Meet Sophia Ng, Malaysia’s First Live Wedding Painter Who Adds a Special Touch to Ceremonies

Rojak Daily spoke to Sophia Ng, Malaysia’s first live wedding painter, who, like many others, switched occupations during the MCO and now paints weddings, company events, and private parties.

Humble beginnings

Sophia’s love for art began at a young age when she won first place in an art competition in kindergarten. Sophia also shared, “I came from a humble background. My parents were hawkers selling the most delicious Hokkien prawn and curry noodles at a stall called Tick Kee Prawn Mee at Family Food Court in Ipoh. They did their best for us children so we never had to starve or worry much. However, it was also clear that we needed to do well in school to get a scholarship or student loan for university, which was what my siblings and I did.”

“I helped out at the stall growing up and worked multiple part-time jobs during my entire university period. Growing up like that taught me the importance of hard work.”

The 31-year-old with a degree in Psychology shared, “My first job after graduation was a headhunter. I wanted to attempt a normal office job, but I was miserable, so I quit after my first year and started my journey to pursue an art career.”

“I taught art in international schools and then at an art studio, but the pandemic hit. The art studio I worked at gave everyone a pay cut and time off.” Sophia first got the idea from American TikTok painter Watch Maggie Paint when she realised that this service wasn’t offered in Malaysia. She first tried it out during her friends’ weddings and realised this could grow into a business.

“So I had time in my hand to experiment with the processes for the live painting. I took an online entrepreneur course, registered my business, made samples, and started promoting my services during MCO in 2021, although business was slow initially,” she added.

How does the process work?

What makes Sophia’s live painting service unique is that it also functions as a form of performance to wow guests and something they can take pictures of during the event. It started in the US years ago but has taken its time to reach our shores.

A couple can book Sophia on her website first, and a virtual consultation will be set up 2-3 weeks before the event. “I have consultations with clients to discuss event details, expectations on the paintings, and logistical arrangements,” she elaborated. Some clients even have special requests, such as adding a pet or removing certain elements from the painting.

Speaking of what she wants future clients to know, she said, “The beauty of live painting is that it is done live and progresses concurrently with the event. The gist is to capture an impression of the event, almost like a screenshot of the memory. So, I always tell clients not to expect something overly realistic.”

“As art is a subjective experience, I also stress to my potential clients to look at my social media to be sure that they like my art style, which is impressionistic and romantic, before booking me for their events.”

The painting process during the wedding takes at least five hours, with the background being painted on-site two hours before the special moment. When the painting is completed, it is revealed to the couple, and then it is taken back to the studio to be varnished, wired, and framed. It is delivered to them within two weeks (it’s actually even faster than wedding photos, which usually take 2-3 months to process!).

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Comparing it to painting still subjects, Sophia said, “The hardest part is that despite focusing on the painting, I also have to be observant of the changes happening in my subjects and apply them to the painting as they happen. During this whole time, my environment isn’t ideal for painting - it may be noisy, there may be obstructions in my view, it may be too hot or cold, and there might not be enough lighting.”

Primarily using watercolours and acrylics, Sophia works an average of 10 events a month and occasionally hires freelancers. She has worked across the entire Klang Valley, Sarawak, Sabah, and Johor. Her work has also taken her overseas to Bali, Singapore, and Thailand. Prices range between RM2000 and RM3000 depending on the size of the paintings. Three sizes are offered in inches: 16x20, 18x24, and 20x30, and there is a travel fee for bookings out of Klang Valley.

Sophia also paints for people of different cultural and religious backgrounds, including Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs.

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Pursuing art as a career

Since starting the business, several other live painters have cropped up throughout the country, but Sophia says, “I’m actually quite pleased to see more live painters around as it means what I’m doing works.”

Sharing words of encouragement to other aspiring artists, Sophia said, “A common question I get asked is whether I am represented by a gallery or went to an art school. I wish more people knew that an art career isn’t limited to selling million-dollar paintings and being represented by galleries. Also, unlike most stereotypical beliefs, artists don’t have to be struggling and penniless.”