Capturing KL’s Heritage, One Sketch at a Time

Ann Marie Chandy | 28 March 2025

FOR sketch artists Dato' Azman Mohd Hashim and Cheng Peng Sia, every building tells a story. Through their sketches, they capture the spirit of Kuala Lumpur’s heritage, preserving its beauty one stroke at a time. Though their backgrounds differ – one an active architect, the other retired – their passion for documenting the cityscape unites them.

Azman, President of the Board of Architects Malaysia and Senior Director at the Public Works Department (JKR), has spent over three decades shaping Malaysia’s architectural landscape. Yet, his personal passion lies in something more intimate – sketching. With an A5 sketchbook, a permanent felt-tip pen, and vibrant liquid watercolour Ecoline paints, he distills the grandeur of buildings into bold, expressive strokes.

“Sometimes there is no need to show too much detail,” the 58-year-old father of two explains. “I want to show the form.” His medium of choice, Ecoline, is unforgiving – every stroke is final. The thrill of this immediacy fuels his artistry.

Azman’s visual diary is filled with landmarks such as Bangunan Sulaiman, the National Mosque, and Masjid Jamek – structures that take him back to his first school trip to KL in Standard 5. “I still remember how I felt as a boy, looking up at these grand structures,” he recalls.

His favourite? The Sultan Abdul Samad Building. “We don’t have an Antoni Gaudí building here, but this one is a masterpiece,” he muses. The challenge of capturing its domes and shadows excites him. Every sketch in his book is meticulously framed – centered with a white border, artwork on the right-hand page, handwritten notes on the left.

Meanwhile, Cheng, a retired architect, found his way back to art after stepping away from full-time work in 2009. “I’ve always loved art, but life was tough when I was younger,” he shares. “I came from Sungai Petani, Kedah, and becoming a teacher was the fastest way for me to support my family at the time. After that, I pursued architecture, worked hard, and built a life with my wife.”

Now, at 72, he indulges in his lifelong passion, bringing KL’s history to life with Chinese ink, watercolours, acrylics, oils and pastels. His journey into urban sketching gained momentum in 2010 when he discovered the Urban Sketchers (USK) movement. “The first trip with Urban Sketchers Penang to Bangkok in 2012 was a game changer for me,” he says. “Seeing so many sketchers passionately capturing the cityscape and heritage buildings – it really inspired me!”

One of his favourite subjects is the Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association on Jalan Sultan, a hub for Cantonese opera and cultural preservation since 1920. “The building is unique, blending Western classical and Chinese architectural styles. And for me, it holds a personal significance for this is where I met my wife in the 1980s when we both sang in its choir!” he reminisces. “The surrounding places, including the hawker stalls and the Rex Theatre, were some of our favourite spots during our courtship! These buildings bring me sweet memories.”

For both Dato' Azman and Cheng, urban sketching is more than a hobby – it is a means of preserving heritage. “Buildings like the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Sin Sze Si Ya Temple, and the old shophouses along Petaling Street and Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman are part of KL’s urban fabric,” says Cheng. “Through on-location sketches, we can capture their authentic features before they fade away.”

Unlike photographs, sketches offer a personal interpretation of a place.

“Every artist adds their own storytelling element.”

Cheng

“Every artist adds their own storytelling element,” Cheng notes. By sharing their work online and in exhibitions, they raise awareness about the importance of conservation.

While Cheng enjoys going on jaunts around town with other artists, Azman prefers his solitude. Weekends are sacred for Azman, who after breakfast with his wife, retreats into a world of ink and colour, letting the week’s stress dissolve onto the pages of his sketchbook. “Sketching is better than golf,” he laughs.

For these two artists, architecture isn’t just about blueprints and buildings – it’s about memories, stories and the beauty of imperfection. And through their sketches, they ensure these stories live on, one stroke at a time.

To view more of Dato' Azman’s sketches, visit: Instagram To view more of Cheng’s sketches, visit: Facebook.

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