THE MAGIC RAIN had the opportunity to drop by one of the biggest and well-known art event in Malaysia – Comic Art Festival Kuala Lumpur (CAFKL) 2023 at The Starling mall!
The event has been on-going since the year 2014, with three years of hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and making a come-back on the 3rd and 4th of June 2023. Like the name suggests, the event’s main core is art, featuring countless talented artists, both local and international, fellow art-enthusiasts and casual art enjoyers filling up the event hall.
Let’s dive in deeper to what went on at CAFKL 2023!
Artist & Art Booths
Art and artists are hugely related together. There were more than 120 booths at the event, each owned by different gifted artistswho came from all over Malaysia. Every booth had their own unique style of art and sold merchandise ranging from stickers to posters, acrylic charms to even notebooks. Some frequently seen fandoms turned into fanart include Genshin Impact, Virtual YouTubers from Nijisanji EN and JP, and Oshi no Ko.
Aside from the popular titles, one could also find the most niche fandoms at the event. For example there was an artist selling a figure skating fan zine, featuring different illustrations of real-life well-known figure skaters like Yuzuru Hanyu and Madison Chock.
Each artist also had their own piece hung up on the pillars across the event hall, kind of like a ‘Wall of Fame’. This was a fun little gesture of appreciation by the organisers to all the artists. Can you spot your favourite artist or anyone familiar?
Panels
For those who wanted a break from walking around the booth area, there were panels conducted, aimed to inspire and give professional advice to aspiring comic artists. Experienced and talented artists such as Mokumentary, The Woke Salaryman, Milly米粒, Nadhir Nor, Ernest Ng, Robert The Otter and Nixon Siow came on stage to share their experience on different topics, from finding humour in mundane topics to China’s comic scene. The panel sessions were very insightful and beneficial if you are interested in pursuing a career in arts.
Other Activities
Other than panels, there were also special meet-and-greet sessions where fans got the chance to meet their favourite artist face-to-face. Mokumentary and The Woke Salaryman were amongst the artist that fans lined up to express their appreciation to the respective artists.
There was also the Life Drawing session, where visitors got the chance to do some sketching or drawings based on a live model at the venue. Besides, there was also an art demo done by The Woke Salaryman on Day 2, where he showcased his talent and skill in digital illustration.
All in all, it was great to see CAFKL’s return in 2023, and it gave art lovers the opportunity to meet and support their favourite local artists. We would like to thank CAFKL for the opportunity to cover this amazing event! Looking forward to what the team has in-stored next year.
