Skip to main content

School of Physics - Universiti Sains Malaysia

USMAPEX v  PNG

Collaboration Between USM Artists and Physicist Receives Top 5 Finalist Recognition at ArtScience 2025 Competition

A cross-disciplinary collaboration between USM artists and a physicist has received national recognition after being awarded the Consolation Prize (Top 5 Finalist) at the ASM ArtScience™ Prize 2025, selected from 107 submissions nationwide.

The collaborative team, Associate Professor Dr Safrizal Shahir and Mr Norshahidan Mohamad (School of the Arts) and Associate Professor Dr Ahmad Fairuz Omar (School of Physics), presented an artwork titled “Spectra of Thirst to Sustain the Unseen: AI and the Whisper of Reflectance and Resilience.” The project exemplifies the convergence of artistic practice, scientific research, and artificial intelligence to explore sustainability and environmental resilience.

The ASM ArtScience™ Prize celebrates the fusion of art and science to promote creativity, innovation, and critical thinking. The 2025 edition carried the theme “Transforming the Future of Arts: AI Meets Sustainability” and showcased the Top 5 finalists’ works in an exhibition held from 17 to 24 November 2025 at Pusat Sains Negara. The artwork originated from Dr Ahmad Fairuz Omar’s scientific experiment, published in the International Journal of Remote Sensing and Infrared Physics and Technology. The study examined the spectral response of young oil palm leaves under water stress, using near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy (700–1000 nm). The research revealed how subtle changes in light reflectance could indicate drought stress even before visible symptoms appear.

The artworks showcased at Pusat Sains Negara

Building on this scientific foundation, Dr. Safrizal Shahir and Mr. Norshahidan Mohamad took invisible spectroscopy data, traditionally confined to raw dots, lines, and curves, and transformed it into vibrant, immersive works of art that bring hidden patterns of nature to life. Using AI tools (including ChatGPT and Python) and TouchDesigner, they created interactive animations that visualize the differences between healthy and different stages of stressed leaves. Complementing the digital works, the team produced four large-scale serigraph paintings, layering translucent images to create dynamic and contemplative compositions. By turning these invisible spectra into vivid visual narratives, the collaboration bridges the gap between science and human perception, creating a dialogue where numbers become color, motion, and emotion.

This achievement highlights USM’s commitment to interdisciplinary innovation and illustrates how collaborations between artists and scientists can generate socially relevant, impactful works that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.