The cute and whimsical doodles of this popular local artist have been displayed at various public events, art markets, and pop-up exhibitions. Some have even made their way onto merchandise like stickers and prints.
Much of her work has also been featured in local ad campaigns: Ann estimates she has collaborated with about 50 brands so far, including Garnier, Lancôme, Samsung, Grab, Microsoft, Nespresso, KKMart, Stabilo, Lavue Lens, Nescafé and more.
So, while many know her art, what exactly does Ann Jaafar herself look like?
Very few people know… whether in photographs or public appearances, this publicity-shy artist is only ever seen with a paper bag over her head.
“I like my privacy. I can go out, I can buy coffee without anyone recognising me. Also, I prefer to be known for my art rather than my face,” Ann, 33, told FMT Lifestyle.
“I never planned to use this paper bag. I put one on for fun one day, and it sort of caught on. I think the fans really liked it. I never expected that it would end up becoming such an important part of my artist identity!”
The bubbly full-time artist owns about a dozen or so paper bags, each with different emotions for different occasions.
Ann is known for her simple yet distinctive style, usually of inanimate objects given personalities and emotions.
Many of her works incorporate English or Malay puns. One sticker features a large whale giving a thumbs-up, with the caption: “Whale done”, while another, a piece of bread being buttered, reads “spread loaf not hate”.
Many jokes centre around the pressures of adulthood and motherhood (Ann is a mum of two), topics her audience easily relate to.
Ann grew up learning to draw from comics such as Gempak and Doraemon, and from watching the Disney Channel and Cartoon Network.
One of her four brothers is also a talented artist, who encouraged her to try her hand at art.
A student of actuarial science, she would doodle to escape the stress of feeling overwhelmed by numbers.
In 2011, her friends encouraged her to post her work on then-new social media platform Instagram, and well, the rest is history. She currently has over 90,000 followers there.
Social media, she believes, is an invaluable resource for modern artists who wish to make a name for themselves.
“You also have to consistently create art. To remind people you are still out there. You need to be hardworking and proactive, you can’t just sit down and wait for work to come to you,” Ann said.
“Whenever I’m in a collaboration, I give my all to it. When there are less collaborations going on, I do work for my own brand. This ensures I’m always keeping the momentum going. I’m never stopping for too long.”
Creative blocks are a common problem in any creative job, and Ann experiences them too. She said she overcame them by starting work on a project, any project, and kept pushing until an idea finally hit.
She said it was also important that artists believed in themselves, no matter what others said about their work.
“Life is a journey, it’s not always smooth. And if you don’t believe in yourself, who will?’ Ann mused.
She currently works from a cosy studio in Setia Alam, alongside fellow artist Izzati Suza, and recently illustrated a book, Shuli De La Fuente-Lau’s “A Very Asian Guide to Malaysian and Singaporean Food”. She said she hopes to take on more challenges like this in future.
She said it was also her dream to one day share her art on larger, international platforms.
“What means the most to me is when people say they can relate to my work,” she concluded.
“Sometimes, they’re carrying thoughts or emotions they struggle to put into words, and hearing that something I drew helped them express those feelings is incredibly meaningful.”
Follow Ann Jaafar on Instagram.