SKETCHBOOK

Tony Chin on Ipoh.

For Ipoh-based interior designer Tony Chin, it’s become a habit every Sunday to venture out with a group of like-minded artists to record scenes of his home city, the capital of the Malaysian state of Perak. While heritage buildings, streetscapes, and daily life are typical subjects, the group also turns to nature for inspiration. One recent stop was Qing Xin Ling Leisure & Culture Village—whose Chinese name literally means “Serene Hill”—on the city’s southeastern outskirts. “Ipoh is particularly scenic because of the surrounding limestone hills,” Chin says. “I was sketching this view on the balcony of one of several kampong-style guesthouses, which all have wooden decks that jut out over a small lake. What struck me most was seeing the limestone spires perfectly reflected in the still waters. Elsewhere around our city, companies are excavating these hills to extract marble, make cement, and mine other building materials. I hope that slows down, otherwise we will lose more areas of beautiful scenery like this.”