Graphic Design students win with culture and creativity at UTAR x HONOR design competition

Two Year 2 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Graphic Design and Multimedia students from UTAR’s Faculty of Creative Industries (FCI) earned notable recognition at the UTAR x HONOR Talents Design Competition 2024, a collaborative platform that highlights creative expression and cultural storytelling through design.

Lim Mei Ying was awarded Best New Talent for her digital illustration titled Nian Yi (New Year Memories). Inspired by Chinese New Year celebrations of the 1970s–80s, her artwork reflects the warmth and joy of past community gatherings. Using vibrant red tones and traditional festive elements such as firecrackers and lanterns, her work evokes nostalgic memories while drawing attention to the contrast between past and present cultural experiences.

“I joined this competition to challenge myself and to express my love and understanding of culture through design. Winning this award gives me more motivation to continue exploring cultural themes and improving my design skills,” said Lim. Her prizes included a certificate, a pair of HONOR earphones, and a 10-day 2025 Art & Tech China Tour, presented at the HONOR 400 Series Launch Event on 22 May 2025 at Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.

Smartty Youlaganathan took home the Grand Prize for her culturally inspired piece Bounty of Nature. Her digital illustration celebrates the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal, portraying themes of gratitude, family, and nature. Through the technique of pointillism—mimicking grains to symbolise harvest—her artwork features cows, a cooking pot of Pongal rice, and a kolam-patterned sun set against vast fields.

“It was a rare opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and showcase my cultural heritage through design. I was honestly surprised and overjoyed to win, and it’s a big confidence boost,” Smartty shared. She received a HONOR Magic6 Pro smartphone and a certificate for her achievement.

The HONOR Talents Design Competition 2024, themed Cultural Prosperity · Celebration, served as a platform for emerging designers to reinterpret cultural traditions through the lens of contemporary design. The competition was committed to bridging technology and art, enabling students to explore cultural storytelling using new forms of visual expression. Supported by HONOR, the initiative aimed to foster creativity among youth while promoting global appreciation for cultural diversity and innovation in design.

UTAR congratulates Lim and Smartty on their impressive accomplishments and their creative contributions to preserving and reimagining cultural narratives through art and design.