Sunrise Swells: A Musical Odyssey
On 21 January 2024, lecturer Dr Fiona Wong, PhD and seven students from the Department of Art, Design and Media were involved in the design aspects and a wayang (or shadow play) performance in "Sunrise Swells: A Musical Odyssey", an orchestral concert by the Sunway University Chinese Orchestra (SUCO).
As the advisor of SUCO, Dr Fiona conceived the idea of a simple wayang show performed by her students to serve as a visual backdrop for the concert, instead of the nowadays popular trend of digital and high-tech visuals projected on screen.
Department of Art, Design & Media graduate Jason Kow assisted as design consultant on the concert’s visual identity designs and promotional collaterals, while final year students Chow Mun Ee, Kwan Tze Lynn, Tang Min Wey, Eri Natasha Bony, Len Huan Yee and graduate Gan Zhi Dong designed and crafted Chinese-styled puppets fused with localised visual elements inspired by the Wayang Kulit Kelantan.
The concert was carried out successfully at the Temple of the Fine Arts, Kuala Lumpur. Sunway University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Lay Ching Chai and School of Arts Dean, Prof. Mayco Santaella congratulated and praised the concert’s successful music performance, noting the wayang performance as beautiful and captivating!
