Hi, I am Sam. As a child, adults called me Bakuli, a shortened version of “buah guli” (a Malay word for glass marbles). This is how I got my moniker, Baacooly.

I’m a self-taught artist from a culturally rich town in Penang, Malaysia. I’ve loved art since childhood, often doodling on old newspapers, torn calendar pages, and other scrap paper. Growing up, I was introduced to poster colours, colour pencils, and crayons, which were popular in schools at the time.

However, as life became busier, art took a backseat. I worked in the tech industry, enjoying a decent job and comfortable pay, but I constantly felt something was missing.

In 2016, I quit my job and took some time off to rediscover myself. After searching and stumbling for over a year, I stumbled upon watercolour painting videos on YouTube and decided to give it a try. It felt like coming home.

Now, I enjoy experimenting with different mediums to create my work. My inspiration comes from my life experiences and what resonates with me at the moment. Instead of explaining my thoughts behind each piece, I prefer to let my audience create their own stories and interpretations.

I paint from my home studio in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, which I share with my husband, a bichon frise, and an Indian ringneck parakeet.