QIARA TEOR draws young female figures in a soft colour palette, with whimsical details and a range of subtle emotions.
Her imaginary characters look as though they have come straight out of old fairy tales and feel vintage.
Her depiction of the female form as soft, feminine, child-like beings – often embellished with floral or botanical elements in contrasting or matching colours – evokes a sense of fun and happiness.
“I am always heavily inspired by florals and woodland elements,“ said the Kuantan-born artist-illustrator.
Apart from dreamy female characters, her watercolour illustrations of delicious local food are light-hearted and charming.
Qiara studied art at a local college and obtained a diploma in digital animation.
But after college, she was stuck in a day job where she was doing the same routine daily.
She started to paint during her leisure time as a release for her creative passion.
“I experimented with different art styles and mediums,” Qiara said.
As luck would have it, her talent drew the attention of an American food company, California-based Tastemade, which began commissioning her digital illustrations.
At that point, Qiara had to make a career-changing decision – whether to leave the steady but tedious job or pursue a fulfilling, creative career.
“I worked for Tastemade for two years remotely while residing in Kuala Lumpur, creating cute and cheerful digital illustrations for its Snapchat channel,” she said.
“Since then, I started working as a freelance illustrator, working with various mediums like ink and watercolour.
”Leaving my day job after two and a half years sounds crazy to many people, especially my family, but it was the best decision that I ever made,“ Qiara added.
She also teaches an online class through a web learning platform based in Seoul, South Korea, guiding students in designing characters and turning them into stickers.
“All I ever wanted was to bring joy, no matter how small it was, into people’s life with the things I create.”
Qiara also has her own paper and stationery brand called shō, which was inspired by the Japanese word shōgakkō, which means “small but certain joys in life”.
Why do you prefer to draw female figures?
It is something that feels natural to me. Ideas and inspiration just pop up in my head when I see feminine subjects and related elements.
I am mesmerised by how versatile a female figure can be, regardless of the difference in facial features.
Combining it with different floral and natural elements helps to bring out the softness and beauty of a female figure.
Do you draw characters based on real-life people?
Sometimes, yes. But I only use people as references, unless it’s a customised painting.
What do you try to convey through your art?
It really depends on the painting I am working on. Sometimes, it isn’t about wanting to express anything or sending a message.
Sometimes, I just want to portray the subject. I combine it with female figures and come up with a concept.
By doing so, I can improve my painting techniques and learn to be more sensitive to colours, art direction and others.
How have your experiences influenced your art?
I don’t think my life experiences have had a huge impact on my art. I would say that maybe my personality has.
I have been getting comments that the characters I draw resemble me.
I am not someone who really likes to express myself in public. Through drawing, I get to express myself in a way that I feel more comfortable.
What is your preferred medium for art?
Currently, watercolour is a medium that I use very often due to its versatility. It can create different moods and effects.
I feel watercolour can achieve the dreaminess, whimsical and mysterious approach that I want to express.
How would you describe yourself?
I am an introverted artist who likes to create.
What are your goals?
I wish for a smooth journey for the stationery brand I am working on and hopefully, I can establish my brand internationally.
I also wish to polish my skills and hopefully have my own art exhibition, and be recognised as a professional watercolour artist.
