Urban Sketchers Kluang turns town into living canvas

Every Friday morning, a group of art enthusiasts gathers at a different location in Kluang armed with sketchbooks, pens, brushes and colours, turning ordinary streets and landmarks into personal works of art.

But beyond the weekly activity, Urban Sketchers Kluang is pursuing a bigger ambition — gaining official recognition as a chapter of the international Urban Sketchers community.

Key person Serene Shee said the group has submitted its application for international recognition and is working towards meeting the requirements set by the global organisation.

Urban Sketchers is an international nonprofit organisation and global community dedicated to drawing on location and sharing stories of places where people live and travel. It now has more than 500 recognised chapters worldwide.

Weekly gatherings bring Kluang together

Urban Sketchers Kluang meets every Friday from 10.30am to noon, with the location changing from week to week.

Serene said participation is open to everyone, regardless of age or artistic experience. Participants only need to bring paper or a sketchbook and whatever drawing materials they prefer.

Details of each week’s location are shared through the group’s Urban Sketchers Kluang Facebook page.

At a recent session, participants spread out around their chosen location, quietly observing their surroundings before translating what they saw onto paper.

The results reflected the diversity of the group. Bridges, waterways, greenery, shopfronts, buildings, streets and familiar landmarks appeared in different styles, colours and perspectives.

Among the participants was former school headmaster Yew Kok Leh, 68, who has been joining the group since early this year.

“Drawing is part of my life,” he said.

For Linda Wan, who was born in Kluang and joined only about a month ago, the attraction lies in being able to spend time sketching alongside people who share her interest.

Their different experiences highlight the inclusive nature of urban sketching, where newcomers and experienced artists can sit together, observe the same surroundings and produce entirely different interpretations.

Sketches become a visual record of Kluang

The group hopes its application for international recognition will eventually connect Kluang’s sketchers with communities around the world.

Serene said one requirement involves demonstrating regular sketching activities over at least six months, making the group’s weekly gatherings an important part of building an active local community.

Malaysia already has Urban Sketchers communities in places including Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Batu Pahat and Segamat.

For Kluang, recognition would not only provide opportunities to connect with sketchers internationally, but could also offer another avenue to introduce the town to a wider audience.

Unlike reproducing an image from a photograph, urban sketching requires artists to draw on location and observe their surroundings directly. Each sketch therefore captures a particular place at a particular moment.

The collection being created by Urban Sketchers Kluang is consequently becoming a visual diary of the town — documenting old buildings, new developments, streets, businesses, greenery and landmarks.

As towns change, such sketches could eventually become records of places and scenes that no longer exist.

At the same time, each drawing reflects the individual artist’s perspective, from the details they notice to the way they interpret the environment.

For Urban Sketchers Kluang, the message is simple: people do not need to be professional artists or own expensive equipment to participate.

For 90 minutes every Friday, the town becomes their studio.

As the group works towards international recognition, its members will continue meeting at different corners of Kluang, one Friday, one location and one sketchbook at a time.

In doing so, they are not merely drawing the town, but preserving its stories and hoping to put Kluang on the world’s sketching map.