An accordion book that unfolds KL’s heritage, one sketch at a time

‘The Kuala Lumpur Old Town Vibes’ is a unique accordion book featuring around 70 illustrations by artist Yoon Chooi Ping. (Yoon Chooi Ping pic)KUALA LUMPUR: While many tend to rush through the streets of KL with their eyes fixed on their phones, artist Yoon Chooi Ping slows down, fountain pen in hand, to capture the city’s heritage.A longtime member of Kuala Lumpur Urban Sketchers (KLUSK), she has spent the past two years creating "The Kuala Lumpur Old Town Vibes", a 7m-long accordion book featuring about 70 illustrations of the city's historic streets and landmarks.KLUSK is the Malaysian chapter of the global Urban Sketchers movement, which brings together artists who document the city’s heritage, architecture and everyday life through on-location sketching.Yoon, who has been sketching with KLUSK for almost a decade, discovered the group after stumbling upon one of its show-and-tell sessions at a café.Unlike a conventional book, the accordion format unfolds into one continuous illustration, allowing readers to experience KL’s Old Town as though they were walking through it, uninterrupted by page breaks.“I spent about two years completing this book, from the conceptual stage to printing,” she told FMT Lifestyle.Yoon works primarily with fountain pen and watercolour to bring her detailed illustrations to life. It’s not just a building but a silent storyteller - every window, every grille, every wall tells a story of the past."When you draw onsite, you experience the atmosphere, the sunlight shining on the buildings and the people walking by," she added.Encouraged by her mentor, KLUSK founder KC Lee, she first completed a 10m scroll sketch of Chinatown, which was exhibited last year, before taking on the even more ambitious accordion book.Among the sketches closest to her heart is Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, KL's oldest Hindu temple located on the edge of Chinatown.

It also happens to be the first sketch she completed after joining KLUSK in 2017.“It was one of the most difficult because of the intricate sculptural details,” she explained.This sketch of Sri Maha Mariamma…