At least that was the case for graffiti artists Muhammad Abqari Ahmad Shakri and Sliz de Silva when they seized upon the idea of transforming an unused squash court in a sports complex into their very own art studio.
Painting the floor a dizzying but eye-catching chequered pattern, the duo adorned the walls with their thought-provoking artworks, placing their work station at the deep end.
“During the pandemic, we were let go of our respective studios and would come here to play ping-pong regularly. So, we asked the caretaker if it was okay for us to rent the place. This was in 2022,” Abqari told FMT Lifestyle.
Once in their possession, they proceeded to revamp the space, laying concrete and epoxy on the floors, repainting the walls, redoing the wiring and lighting system, and improving the ventilation.
The duo said the transformation of the squash court into their art studio was organic, with no specific timeline set to finish the work. “We are still waiting for some fixtures like water supply, sinks and so on.”
With a background in graphic design, Abqari has been interested in graffiti-painting since his school days. After graduating, the Batu Pahat lad found himself at a crossroads, uncertain if graphic design or graffiti-painting was to be his career path. But after about one year, he knew his heart lay in graffiti-painting.
Sliz, however, studied architecture but gave it up in his final year. Feeling a little lost about his future, he threw himself into graffiti-painting hoping to discover himself.
As it turned out, this was a good “career” move as people began noticing his talent and offering him jobs to paint murals for them. Soon he realised that graffiti-painting was a viable career option.
The two artists met while working on a mural together in Langkawi in 2020. They clicked during the trip and began spending time with each other at the sports centre once the project was completed. Soon the idea of setting up an art studio together took shape.
“For us, graffiti-painting is a type of active lifestyle and it can be quite physical. We go out and sweat during the process, so we see it as a sport too,” Sliz said, explaining why their decision to open their art studio within a sports complex made perfect sense to them.
The duo often hang-out with their friends – artists, musicians, chefs, baristas – at their studio, exchanging ideas about art and culture.
On a normal day, you can catch the two artists here working on their respective projects or commissioned jobs, which often include painting for advertising campaigns and events. Sometimes they brainstorm ideas and collaborate on projects.
“We take jobs that we like or what we want to experiment on because we don’t want to limit ourselves to just one medium when it comes to art.”
Abqari advised aspiring artists against giving up on their dreams easily once they’ve made up their minds to pursue it as a career.
“If you’re not ready to go all in yet, build your confidence slowly, then go for it and give it your 100%.”
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