Dr Lee (middle) and Mr Mohamad Faiz (third from right) on stage receiving the award
A multidisciplinary team of academics from the Faculty of Creative Industries, namely Dr Lee Kin Keong, Ts Dr Cheng Kin Meng, Dr Liong Mei Yin, and Mr Mohamad Faiz bin Md Khalid achieved national recognition after winning the Rising Star Award at the ASM ArtScience™ Prize 2025, a prestigious biennial programme organised by the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). As part of the Rising Star Award, the team received a RM10,000 cash prize, a trophy, a certificate, and an ASM ArtScience Travel Fellowship grant worth RM5,000, marking a significant milestone in UTAR’s growing presence at the intersection of art, science, and innovation.
Competing under the theme Transforming the Future of Arts: AI Meets Sustainability, the ASM ArtScience™ Prize is Malaysia’s first initiative dedicated to recognising outstanding works that converge art, science, and technology. The competition attracted 107 submissions nationwide, with only 15 shortlisted and five finalists selected for the final exhibition.
The team’s project, titled Woven Emotions, is a data-driven art project that visualises the collective emotions and well-being of Malaysians throughout 2024. The work consists of 12 interconnected artworks, each representing a month of the year, together forming an “emotional footprint” of the nation shaped by significant social and historical events.
Woven Emotions explores the role of human-in-the-loop AI, where artificial intelligence is guided and validated through continuous human curation. By combining artistic interpretation with AI-assisted generation, the project preserves Malaysia’s cultural identity while translating national sentiment into a visually compelling narrative. The approach also demonstrates a sustainable and scalable model for emotionally intelligent digital storytelling rooted in local relevance.
The team expressed their excitement upon being shortlisted and eventually winning the award, describing the journey as both intense and rewarding. They also highlighted the collaborative nature of the project, particularly during the exhibition setup, where advanced 3D printing techniques were used to bring the looping artwork to life. The team further noted that the recognition has opened doors for future collaborations with external partners and strengthened professional networks forged during the exhibition period.
Dr Lee (far right) introducing his team’s project to MOSTI Secretary General Datuk Seri Hj Hasnol Zam Zam bin Hj. Ahmad and ASM President Academician Datuk Dr Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen
Display of Woven Emotions at the exhibition
From left: Dr Liong, Dr Cheng, Dr Lee and Mohamad Faiz with their artwork project
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