Malaysian students bag six golds in Slovakia portrait biennale
A group of Sekolah Seni Malaysia (SSeMJ) Johor students stamped their mark on the international art stage after clinching six gold medals
JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia (MNTV) – A group of Sekolah Seni Malaysia (SSeMJ) Johor students stamped their mark on the international art stage after clinching six gold medals at the Kosice Portrait Biennale 2025, one of Europe’s prestigious portrait competitions for young artists around the world, reports The Star.
One of them is Akasha Bakri Mohd Hairul Baharuddin, who won the top honor with a self-portrait that explores complex human emotions.
Currently studying Visual Arts, the student said he was surprised when he was announced as the gold medal winner.
“I was surprised and happy. It felt like a dream,” he said, adding that the recognition had shown him that consistent effort, even at a young age, could lead to big achievements.
Akasha Bakri said his self-portrait depicted three different characters, each embodying a distinct emotion, which is joy, sorrow and fear.
The artwork was inspired by his own internal emotional struggles and feelings that were often difficult to express in words.
He said the biggest challenge was not the technical aspect of the painting but to ensure the emotions felt real and alive.
“Technique can be learned but transferring emotions onto the artwork is the hardest part.”
He credited his family as his strongest source of support, saying they believed in his talent even before he had confidence in himself.
Looking ahead, Akasha Bakri said he viewed the achievement as a starting point. “I want to keep learning and improving with every artwork. This win is just the beginning of many steps I still need to climb,” he said.
He hoped his success would inspire other young Malaysians to pursue art seriously and believed that age is not a barrier to achieving international recognition. “One day, I hope to bring Malaysian art to a higher level on the global stage,” he said.
Meanwhile, the school’s visual art trainer, Nor Alisa Jamaluddin, said a total of 36 artworks were sent to the competition held in Slovakia.
“We have entered many international artwork competitions before, but this is the first time that we participated in the Kosice Portrait Biennale.
“Through our students’ hard work, they won six gold and two bronze medals and four honourable mentions. Our school is very proud of them,” she said.
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