Machineast, a dynamic digital art duo, has made waves both commercially and in the art world with its innovative designs rooted in South-East Asian culture.
Based in Petaling Jaya, the Indonesia-Malaysia team consists of husband and wife, Rezaliando and Fizah Rahim, who specialise in creating digital artworks, with a focus on 3D animation and motion graphics.
Recently, the Machineast duo’s talents earned it a spot as finalists in the “1-minute Projection Mapping Competition”, an international showcase in Tokyo. This event challenges artists each year to present one-minute projection mapping works centred around a specific theme.
As part of the “Tokyo Lights Festival”, the 12th edition of this digital art competition took place from Sept 14-16, offering Tokyo locals a chance to experience a diverse array of projection mapping works.
The event showcased both established and emerging digital art creators from around the globe.
Adventure in Tokyo
“We were encouraged by our friend and fellow digital artist, Abdul Shakir, co-founder of Filamen, to submit a piece for the competition. Since Malaysia had never sent a representative before, we thought, ‘Why not?’” said the Sabah-born Fizah in a recent interview.
A view of the crowd enjoying 'Reflective Ascension' by Machineast, which was chosen as a finalist in the 2024 1-minute Projection Mapping Competition in Tokyo last month. Photo: MaybeFuture
“We’ve never entered our work into awards or competitions before, but we felt this was the right moment to challenge ourselves as artists. More importantly, it was a great opportunity to connect with other collectives in the digital art community,” she added.
The competition in Japan offered the duo a rare opportunity to break free from the usual commercial demands that often shape their projects.
“As digital artists, most of our work is client-driven – that’s what pays the bills. But we’re always eager to explore new artistic avenues, and this competition gave us the perfect chance to do that,” says Rezaliando, who hails from Pekanbaru, Indonesia.
This year’s competition, centred around the theme “Mirror”, drew 278 entries from 56 countries and regions. From this global pool, only 18 finalists were chosen to have their works projected onto the Meijijingu Gaien Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery, one of the earliest museum buildings in Tokyo. The historic building, built in 1925, doubled up as an impressive canvas standing 112m wide and 32.1m high.
After the Japan experience, Fizah (left) and Rezaliando have their eyes on more independent projects, giving Machineast a wider reach. Photo: The Star/M. Irsyad
Machineast’s one-minute submission, titled “Reflective Ascension”, was a visually striking animation that explored the theme of self-discovery. It portrayed a solitary ball under the watchful gaze of mirrored eyes, symbolising the journey of reflection and inner growth.
“What surprised me most was the size of the crowd. We expected mostly digital artists and tech enthusiasts, but that wasn’t the case. Since the festival is partly funded by the Tokyo government, it’s seen as a popular day out for the public. Projection mapping and light shows are pretty common in Japan,” said Fizah, 41.
After an encouraging debut at this year’s competition, the duo plans to submit another entry for next year’s edition and hopes to inspire other digital artists in Malaysia to join in.
“It was amazing to see our work displayed on such a grand scale. Being in a country that holds both technology and art in such high esteem, it was eye-opening to witness the incredible creations from digital artists around the world,” said Rezaliando.
Into a digital world
Rezaliando and Fizah first ventured into the world of digital art in 2016 while working in Singapore – Fizah as a digital artist at an advertising agency, and Rezaliando as a motion design lecturer at 3dsense Media School. At the time, art was more of a hobby, something they explored through small projects, sharing their work on social media.
A close-up view of Machineast’s design for '36 Days Of Type', showcasing its 3D interpretations of alphabets and, in this case, numerals. Photo: Machineast
One such project was 36 Days Of Type, where artists were challenged to design a letter or number each day for 36 days.
“We used that project as a creative experiment, a way to develop our own unique style. That’s when I received an unexpected offer from a major international brand, asking to use one of our designs for their product launch campaign,” shared Fizah, who grew up in Sandakan.
They settled on the name Machineast in 2016, symbolising their identity as tech-driven artists hailing from South-East Asia.
Since then, the creative duo have made their mark working with various Fortune 500 companies while also exploring opportunities in art exhibitions and festivals.
Notably, in 2018, Machineast contributed to the “Light To Night Festival”, illuminating Singapore’s civic district with a dazzling array of colours. In 2021, it showcased its work titled “Tropical Breeze” as part of “New Weave”, a contemporary art project organised by the Maybank Foundation and the National Museum of Singapore.
A view of the Meijijingu Gaien Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery in Tokyo. Machineast plan to be back next year to participate in its second 1-minute Projection Mapping Competition. Photo: MaybeFuture
“As much as we love digital art, we also aspire to create something physically tangible – something that people can truly engage with. Watching projection mapping on video doesn’t do it justice; being immersed in the experience is far more fulfilling,” said Rezaliando, 41.
While Machineast will continue to focus on concept development and graphic design, the duo’s true passion lies in art.
“We’ve already witnessed the impact of Naked-eye 3D art at Pavilion, KL, where the animation feels like it’s leaping into our reality. As technology advances and artists gain access to newer hardware, the possibilities become endless. Malaysian artists in the digital field will be able to explore these innovations across various mediums,” he concluded.
