ALL ART IS aesthetic and, more often than not, supposed to look good. But art can also serve others and contribute to the advancement of the community. That is the philosophy behind award-winning Penang artist Sumay Cheah’s installations, often constructed as immersive portals of art and ambience.
Since 2017, this commercial artist has worked with museums, galleries, airports and hotels throughout Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Under her brand, Other-Half Studio, her first two creations were launched at the Rainforest Music Festival and George Town Festival 2017. Not a bad start for any aspiring artist.
Eight years and 24 installations later, Cheah has bagged the Singapore Good Design (SG Mark) Award and Taiwan’s Golden Pin Design Award 2024 in the Experience Design and Spatial Design categories. The winning artwork was OH!Tenang, an immersive space held at Gurney Plaza last year that combined sight, scent and sound to create a play sanctuary.
