‘I want people to look at my works, like the Tiny Moving Cottage, and when they see it, it reminds them that there’s a whole world out there for them to explore and things to see and do that they’ve never done before,’ says Book of Lai. Photo: The Star/Azman Ghani
Illustrator Lai Theng Seng, better known as Book of Lai, is renowned for his bold, energetic art style that practically leaps off the screen – or page – grabbing your attention in an instant.
“It has to be colourful – that’s what sparks happiness and joy. But also, I tend to work fairly quickly, so rather than using shading in my artwork, I like to use complementary colours to create contrast,” says Book of Lai in a recent interview at his studio in Petaling Jaya.
Another common thread that can be found in Book of Lai’s work is his thirst for adventure and tendency to always be on the move, which is best reflected in his pet project Tiny Moving Place.
The home on wheels – which has sparked many iterations and has evolved over the years – has become Book of Lai’s signature work, making an appearance as prints, pins, zines, mini toys, postcards, and even commissioned projects.
“I’ve been drawing this in some form or another since college. To me, it symbolises freedom,” says the artist as he shows us the sketchbooks he’s filled up over the years.
According to the 32-year-old Penangite, the old heritage shophouses that can still be found in his hometown of George Town have definitely had an influence on his designs for Tiny Moving Place.
“In the traditional shophouses, the ground floor is often used for business, while the upper floor is the living space, so I wanted to keep the spirit of that in my designs. It’s also always a compact car or van, because I wanted to maintain a sense of whimsy in having something small, but filled with so many possibilities and the ability to go anywhere.
Book of Lai with a colourful limited edition model he created for the KL Illustration Fair event last year. Photo: The Star/Azman Ghani
“I also wanted to create something that would represent my home, so that no matter where I go, whatever adventures I go on, I’d never feel homesick, because I’d have a piece of home along with me,” he shares.
Last year, Book of Lai standardised the design in the form of a 3D printed toy, which he calls “Tiny Moving Cottage”.
“I made a template design so that it’s easy to customise – I can change the colours and what’s ‘inside’ that you can see through the windows. Right now, I’m selling only about five of these a year, but I’m hoping to gradually increase the production numbers and explore collaborations in the near future,” he says.
Millennial sensibilities
After graduating from The One Academy’s Penang campus in 2013 with a degree in multimedia design, Book of Lai founded his own studio: Studio Behind 90.
A child of the 1990s, the studio’s name is a nod to Lai’s generation – “The name comes from the Chinese word ‘jiu ling hou’, which means ‘people who were born in the 1990s’, or Millennials.
“When I first started the studio in 2015, the word ‘Millennial’ was in. It meant ‘young’ or ‘energetic’. But I realise that it means old now, since we have Gen Z and Gen Alpha. So perhaps someday I will rebrand,” he jokes.
Though he first started off working on his own, the studio has since expanded to include two more designers and a producer, and has worked with big name brands such as Netflix, KFC, AirAsia, Snapchat and more.
The studio space mirrors Lai’s innate playfulness and curiosity, as it’s filled with an eclectic collection of mock-ups from past projects, which range from packaging designs to corporate publications to 3D prototypes, as well as toys salvaged from flea markets.
Book of Lai is planning to make a 'Tiny Moving Place' game. Photo: The Star/Azman Ghani
“We use them as inspiration and design references,” he says, picking up an old Polly Pocket set that’s shaped like a camera.
Studio Behind 90 has won multiple international awards, including Taiwan’s Golden Pin and the Indigo Design Award.
For Book of Lai, however, his career highlight is winning the 2018 World Illustration Award for his 360° VR illustration, 360 Tiny Living Space, in the Experimental category.
On the train
If you ride the monorail or MRT in Kuala Lumpur, you’ll also likely spot Book of Lai’s work featured on trains and at Bukit Bintang MRT station as part of the Taiwan Tourism Administration’s “Jom Taiwan: Ride The Adventure” campaign.
“It’s a dream come true, as this is the first time my design wraps around train carriages, and Taiwan is one of my favourite travel destinations. I’ve been there more times than I can count,” says Book of Lai.
His design revolves around four themes showcasing Taiwan’s main attractions: “Makan-makan” (food), “Lihat-lihat” (sightseeing), “Main-main” (fun activities), and “Rasa-rasa” (culture).
“The biggest challenge was the scale; I designed it on a small screen but had to visualise it on a large train. I imagined standing next to the train to see how it would look,” he explains.
Book of Lai’s vibrant design features the iconic Breezy Blue train travelling through a bubble tea tunnel, a beef noodle slide, and a forest of fried chicken cutlets, alongside scenes of Taiwan’s hydrangea gardens, night markets, hot springs, and the Sky Lantern Festival.
Lai’s wrap design for the ‘Jom Taiwan: Ride The Adventure’ campaign on the KL monorail. Photo: Taiwan Tourism Administration KL Office
Never-ending adventure Book of Lai is a huge proponent for merging art with technology, as seen in his penchant for including virtual reality or augmented reality elements in his works.
“Experimentation has been in the DNA of my work since college – I like the challenge of figuring out different ways to combine technology with my art. At the moment, I’ve been doing more 3D modelling and animations in Blender, which is in preparation to make a Tiny Moving Place game.
“It will primarily be a cafe management game set in a mobile cafe that’s on top of a car. The car will go to different places and have different challenges, depending on the situation or location, like if it’s raining or you’re at the seaside. It will be a simple game, though, so that I can easily manage it. But it should be quite fun,” he shares.
Another new thing he’s trying his hand at? Paintings.
“I wanted to bridge the gap between the digital world and the physical world, as most of the studio’s work is digital-based, so I started making original paintings. So far there are about 15 pieces,” says Book of Lai.
Book of Lai is honing his painting skills, preparing a series for an upcoming exhibition in China. Photo: The Star/Azman Ghani
The paintings will be presented in an exhibition in Shenzhen, China later this year, but he adds that the works will make their Malaysian debut in due time.
“I plan to have a solo exhibition in Malaysia with these pieces sometime next year – there may even be some cool tech elements involved,” he hints.
Book of Lai is also active in the local design scene – Studio Behind 90 is one of the organisers of the KL Illustration Fair, which took place at GMBB in May, and designed the website and key visuals.
“One of my main goals is to help unify the creative industry here. In Bangkok and Hong Kong, they’ve got huge design events that draw in visitors from all over the world, like Design Week.
"There’s a lot of great talent in Malaysia, so I think we can one day reach that level,” he concludes.
