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Meet Eqa, a full-time housewife, mother of two, and illustration artist behind ‘Wonders of Eqa’, a homegrown art brand known for its cute, colourful, and very Malaysian-inspired drawings.
Behind the cheerful illustrations is a woman who once thought drawing was just a hobby, not something that could become a full-time career.
Today, her work has caught the attention of major brands, and she is proof that art can also make you successful.
Drawing became her escape
Born and raised in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Eqa is the middle child among five siblings.
She grew up in a creative household, with family members working across different fields. Her mother is a retired lecturer, her eldest sister is a senior business immigration consultant, younger sister is a book illustrator, one brother is a chef in Singapore, while her younger brother runs his own F&B business.
However, life was not always easy.
Raised by a single mother, Eqa said her childhood came with its own challenges. During those difficult moments, drawing became a safe space for her.
Growing up, we were raised by a single mother, which was incredibly challenging, and my childhood wasn’t always easy.
“However, I found comfort and joy by escaping into my own imaginative world through drawing.”
Although she had loved drawing since kindergarten, Eqa never imagined it could one day become her career.
That changed when she saw independent artists selling anime artwork at a cosplay event, which made her realise that personal art could actually have a market.
Around the same time, she saw her younger sister drawing on a mini iPad and told her, “If I had one of those, I know exactly what I could do with it.”
Five years ago, her eldest sister surprised her with an iPad as a gift. To Eqa, it was more than just a device. It became the tool that changed her path.
From part-time jobs to small businesses
Before becoming known as an illustration artist, Eqa studied for a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design. To get by, she worked several part-time jobs, including as a waitress at a char kuey teow restaurant, at a printing shop, at Hotdog 1901, and in banquet service.
After completing her studies, she got married to her husband, Syaril in 2009 and together, they went straight into running small businesses, starting with selling used items at car boot sales before moving on to keropok lekor.
They later opened booths across the state selling customised button badges, which gave them a good income as a young couple.
But when the MCO lockdown hit, everything changed.
It was during that challenging period that ‘Wonders of Eqa’ was officially born. The name itself had actually been given by her husband about 15 years ago before it officially became the brand’s name in 2022.
“He always used to tell me, ‘You are full of wonders’ because he noticed how easily amused and inspired I get by the little things in life,” she recounted.
Building a brand while raising children
For Eqa, one of the hardest parts of starting out was not just money or confidence, but time. As a mother of two, she had to juggle raising young children while slowly building her career as an illustrator.
She still remembers building the foundation of Wonders of Eqa while breastfeeding her newborn daughter.
Back then, I didn’t know where ‘Wonders of Eqa’ would lead, but I just kept pushing forward until I finally saw the rainbow at the end of the storm.”
She said the experience taught her one important lesson: if she had not gathered the courage to start back then, she would never have discovered how far she could go.
Her first big breakthrough came when she joined a mascot design competition at GMBB. With the support of her mother and husband, Eqa won first prize.
Her second breakthrough came three years ago when she set up an art booth at the Kuala Lumpur Illustration Fair (KLIF) at GMBB. That event gave her the exposure she needed, and soon after, major brands such as Dolly Dim Sum and FamilyMart approached her for collaborations.
Proving illustration is a real career
As a Malaysian artist, Eqa admitted that many people still do not see illustration as a “real career”.
When asked what she does for a living, she often keeps it simple and says, “I draw.”
“When I first started, there was a lot of external pressure to conform to society’s traditional definition of a ‘successful’ career.”
Instead of following someone else’s timeline, Eqa chose to focus on her own pace and financial capacity. Now, three years later, she has achieved milestones she once never expected.
Her art style, which is inspired by Japanese kawaii illustrations, is simple, lighthearted, and filled with bright, happy colours.
Eqa also loves including Malaysian motifs in her work because she believes local culture deserves to be represented in a cute and accessible way too.
“I never get bored of drawing local motifs because it represents our country and identity to the world,” she said.
Looking ahead, Eqa hopes her art will continue to make people feel happy and her biggest dream, aside from corporate collaborations, is to launch her own merchandise line and see her designs out in the world.
For someone who once thought drawing could never become a full-time career, Eqa’s journey proves that even the smallest creative spark can grow into something truly wonderful.
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