Cover ‘Nen Nen Rabbit’ figurines by Malaysian artist and father Dave Liew (Photo: Dave Fuse Imaginarium)
‘Nen Nen Rabbit’ figurines by Malaysian artist and father Dave Liew (Photo: Dave Fuse Imaginarium)
1 / 1
Artist-father Dave Liew reflects on how becoming a parent to his daughter Jyn shifted his perspective and deepened the emotional resonance of his creative practice
For illustrator and designer Dave Liew of Dave Fuse Imaginarium, fatherhood transformed his creative approach. “Before I had a family, I didn’t have a schedule. Sometimes, dinner would be at midnight,” Liew says. This changed when his daughter Jyn was born six years ago.
“Time became something very fixed. I had to think about her needs constantly. And sometimes, deep into creating art, I would have to stop everything to attend to her. It was no longer that carefree, tunnel-vision lifestyle I used to have.”
Jyn, who is on the mildly autistic with ADHD tendencies, helped Liew understand himself. “Ever since she was born, I started to understand myself better through her. It’s like seeing a reflection of how I was when I was younger. It helps me understand why I am the way I am—how sometimes my mind jumps everywhere, and other times I get hyper-focused on one thing and forget everything else.”
During Jyn’s early years, Liew and his wife developed a sensitivity to her non-verbal cues, which influenced his artistic process.
Above Liew enjoys collaborating with his daughter Jyn
Above Jyn is mildly autistic with ADHD tendencies
Liew enjoys collaborating with his daughter Jyn
1 / 2
“We had to learn to read her, to understand what she wanted, what she needed, just by how she looked at something or how she reacted to things,” he explains. “It helped us become more in tune with how she views the world, communicating without words—and that naturally started to influence my art.”
Read more: Heritouch Gallery’s Painting Dreams Alive programme returns to empower special needs artists
Drawing became Jyn’s primary form of expression, revealing her emotional state through colours and lines. This sparked a collaboration between father and daughter, with Liew refining artwork based on Jyn’s concepts.
Among Jyn’s creations are the Angry Carrot and the Mad Strawberry—characters born from her food experiences. “She created the Angry Carrot because they started to scare her,” Liew explains. “As for the Mad Strawberry, strawberries were one of her favourites, but they were also sour, and I think that experience of sourness really came through in the character’s expression.”
Their latest collaboration is “Nen Nen Rabbit,” originally called “Nen Nen Bear”, until the public insisted it resembled a rabbit. The character’s distinctive ear markings came from Jyn’s emotional connection to breastfeeding, with “Nen Nen” being a common local “baby word” for milk.
Above Jyn’s Angry Carrot concept alongside Liew’s refined design
Above Jyn’s concept for the Mad Strawberry alongside Liew’s design
Jyn’s Angry Carrot concept alongside Liew’s refined design
1 / 2
“We realised that this character was inspired by her emotional connection to breastfeeding,” Liew shares. “She might have drawn it because she missed her breast milk. Even now, she still finds comfort when lying on my wife’s chest.”
Jyn has pushed Liew toward a more accessible artistic style. “She helped me to not overthink and instead focus on creating the simplest character,” he admits. This shift has allowed him to create “cuter” pieces that connect with broader audiences.
See also: Grains of creativity: Artist Ruben Prakash transforms traditional kolam art into modern masterpieces
“She taught me that sometimes when I design, I tend to go into too much detail, too many thoughts, and it ends up not being everyone’s cup of tea,” he reflects. “When you’re in the art business, you still have to think about the masses, about what the public likes.”
Above Jyn’s ‘Nen Nen Bear’ has distinctive ear markings
Above Liew’s interpretation of Jyn’s ‘Nen Nen Bear’ maintain’s his daughter’s whimsical vision
Jyn’s ‘Nen Nen Bear’ has distinctive ear markings
1 / 2
Beyond technique, Jyn has taught Liew about the power of observation. “With her being on the spectrum, she sees the world in a very different, imaginative
and sometimes overwhelming way,” he notes. “Her observation of things is incredibly detailed, and it made me realise how much she’s taught me about being more observant and paying attention to the small things.”
Above Jyn uses drawing and art as an emotional outlet to express herself
Above Her parents regard her drawings as a window to gage her mood
Jyn uses drawing and art as an emotional outlet to express herself
1 / 2
For Jyn, who still struggles with verbal expression, art offers an emotional outlet. “When she draws, we get a glimpse of what she’s really feeling. If there’s a sad face in her character, we know maybe she had a tough day.”
Don’t miss: Light artist Jun Ong reflects on his career through the prism of his latest work: Krystal Valley
Liew hopes to leave Jyn a legacy of positive intentions. “I’d rather be remembered as someone who gave generously, cared and shared something meaningful through my work and my love for cats. I hope that legacy will inspire my daughter, just like how my father inspired me.”
He credits his father’s influence: “how he treated people, approached life with generosity and humility, even in the smallest moments. I want my daughter to remember me in that way too—not just through my art, but through the spirit behind it. And I hope that by seeing who I am and what I’ve done, she’s inspired to become her own version of someone better. To grow, to give and to shine brighter than yesterday.”
Credits
Images: Courtesy of Dave Liew
Best of Tatler Asia video highlights
Featured videos from around Tatler Asia: Get exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the interviews we do, the events we attend, the shoots we produce, and the incredibly important people who are part of our community
