Malaysian-born Elisabeth Tan, living in Germany, reached for her sketchbook instead.
In her self-published book titled, “My Malaysia”, Tan’s collection of sketches vividly captures the heart and soul of the country’s bustling streets and mouth-watering food.
“I’ve always been interested in the arts,” Tan told FMT Lifestyle. But she had a typical Asian upbringing, where becoming an artist was frowned upon.
“I eventually became a teacher, but I never stopped loving art,” she added.
Raised in Kuala Lumpur until the age of 19, Tan pursued further education in the US and Melbourne before securing a job as an English teacher in Shanghai.
“I never thought I would meet my husband, a German, in China,” she laughed. For the past 13 years, Tan and her family have made Kleve, a quaint little town in the Nordrhein-Westfalen state in Germany, their home.
Like many, art became Tan’s therapeutic escape. “Teaching in Shanghai was quite stressful, and during those difficult moments I would go straight to my drawing table at home.”
Unlike artists who draw from imagination or delve into abstract creations, Tan’s muse is rather straightforward – her own photographs.
“In the summer of 2006, I went to Japan. It was my dream holiday destination, and I decided that I didn’t just want the typical photographs to look back on. So, I bought a sketchbook and transformed the photographs as drawings,” Tan revealed.
This trip became a pivotal moment in her artistic journey, where memories began to take shape as black ink sketches on white paper.
During the pandemic in Germany, Tan’s hobby became a life-saver. “During Covid for about 10 months, I had heart palpitations.”
Realising that the news of Covid cases brought about anxiety, Tan picked up her pen once again, as a distraction. “At that point, I had an Instagram account dedicated to my cooking. So I decided, why not do the same for my artwork?”
“I challenged myself to see how many followers I could get, and all of this distracted me, and my palpitations stopped.” Today, her Instagram account, “frautans_artwork,” has over three thousand followers.
She also shared her artwork in the ‘Malaysians in Germany’ Facebook group. This earned her widespread admiration, inspiring her to publish her book, “My Malaysia” in January 2022.
“I’m Malaysian, and of course, I miss home,” Tan said.
Her drawings, featuring her favourite street food across Malaysia, from claypot chicken rice, curry mee stalls and satay Kajang, served as a poignant reminder of the tastes and smells she longed for.
“These drawings bring back memories and I’ll catch myself thinking ‘I wonder if this stall is still there?'” Much to her surprise, the book gained attention, even within the Consulate General in Frankfurt.
“I gained traction, and not only that but I became braver,” she asserted. Inspired, she delved into using colour, starting with another theme close to her heart – Kleve, where she lived.
“Admiring Kleve: Houses” is another gem in her collection, focusing on the unique design of houses and buildings that surround her.
This move once again put her in the spotlight. “The owner of our local bookshop scolded me for not informing them about my book of Kleve houses.”
Subsequently, Tan’s work was featured in the local newspaper, catching the eye of a property agent, who she now collaborates with, creating commissioned pieces.
A chef of a fine dining restaurant also fell in love with her food drawings, inviting her to include illustrations of his dishes in the menu.
Although having published four books, Tan wrestled with self-doubt for the longest time.
“For years, I only showed my artwork to friends and family. I felt I wasn’t good enough, as I’m not a trained artist,” she confessed.
Eagerly anticipating a vacation to Malaysia, she expressed her excitement to capture more memories of her homeland and perhaps publish another book or two.
Follow Elisabeth Tan on Facebook or Instagram and purchase her books on Amazon.