The company describes itself as a creative brand centred on the discovery and re-assembly of local elements, with the goal of seeing familiar places and cultural details from a new perspective. 1

Origins

The story of Loka Made predates the brand itself. Chong Fei Giap and Audrey Chew had previously worked together through Running Snail Studio, an illustration and creative studio established in 2012. Their work included corporate illustration and animation projects.

In 2015, the pair compiled their illustrations into a 96-page art book titled Loka Made. Audrey subsequently proposed turning the illustrations into merchandise so that people could experience and collect the artwork beyond an art book. This became the foundation for Loka Made as a standalone consumer brand. 2

The name itself reflects the brand’s creative concept: “local” elements combined with fantasy and imagination. Chong’s illustrations frequently take recognisable Malaysian environments and introduce surreal or imaginative elements into them.

Early products

Loka Made initially concentrated on small, accessible paper and gift products. Its early catalogue included:

• Postcards
• Pop-up cards
• Stickers
• Magnets
• Keychains
• Bookmarks
• Greeting cards

This approach allowed the company’s illustrations to become affordable souvenirs and collectible objects rather than remaining primarily as gallery or book artwork.

A defining characteristic of Loka Made is its reinterpretation of ordinary life in the region. Rather than focusing exclusively on conventional tourist imagery, the brand often draws from things that locals might encounter in everyday life: old shop houses, kopitiams, roadside stalls, kampung houses, traditional architecture, neighbourhood streets, food, transportation and local landscapes.

The illustrations then add a layer of fantasy. Buildings may be rearranged, landscapes exaggerated and familiar environments transformed into playful imagined worlds.

This gives Loka Made’s work three particularly important characteristics:

1. Locality

The artwork is strongly rooted in Malaysian culture and places. Malaysian architecture, food, traditions, languages and everyday environments form the visual vocabulary of the brand.

2. Nostalgia

Many designs deliberately evoke memories of childhood, neighbourhoods and older Malaysian environments. The intention isn’t simply to document Malaysia, but to create an emotional connection with it.

3. Fantasy

Real-world places are combined with imaginative or surreal elements. This distinctive combination separates Loka Made from conventional souvenir brands.

Loka Made has expanded considerably from its original postcard concept. Its current catalogue includes categories such as postcards, greeting cards, pop-up cards, home and living products, stationery, accessories, souvenirs and collaborative collections.

Examples include:

• Postcards and art prints
• Greeting cards
• Tote bags and pouches
• Enamel pins
• Magnets
• Keychains
• Stickers
• Notebooks
• Bookmarks
• Stamps
• Mugs
• Posters
• Canvas wall art
• Puzzles
• Phone grips
• Travel-related merchandise

The brand also develops themed collections around particular aspects of Malaysian culture, including Malaysia Truly Asia, Nyonya’s Memoir, Panorama Series, Collecting Malaysia and Lokapedia.

Loka Made has also developed its own character universe. Its central character is Loka, a cheerful blue tapir inspired by the Malayan tapir, one of Malaysia’s iconic endangered animals. Loka represents curiosity, discovery and exploration.

Other recurring characters include:

• Lolo — a playful cat associated with observation, imagination and creativity.
• Kaka — a lively hornbill inspired by one of Malaysia’s iconic birds, representing communication and storytelling.

Together, Loka, Lolo and Kaka provide a character-driven way for the brand to explore places, memories and Malaysian culture.

One of the most important aspects of Loka Made is that its products function as cultural storytelling objects. A postcard, for example, is not merely a picture of a landmark. It can communicate a particular architectural style, food culture, neighbourhood, historical memory or everyday experience.

This philosophy is reflected in the company’s stated goal of promoting understanding and appreciation of Malaysian culture through artworks, design, products, events, educational initiatives and community engagement.

The brand therefore sits somewhere between a design studio, illustration label, souvenir company and cultural brand.

Loka Made has worked with a wide range of Malaysian and international-facing companies and organisations. Its collaborations have included brands and organisations such as:

• POS Malaysia
• Touch ‘n Go
• Kinokuniya
• MILO
• Grab
• CHAGEE
• Carlsberg
• llaollao
• Fujifilm instax
• Spritzer
• Daikin
• Generali
• MAGGI
• F&N
• MPH
• POPULAR

The company’s official portfolio also lists projects involving murals, retail installations, special-edition products, cultural campaigns and corporate collaborations.

One notable example is a 95-metre panoramic mural at KLIA Terminal 1, created through a Grab x Loka Made project.

Although Loka Made originated in Malaysia, the brand has expanded its visual storytelling to Singapore. Its Singapore products include illustrations and souvenirs based on Singaporean places and experiences, including postcards, acrylic keychains, magnets, luggage stickers and other collectibles.

The brand also operates retail locations in Singapore, including locations at Chinatown and Haji Lane, according to its official contact page.

This represents an interesting evolution of the brand: rather than treating “local culture” as exclusively Malaysian, Loka Made has applied its illustration-and-souvenir concept to another Southeast Asian cultural environment.

Loka Made’s products are sold through its own channels as well as stockists and retail partners. In Malaysia, its official stockist listings include bookstores, lifestyle stores and specialist retailers in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Melaka and Johor.

In Singapore, Loka Made products are also carried by retailers such as Spectrum Store, where the range is positioned as locally inspired gifts and souvenirs. 3

At its core, Loka Made is built around a simple proposition: Take something familiar and make people see it differently. Its approach combines heritage + illustration + fantasy + merchandise.

Instead of presenting culture as something static or museum-like, Loka Made makes it playful and collectible. A traditional building can become a whimsical illustration; a childhood memory can become a postcard; a cultural motif can become a tote bag, pin or stamp.

This is particularly significant because the brand’s work is designed for both locals and visitors. For tourists, its products can function as souvenirs of Malaysia or Singapore. For locals, the same objects can trigger memories of places, food, architecture and experiences they already know.

The recurring themes in Loka Made’s work can be summarised as:

Local culture — Malaysian and Southeast Asian cultural identity.

Heritage — Architecture, traditions, crafts and historical environments.

Everyday life — Shops, streets, food, neighbourhoods and ordinary experiences.

Nostalgia — Memories of childhood and older versions of familiar places.

Fantasy — Surreal and imaginative reinterpretations of reality.

Collecting — Postcards, stamps, pins, magnets and other small objects encourage people to build personal collections.

Community — Events such as #PostcardSwapWithLoka and stamp-related activities turn the products into social experiences rather than simply merchandise.

Loka Made can be viewed as part of a broader generation of Southeast Asian creative businesses that use contemporary illustration and design to reinterpret local identity. Its importance lies less in producing conventional souvenirs and more in changing the way souvenirs can communicate culture. Instead of simply printing a photograph of a landmark, Loka Made creates a stylised world around that landmark.

In this sense, the brand occupies a distinctive space between illustration studio → design brand → lifestyle label → souvenir maker → cultural storyteller.

Loka Made continues to expand beyond traditional stationery and souvenirs. Its recent projects include collaborations, cultural collections, large-scale murals, retail experiences and new lifestyle products. Its website currently highlights projects such as the CHAGEE Cultural Threads Collection, World Expo 2025 Osaka, GRAB x Loka Made, and campaigns associated with Malaysian culture and tourism.

Its Rentak Malaysia collection, for example, connects Loka Made’s illustration style with Visit Malaysia 2026, incorporating Malaysian landmarks, food, traditions and recognisable everyday cultural moments into apparel and other products.

1. Official Loka Made website
2. Loka Made: Illustrating Malaysia through locally inspired paper goods and stationery
3. Loka Made | Spectrum Store: Family Lifestyle Store