Rokiah

‘Rokiah’ is a portrait all about Malaysian culture and traditional dress by the artist, Leah Sams.

Named after Leah’s mother, ‘Rokiah’ is inspired by Leah’s childhood growing up in Malaysia and the rich beauty of baju kebaya, a traditional Malay-Indonesian dress. The women in this piece are wearing batik, a form of textile art which uses brush painting to apply motifs to fabrics.

At a time when travel restrictions make it harder for us to see our loved ones, art can be a beautiful tool to connect with our heritage, and remind us of home.

Each of Leah's bold illustrations celebrate the vibrancy of colour, culture, travel and diversity through beautiful, powerful women.