different parts of Malaysia to share your work, thoughts, and processes with us. The session would not have been the same without you.
- Thank you to our friends and acquaintances who took the time to visit, join the activities, and show us your support. Seeing familiar faces in the crowd, and meeting people who were discovering our work for the first time, made the whole experience feel worthwhile.
- A special thank you to my best work partner, Shin Chi, who has been working alongside me to prepare for all of this long before the events even began. There are so many things that happen behind the scenes that people never get to see, and I’m grateful to have someone to share this journey with.
- And finally, thank you to Open Studios Penang for organizing this initiative and creating the space for artists to come together, exchange ideas, and share what they do.
We may be a little exhausted after everything, but our hearts are full.
Until Our Paths Cross Again
At its heart, IMPRESSION was never just about displaying our work. It was our way of reintroducing ourselves, reflecting on the past three years, and reaching out to people who might find something meaningful in what we make.
We’ve always believed in the power of printed matter to carry stories beyond the people who create them. A thought becomes a drawing, a drawing becomes a page, and a collection of pages becomes something you can hold in your hands, pass to someone else, and return to years later.
This has always been our approach to putting a little hope into the world: reaching out to anyone who loves storytelling, and to those who want to turn their thoughts, feelings, and ideas into something tangible.
We hope that through this exhibition and these gatherings, we’ve made a few new connections, encouraged someone to start making something of their own, or simply reminded someone that there are still many things worth caring about.
If you missed the exhibition over the past few days, there’s still time to visit! IMPRESSION by Inkling Studio will continue at Penang Book Island from 21–25 October.
Come by if you’re around George Town. We’d love to see you.
Until then, may our paths cross again. Keep making, keep sharing, and stay hopeful. 🤍