His creations often revolve around Malaysian street life and old buildings, particularly the kind found in his hometown, Penang.

Now based in Perlis, Ikhmal works a full-time job while building dioramas on the side. But it was during a brief stint in Kuala Lumpur that his interest in dioramas really took off.

“I started this back in university, when I built a Hot Wheels garage,” he told FMT Lifestyle. “I came across a diorama by Eddie Putera on Facebook, and that really caught my eye.”

His interest grew into a full-blown hobby, especially after Ikhmal began spending time with others in the local diorama community.

“Honestly, the first diorama I made was really bad and ugly,” he admitted. It was a small car workshop on an A3-sized board – but it marked the beginning of something meaningful.

Ikhmal explained that his favourite scenes to recreate are definitely the hustle and bustle of street life.

“Most of my ideas come when I’m just walking around, particularly when I’m back in Penang,” he explained. “I’ll do some light reading and a bit of research online. Then I’ll sketch a rough idea. After that, I’ll choose the materials and start building.”

Ikhmal is entirely self-taught. He’s never had formal training in art, design, or architecture – just a keen eye.

His materials are varied and rather unexpected: cement plaster, sandpaper, acrylic paint, foam board, twigs, stones, even soil. He sources whatever he needs to replicate texture and atmosphere.

Often paired with diecast models, which are tiny replicas of real vehicles, Ikhmal’s dioramas don’t just focus on exteriors. They go deeper, capturing what happens underneath a roof too, complete with miniature figurines that reflect Malaysian culture and daily life, like people in a kopitiam or vendors on the street.

“For me, the hardest part is making something look ‘alive,’ even though it’s just a model,” he said. “But I enjoy adding the small details.”

From making cars look rusty to recreating mossy walls, his work celebrates ageing buildings, cracked paint, and forgotten corners of the city.

“I also include things that are meaningful to me – objects or individuals who’ve played a big part in my life.”

A lot of his inspiration comes from childhood memories of riding through Penang on his dad’s motorbike. “He’d tell me all these nostalgic stories from his younger days. So I learned a bit about the history and life around those streets through him.”

Among the many diecast models he uses, his favourite remains the classic Volkswagen. And one of his most ambitious ongoing projects is a Penang-inspired diorama featuring a kopitiam and a row of shophouses.

“It’s still in progress,” he said. “And I don’t think it’s ever really finished. I enjoy the process and when I get new ideas, I just keep adding to it.”

Each diorama takes time, even the smallest ones taking at least one month to complete.

Now, with over 11,000 followers on Instagram, Ikhmal’s work is reaching a wider audience. He’s even received commissions from diecast collectors, companies, and corporations, but at the heart of it all, it remains a personal journey.

The public, meanwhile, love his work and according to Ikhmal, their reactions have been unforgettable.

“They’re usually amazed, sometimes they just stand there and stare. They don’t expect the level of detail I include.”

He added, “Every detail in my dioramas carries a story, and viewers often connect it to a particular time in their life.”

While Ikhmal admits there wasn’t much exposure to this kind of art in the country, things are changing as the diorama community grows and more people take an interest in building.

For Ikhmal, his dioramas are more than just models – they’re his stories. His way of documenting, preserving, and celebrating Malaysian identity, especially the parts that often go unnoticed.

“I hope the diorama scene continues to grow and that more builders create work themed around our own country,” he said. “It’s a way to ensure we don’t forget where we came from.”

Follow Syed Ikhmal Al-Gadrie Syed Alias on Instagram.