Artist Collaboration: An Interview with Nadhir Nor/ @snadhir

Meet Nadhir Nor, a local illustrator from Selangor, Malaysia who is constantly enthralled by pairing absurdity with elegance, and aims to spread the message that everything in life deserves celebration. His works, featuring inspirations from mythology, evoke a sense of mystique and ethereality paired with a feeling of mild chaos.

@snadhir’s dedication in expression only adds onto the nuances in his work as he plays around with contrasting themes in his pieces.

Join us in exploring his creative journey and the thought process behind the production of his covers.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background as an artist/creator?

My name is Nadhir Nor and I am an illustrator from Selangor, Malaysia. I work on sequential work and illustrations for different projects such as tabletop games, graphic novels and watercolour paintings. My work usually explores mythology, culture and queer relationships.

How would you describe your artistic style and influences?

Right now I am very inspired by Elden Ring’s newest DLC and Charli XCX’s Brat. I love the interconnectedness of ER’s lore when it comes to world-building, and how they are not shy about marrying what is absurd and elegant. In that same spirit, I feel that Charli does it very well too, playing around with off-putting elements and brattiness while also making every single detail of her storytelling infectious. In my work, I try my best to play around with these very juxtapositions, trying to keep everything tender and intriguing despite the seemingly brash effrontery.

Are there any specific themes or messages you wanted to convey through the cover?

I want to convey that everything deserves grace and the space to bloom and tell their stories, even though we’re told our entire lives that they’re not things to be celebrated or shared about.

Did you face any challenges or obstacles while creating the design? If so, how did you overcome them?

Usually it’s me having very high expectations and visualised ideas in my head and not being able to execute them like how I imagined. Working with very simple linework and colour palettes, I find myself having to constantly stop myself from overdoing it and just letting the simplicity of the negative spaces carry the artwork, instead of overdoing the details.

What materials or techniques did you use to bring your design to life?

For these pieces, I used Photoshop on my iPad, with brushes from Shiyoon Kim and Kyle Webster.

Are there any hidden details or symbolism in your design that you'd like to share with us?

For Elixir, the plant on the most right is actually a plant I have on my working desk that I redrew and referenced for the piece. In this piece, I envision a scene where we all ooze and sap with elixirs of inspirations to share and exchange with each other. We forget that we can find inspiration everywhere and in everything we see and that we should absorb and appreciate all of it. For Debris, it’s more of an exploration of memories and parts of what we go through as human beings that make us who we are. Sometimes they stay with us forever like tattoos, other times they just drift and collect around like debris, before vanishing away.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists or creators who want to make their mark in the industry?

To have fun with your art and work on things that feel close to you, because no one can tell your stories except you. You’d be surprised with how lacking our voices and stories are out there and you should tell them if you can.

Are there any other artists or creators who inspire you in your work?

The artists that inspire me are Kushagra Gupta, Yuchen Horng, Salman Toor, qing_yiii (IG), Louis Fratino, Andrew Thomas Huang, James Merry, Jesse Balmer, uwaisuwaisuwais (IG) and kuya_kasuy (IG)

Do you have any favourite Mossery products or designs from other artists that have caught your attention?

IKushagra Gupta’s ones are still my favourite, I bring it everywhere I go :’)

Is there anything else you'd like to share with the Mossery community and those who appreciate your work?

Support your local artists, brands and platforms, whatever beautiful things we see happening locally wouldn’t be possible without all of us <3

Thank you, Nadhir, for sharing your artistic journey and vision. If his insights inspired you to appreciate the beauty in life's complexities, check out his work with us here/ under the Artists section!