Leaders in various disciplines, the talented artists, designers, architects and musicians of Asia’s Most Influential are shaping global culture
This month, Asia’s Most Influential celebrates the brilliant creatives who are shaping global culture and helping audiences realise their deeper humanity. With their pioneering ideas, these innovators play a vital role in influencing the direction of artistic disciplines, leading to emerging new styles and techniques and contributing to the global cultural conversation. Moreover, these designers, architects, musicians and artists facilitate human understanding by evoking emotions and challenging perspectives. Whether it be an orchestral symphony or handcrafted furniture, their works serve as a mirror that reflects the values and truths that people may have yet to realise.
Also read: How Asia’s Most Influential women inspire others to follow in their footsteps
Jo Kukathas, actor, writer and director, The Instant Café Theatre Company (Malaysia)
Jo Kukathas’ love for theatre blossomed at an early age. Apart from the influence of her father, K.Das, who was part of the Malayan Art Theatre Group, she was drawn to the transformative power of theatre, which allowed her—a shy girl—to inhabit the lives of other people. In 1989, she co-founded the Instant Café Theatre (ICT) to entertain audiences, as well as inform them about current events through the use of satire. Over the decades, the award-winning writer, director and actor has brought memorable characters such as Curry Spice, deputy minister YB and beauty pageant runner-up Ribenna Berry to life. Her advice to young creatives? Embrace emotion. “[N]erves are always going to be there; even I still feel it before going on stage,” she said to Tatler in a recent interview. “If you’re not nervous, something is wrong—and a lot of creativity comes from nervousness and chaos.”
Read Jo Kukathas’s full profile on Asia’s Most Influential
Don't miss: Jo Kukathas on theatre, her characters and why the arts should be celebrated
