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Craft Artist

Creative

Create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, weaving, pottery, and needlecraft.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Creative Arts & Media

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Select materials for use based on strength, color, texture, balance, weight, size, malleability and other characteristics.
  2. 2Create functional or decorative objects by hand, using a variety of methods and materials.
  3. 3Develop concepts or creative ideas for craft objects.
  4. 4Apply finishes to objects being crafted.
  5. 5Cut, shape, fit, join, mold, or otherwise process materials, using hand tools, power tools, or machinery.
  6. 6Set specifications for materials, dimensions, and finishes.
  7. 7Advertise products and work, using media such as internet advertising and brochures.
  8. 8Sketch or draw objects to be crafted.
  9. 9Pack products for shipping.
  10. 10Fabricate patterns or templates to guide craft production.
  11. 11Create prototypes or models of objects to be crafted.
  12. 12Develop product packaging, display, and pricing strategies.
  13. 13Confer with customers to assess customer needs or obtain feedback.
  14. 14Plan and attend craft shows to market products.
  15. 15Develop designs using specialized computer software.
  16. 16Research craft trends, venues, and customer buying patterns to inspire designs and marketing strategies.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Inker
  • Artist
  • Framer
  • Artisan
  • Colorer
  • Copyist
  • Crafter
  • Luthier
  • Modeler
  • Opaquer

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Visual Art (PSV)Draws directly on Design — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Technical Comm. GraphicsDraws directly on Design — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Design — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Sales and Marketing — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Design78%

    Visual Art (PSV)Technical Comm. GraphicsEngineering Drawing

  • Fine Arts74%

    Visual Art (PSV)

  • Sales and Marketing73%

    BusinessEconomics

  • English Language66%

    English

  • Customer and Personal Service66%
  • Production and Processing63%

    Design & Technology (RBT)Mechanical Engineering Studies

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsOften
  • Contact with other peopleOccasional contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicHigh
  • Leading or coordinating othersNot at all
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

7%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

0.22%

Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work

Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Graphic Designer

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Craft Artists

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Public universities (UPU)

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue