From pursuing a degree in the medical field, to starting her own art business from the ground up, this story is sure to be a good read. Meet Khairunnisa, a talented 23-year-old from Ipoh who is passionate in both art and her career prospects. Khai is currently completing her bachelor’s in medical science. But that is not all.

We are sure most of you are curious as to why Khai had chosen to study in the medical field with this amount of skill in art. Well, we have got her answer.


“After finishing my SPM, I had no intentions of pursuing art. I planned to continue my studies in architecture. But during the time, I was told that architecture was not the most in-demand job. So, I changed my path and plan to study in science related course”.

Khai started her undergraduate journey at UITM Dengkil, studying foundation in science. Two weeks later, she was offered a scholarship to pursue her foundation and bachelor’s in medical science at MSU. #WeHaveBeenBlessed!

Next question in your head, when did she start making art, right?

Well, Khai started making art ever since she was in high school. Back then, it was mostly portraits and Animes. After a while, she wanted to explore different kinds of style. It was only until 2018 where she first tried architectural art in which she became more serious in her hobby at the time. Just check these out:


However, the reason why Khai started making art was a story on its own. “I started making art when I was in high school because of my severe insomnia in which I couldn’t sleep for 1 to 3 days straight. I just wanted to make my time beneficial, so I started a new hobby which is drawing and it’s very therapeutic for me.”

Art really helped Khai cope with her life challenges. “Drawing makes me feel calmer and more relaxed. Gradually, I’ve been able to gain enough sleep and my health has really improved.” Luckily, Khai had an outlet for her to express herself. She tells us that with art, it helped her accept who she is.

For those who are just getting to know Khai, she runs her own art business selling her prints online. She promotes them on her social media @khai.izham . Khai tells us about the challenges of juggling her art and her studies.


“Art has definitely taught me how to deal with myself, people out there, and how to manage my time properly. When it comes to handling customers, I eventually learn about patience and perseverance as I deal with different personalities quite frequently.”

“Time management is very important to me as I am juggling my internship, my art business and practicing art. But I am good at pushing myself to make sure I get a lot done and strictly avoid procrastination.”

“On weekdays, I would focus on my internship work which is from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm. Once I get back, I would continue my art progress and, on the weekends, I would prepare my prints including the packaging and postage. Doing all this while promoting my progress on my social media is a lot of work but I don’t mind as I know it’s going to be worth all the hard work.”

We asked Khai on her choice of topics when it comes to art ideas. She tells us that she usually draws some buildings located in Europe. “I have always loved the European buildings for its details, and I find that the style itself appears majestic in various ways. The architecture and designs hold a lot of historical values which I wish to discover more of.”


However, Khai has new plans for 2021. She wants to do a collection of local buildings. “I want to do more local buildings because I want to portray the intricacies of the architecture that a lot of us fail to see. I think that through this project, I’m also able to educate myself about the buildings in Malaysia and the historical values they hold. To me, these buildings should be valued and appreciated because they carry our identities as Malaysians.”


Believe it or not, Khai has never been to any of the European buildings she has drawn. But she has a plan to one day take a picture of her artworks in front of the actual buildings. “It has always been my dream to travel to Europe to visit the historical buildings and local museums. Hopefully one day I will be able to”.

#FunFacts – Khai’s friends have been blessed with gifts, which is her own sketches! So, you should probably find her on social media - @khai.izham)!