Nor Tijan Firdaus is the visual artist and sculptor behind the captivating re-creation and reintepretation of famous paintings by some of the artistic greats, composed with e-waste. From Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, Gustav Klimt’s The Kiss and Frida Kahlo’s Self-Portrait with Bonito to works of local masters like Dato’ Hoessein Enas’ Gadis Melayu and Ahmad Fuad Osman’s Syhhh, her unique creations, which broach the subjects of climate change and consumerism, are a hit on the local arts scene.

An art graduate with an MA in fine arts, Nor Tijan first started using e-waste as a medium when she was a student learning about sustainability in art and design, and the environmental impact of consumerism. Conscious of how much e-waste is discarded every day through the disposal of mobile phones, computers and electronic appliances, she began collecting the discarded electronics from home, and purchased others from friends and waste plants for her artwork. As well as giving e-waste a new lease of life, she is bringing attention to the impact of our dependence on electronic devices and obsession with upgrading to the latest models.

Her artwork involves selecting suitable electronic components, then cutting or carving them to size, painting them and finally piecing them together to create two-dimensional sculptures. They capture the likeness of the originals but also their essence, all by using motherboards, cables and wires, plugs, chips and other components. Nor Tijan held her first solo exhibition New Formal in 2020.