Answers
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Short, sourced answers about Lihuà, the collections and how to buy.
- Who is Lihuà (Wong Lai Wah)?Lihuà (王莉桦, Wong Lai Wah) is a Malaysian illustrator based in Kuala Lumpur whose atelier was established in 2010. She blends Chinese calligraphy with Western watercolour, mostly in fashion illustration, and is the lead artist of WM Arte Gallery.
- What is Lihuà's art style?Lihuà paints fashion figures in loose, fast watercolour and ink, using the brush the way Chinese calligraphy uses it: one confident stroke per form, with white paper left to breathe. Her recent work leans into soft, dreamy pastels and simplified palettes.
- How does Lihuà combine Chinese calligraphy and watercolour?Lihuà applies calligraphic brush discipline (a single loaded stroke, varied pressure, no going back) to Western watercolour fashion illustration. In some works she also brushes Chinese characters directly onto the page and finishes with a red seal stamp.
- Which luxury brands has Lihuà illustrated for?Lihuà's clients include Bulgari, Christian Louboutin, Chanel, Chaumet, Dior, Cartier, Hugo Boss, Longines, Balmain, Monsoon, Aspinal of London, Faber-Castell, Steve Madden, Giuseppe Zanotti, Bentley, Mercedes-Benz, Bata and Airbnb.
- Where has Lihuà exhibited?Lihuà has exhibited in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Italy, Beijing, Taipei and London since 2012. Her largest show to date is Day Dreams (Kuala Lumpur, Nov–Dec 2024): 142 watercolours.
- How can I buy a Lihuà print?Lihuà's limited-edition prints are sold by WM Arte Gallery on enquiry only. There is no online checkout: message the gallery on WhatsApp (+60 14 638 9453) or email [email protected] with the title of the work you want.
- What sizes and formats do WM Arte prints come in?WM Arte's prints of Lihuà's work are digital prints on paper, sold unframed, in A2 (42 × 59.4 cm), A1 (59.4 × 84.1 cm) and A0 (84.1 × 118.9 cm).
- How do I commission Lihuà for illustration or a brand project?Commissions go directly to Lihuà's studio at [email protected] (artoflihua.com). Gallery sales, prints and exhibition projects go through WM Arte Gallery at [email protected].
- What is Lihuà's Daydreams collection?Daydreams is a collection of 142 watercolour-and-ink works by Lihuà, shown at her 2024 solo exhibition Day Dreams in Kuala Lumpur, her largest show to date. Each piece belongs to a named colour-mood such as Calmocado, Negroni or Limoncello.
- What is Busana Malaysia by Lihuà?Busana Malaysia is a 22-work series by Lihuà that reimagines Malaysian dress (kebaya, Nyonya and Peranakan style, cheongsam, saree, songket and baju) as contemporary fashion illustration. It debuted at Eslite Spectrum, Kuala Lumpur, in July 2023.
- Which artworks by Lihuà feature the kebaya and Nyonya fashion?Lihuà's Busana Malaysia series features the kebaya and Nyonya (Peranakan) dress throughout, including Kebaya Emotion, Fusion Kebaya, Ayu Kebaya 1 and 2, the Edgy Nyonya works and the Opera Nyonya works.
- What is Strokes of Fashion by Lihuà?Strokes of Fashion is a 38-work series of runway looks and fashion icons by Lihuà, painted in watercolour and ink, exhibited at NegArt in May 2021.
- What is WM Arte Gallery?WM Arte Gallery ("West Art East") is an art gallery and project space in Kuala Lumpur with a Paris link through Galerie Martel. It is built around the illustrator Lihuà, runs exhibitions, sells limited-edition prints on enquiry, and takes illustration, branding and consulting work.
- What is Galerie Martel, and how is it connected to Kuala Lumpur?Galerie Martel is a Paris gallery founded in 2008, one of the first to treat comics as fine art. Its artists include Lorenzo Mattotti, Art Spiegelman, Tomi Ungerer and Robert Crumb. WM Arte Gallery brings its programme to Kuala Lumpur.
- Where can I buy Lorenzo Mattotti prints in Malaysia or Southeast Asia?In Kuala Lumpur, WM Arte Gallery sources Lorenzo Mattotti editions through Galerie Martel in Paris, including his Venice Film Festival posters and New Yorker covers. Enquire on WhatsApp (+60 14 638 9453) or at [email protected].
- Which film festival posters did Lorenzo Mattotti design?Lorenzo Mattotti's festival posters in WM Arte's catalogue include the official posters of the 75th (2018), 78th (2021) and 79th (2022) Venice International Film Festival, the 53rd Cannes Film Festival (2000), and the 11th Ca' Foscari Short Film Festival (Venice, 2021).
- Can you touch Lihuà's paintings online?Yes. WM Arte Interactive turns five of Lihuà's watercolours into touchable pieces. You hold, drag, swipe or tap and the painting itself bends and springs back, with nothing added: Beyonce Wind, Mama Long Legs, Wheels and Daffodils, Dress Big and Enso.
- Is there a gallery for fashion illustration in Kuala Lumpur?WM Arte Gallery in Kuala Lumpur specialises in illustration and graphic art. It is built around the fashion illustrator Lihuà and partnered with Paris's Galerie Martel, and it sells limited-edition prints of her fashion watercolours on enquiry.
- Is there a WM Arte or Lihuà exhibition on now?No. No WM Arte exhibition is on view at the moment. Future shows in Penang, Udine, Paris and Hong Kong are in the works but have no confirmed dates, so contact the gallery to be notified.
- Did Lihuà illustrate for Chanel Haute Couture?Yes. Through WM Arte's partnership with Phillus in China, Lihuà illustrated for Chanel's 2026 Haute Couture collection, the same season she showed alongside Lorenzo Mattotti at the Shanghai Illustration Festival.
- Has Lihuà won illustration awards?Lihuà was a finalist in the 2025 BIBF International Illustration Awards (Beijing), Advertising category, for her "Olympic 2024" project. She also exhibited at BIBF in Beijing in June 2024.
- Does Lihuà teach fashion illustration?Yes. Lihuà teaches fashion illustration at Esmod Kuala Lumpur, where she also exhibited in 2013.
- Where can I buy original watercolour fashion illustration prints?WM Arte Gallery sells limited-edition prints of Lihuà's watercolour fashion illustrations, over 200 works across Daydreams, Busana Malaysia and Strokes of Fashion, unframed in A2, A1 and A0, on enquiry with delivery from Kuala Lumpur.
- What was the Louis Vuitton Travel Book evening at WM Arte?WM Arte and Galerie Martel hosted an invitation-only evening, Louis Vuitton Travel Book: Exclusive Originals, showing original works by five illustrators: Lorenzo Mattotti, Gabriella Giandelli, Lihuà, Thomas Ott and Brecht Evens.