Truth be told, festivals in this new normal just aren’t the same. Thanks to the pandemic, most (if not, all) of us in Malaysia are staying at home, wishing to be able to travel. However, don’t let your spirits dampen – even though visits aren’t encouraged this year, there’s still plenty to be excited about.
Get ready for at-home Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations to roll around by stocking up the pantry with CNY treats or going online shopping for a new cheongsam. Since we’re going to be celebrating at home, why not remind loved ones out there that they’re remembered by sending them your blessings via these beautifully illustrated postcards from local artists? We can’t think of a better way to usher in the year of the ox!
Humana
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Vanissa Foo of Humana invokes warmth, playfulness, and happiness in her colourful artworks. Titled ‘Inari Series’, Humana’s CNY series features the illustrator’s cat, Inari, as her muse. Vanissa’s inspiration behind these designs is to commemorate the unfortunate passing of her cat last year by translating her happiest memories of their time together into her artworks. Peep Inari dressed up as a lucky cat and a lion from a traditional lion dance – so cheeky! For RM39, receive three art prints inclusive of free shipping.
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Secondfloor.neko
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Secondfloor.neko is Nikki Yong’s creative space to publish her cute drawings of chubby cats. Her CNY postcard and sticker collection, aptly named ‘Chinese Mew Year’, features a cat family reunion having a fishy feast, while the sticker sheet features chubby cats as adorable CNY elements. Our favourite is definitely the postcard that features a chubby cat meditating with an ox in a flurry of cherry blossoms! Each postcard is priced at RM8 while the sticker sheet is RM6.
The Little Dot
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QiQiChew of The Little Dot brings her doodles to life with this line-up of CNY postcards titled ‘mou tak ding 2021’. Her minimalist and cutesy art style is reflected in these postcards featuring the God of Prosperity, a lion dancer, and a lady dressed in a traditional cheongsam. For RM35, you can get four postcards and a CNY-themed sticker pack!
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Sugiedoodle
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Sugie Teo is a full-time creative who’s drawn to all the little moments that happen in her daily life. Her CNY design series features her original character, Sunfafa – a sunflower whose name literally translates to sunflower (‘fafa’ means flower in Cantonese). Sugie hopes that by incorporating her character’s cheeky and hilarious antics on her postcards, it’ll draw smiles and become a conversation starter during the lunar new year season. For RM50, you’ll receive 20 pieces of red packets, two postcards, and a sticker sheet.
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The Milky Way Illustrations
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Su En of The Milky Way Illustrations chose to tap into the theme of family reunions for her postcard designs for the Year of the Ox. The children’s book illustrator has two CNY designs titled ‘Sweet Home’ (that features a family decorating their home for the lunar new year celebration) and ‘Special Gift’ (that shows three bluebirds singing happy tunes while packing a hamper filled with cookies and treats). For just RM5 per postcard, have your festive greetings delivered to your loved ones!
Projek Sembang Sembang
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We absolutely adore the fun and vibrant colours on Projek Sembang Sembang’s CNY postcard line-up! On top of the two postcard designs to choose from, Projek Sembang Sembang also has a gifting box available for purchase. Named ‘The Ox Box’, the package is a perfect gift to bring along (or rather, have delivered to comply with pandemic SOPs) during open houses. For RM48, it’s packed to the brim with oranges, cookies, and their own postcard and red packet designs.
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Meet The Kawan
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Meet The Kawan is the collaborative brainchild of three Malaysian artists: Gee Fan of @minifanfan, Yunroo of @yunroo_, and Yu Wen of @yuwenong. Their CNY product line consists of spring couplets, red packets, and posters designed by each artist. For RM48, you can get 20 red packets and one set of posters.
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Whimsywhimsical
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Yee Von of Whimsywhimsical is back, and this time she’s collaborated with Joseph of @josephjospooky for a limited release of CNY greeting cards! We adore the fuzzy cows holding lanterns, and peep the bottom left corner for a squeaky surprise. With only 128 pieces made, each card is sold at RM12 or at RM68 for a set of eight.
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