Stories from the atelier.

A recipe for peace and quiet. In the tranquil corners of the world where time slows down, imagine "Calmocado" — a gentle blend of avocado greens with warm black shades and soft flesh tones. It's inspired by hidden garden sanctuaries where peace isn't a word so easily flung around, but a way of life.

Here, yoga meets art and each brushstroke fluidly flows as naturally as a breath of air. Just like a meditation session that leaves you renewed, this piece invites you to stop and reflect, finding your center. It's not about grand gestures, but rather, small moments that make you feel light as a feather.

— Lihuà, on the Calmocado colour-mood

Finding my art begins when my mind drifts off into another world. Here, in my cozy one-bedroom apartment, I find myself surrounded by stacks of fashion magazines and the familiar hum of a drama series in the background, when suddenly I'm daydreaming — whether it's riding ostriches or basking on a yacht. It's funny how the mind works. When the creative wheels start spinning in my mind, I often turn to calligraphy, letting the ink flow as my thoughts wander. Sometimes, it's all it takes for that "Eureka" moment and the art comes alive once again.

2021 sparked an "aha" moment as I found myself lost in a whirlwind of fashion feeds, the dark vortex of social media, and colours that didn't match. It was quite overwhelming and my mind desperately demanded a reset. I listened — stripping away the excess, simplifying the palette, and letting my work find its haven. Now, when I paint, it's all about capturing that effortless freedom you get when you travel.

What do I think about colours? I lean into soft, dreamy pastels that set a soothing tone. I start with photo references — that's when the real fun begins. I add a brushstroke here and there, letting each piece take a life of its own. To this day, I'm still trying to pinpoint what it is exactly that makes something "special," but I can guarantee it's in the way the simple layers come together — much like a cake — to create an effortless piece of art.

I'm not here to ramble on as my paintings are meant to be open invitations for all, places for your imagination to wander and discover what it means to you. I am obsessed when the viewer's memories and experiences fill in the blanks because it means they have contributed to the layers that make the cake of my art which goes beyond the canvas.

— Lihuà

Louis Vuitton's Travel Book series commissions a single illustrator to reinterpret a city — its streets, its rituals, its light — across an entire volume. It's a format built on exactly the kind of illustration Galerie Martel has championed for fifteen years: personal, painterly, unmistakably one artist's hand.

WM Arte and Galerie Martel have hosted an invitation-only evening under that name — Louis Vuitton Travel Book: Exclusive Originals — bringing together original works from five illustrators: Lorenzo Mattotti, Giandelli, Lihuà, Ott, and Evens. It's the clearest example yet of what the KL–Paris bridge is actually for: a Malaysian illustrator's watercolours sharing a wall with a Venice Biennale poster artist's ink work, under one roof, for one night.

Future evenings in this series aren't scheduled yet — get in touch to be notified when the next one is confirmed.