The Rebirth of Shika
Warren Christopher Hallett
The Rebirth of Shika
Warren Christopher Hallett
Anti-trans laws and widespread transphobia in her country had left artist-musician Shika Ava Thibault with no choice but to flee and seek refuge in the United Kingdom. Two years on, Warren Christopher Hallett finds out how she’s faring in her new life.
Spring has sprung in London! The sun is shining, cherry blossoms are blooming everywhere and as I take a deep breath, the air is fresh albeit still a little chilly. Looking around, everything looks vibrant and uplifting as if nature is telling us to celebrate a new beginning. As I am approaching Shika Ava Thibault in a pub in the shadow of The Shard, memories of the past come flooding back.
Our paths first crossed in July 2022
London was in a middle of a blistering heatwave with record-breaking temperature of over 40°C. As I was dragging my feet out of my air-conditioned office, I received a text from a friend in Malaysia. She was worried about her friend who had landed at Heathrow a couple of days prior and was taken to an ‘asylum accommodation’ in Feltham. “Please check on her to make sure she’s OK.”
Sensing an undertone of distress in her message, I hurriedly made my way to Waterloo station. Thirty minutes later, I arrived at this West London town which I had never been to before. I spotted Shika almost immediately, standing by the roadside in front of St Giles hotel. Despite looking worried and fidgety, she did welcome me with a big smile. The relentless heat sent us running for shelter at a nearby park. Armed with a six-pack of ice-cold beer and a packet of crisps, we plonked ourselves under a tree – and our chat soon ensued.
Born in Ujong Pasir, a small town in the Malaysian state of Melaka, Shika was given away as a baby. With so many mouths to feed, her biological parents simply could not afford to keep her. Her adoptive parents – a Malay-Muslim childless couple – were overjoyed to have a ‘son’ who would one day take over the family’s restaurant business. They subsequently adopted three girls who would become Shika’s younger siblings.
As a child, Shika spent a considerable amount of time at the restaurant in charge of preparing and serving beverages. For the most part, she relished her waitressing role as it provided a safe space to express her feminine side. Even at this early age, Shika knew she was not a boy, and so she continued living her true self, identifying and acting as a girl. However, this was not what her parents wanted her to be. In a desperate attempt to straighten her out, at age 13, she was sent to an all-boys religious boarding school.
Shika ample opportunity to explore her gender identity
Being away from her controlling parents, the school provided Shika ample opportunity to explore her gender identity. It was there where she began her transition journey. It was there where she met others in the same boat, trans teens who introduced her to black-market hormones. During her time there, Shika gradually began developing breasts and her facial features became noticeably ‘softened’.
When she returned home five years later, her parents quickly realised that their ‘conversion therapy’ plan had disastrously failed. While her dad remained disengaged (but silently refusing to acknowledge her transness), her mom was more vocal, subjecting Shika to incessant ridicule and abuse, pressurising her to reverse the transitioning process. Shika described this period as ‘hell on earth’.
Building a new life
For almost three years, she endured this psychological torture, all the while feeling isolated, anxious and depressed. At the back of her mind, she knew she would need to save herself. Her tolerance level eventually reached the boiling point. In 1996 at the age of 20, she ran away from home and never looked back. Kuala Lumpur became her new home.
Building a new life in the metropolis was challenging, but it was there where Shika got to meet other trans and queer people – some of whom have become her chosen family. Determined to make something of herself, in the same year, she enrolled at an art college, and following graduation, she was hired as an illustrator-graphic-designer by one of the world’s leading ad agencies.
Shika became a full-time artist and co-founded
an Urban Art collective
Her exceptional talent did not go unnoticed. She was assigned to work on bigger and more lucrative projects. However, these,0 more often than not would come with unreasonable deadlines. “I worked long hours and often beyond midnight. I didn’t have time to socialise, and I was always tired. No work-life balance, so after 8 years I decided to quit and went freelance”.
In 2005, Shika became a full-time artist and co-founded an Urban Art collective. Being independent had helped unleash her creativity allowing her freedom to choose the projects that were close to her heart. She worked with several NGOs and charitable organisations, focussing on trans social-inclusion and equality. In fact, her artworks often express the challenges faced by the transgender community. “My personal experiences are my main source of inspiration. Being marginalised and oppressed has made me more determined to fight. Art is my weapon,” Shika remarks.
Her work has been internationally recognised with awards from Global Fund for Women (USA), Nippon Foundation (Japan) and Perpetuum Mobile / Artists at Risk (Finland) – as well as exhibitions in Singapore, London, Madrid and Hamburg. By contrast, in her native Malaysia, she’s not a household name nor is her acclaimed work a cause for jubilation. “Trans people in Malaysia have often been sidelined. We get excluded from society. On top of daily transphobia, we face a torrent of anti-trans laws branding us as criminals and denying us access to education, employment and healthcare. It’s fair to say that back then I did not live. I just existed. That’s why I had to leave,” Shika explains.
Her other weapon is music
She is the frontwoman and guitarist of TingTongKetz, a three-piece queer band which she formed back in 2015. She was inspired to pursue music while working in Japan, funded by the Nippon Foundation. “In Japan, I saw so many girls carrying guitars and they looked cool. That had inspired me to start my own band.”
Like her art, Shika’s music is also her tool for activism. Many of her songs deal with the experience of not being accepted in a conservative Muslim family and society. “I want to expose the injustices faced by the LGBTQ+ community in Malaysia to the world. Hopefully, this will increase awareness and spur further activism beyond our community.” With the band, Shika – whose moniker is ‘Shika Corona’ – has thus far released two albums and one EP. For her side-project, Shika goes by the name of ‘Stella Nova Transnita’, and has released a series of electronic music albums, the latest one being ‘Bima Saxti’ in 2023.
“I knew this was coming”
can see her now, sitting in the courtyard of the pub. For a split second I feel as though I might be about to sit down with a different Shika – the ‘rebirth’ version. She greets me with a big smile on her face. Well, she has every reason to be happy. A few months prior, she was granted refugee status and can now begin to rebuild her life in the United Kingdom. But where will her journey take her next?
“I have moved to Bristol to live temporarily with a friend. There’s so much to do. I’ve been busy making plans, job hunting and sorting out my life. I need a little time to breathe, reset and think about my goals and dreams, and what I want to pursue next. I already have a few things in the pipeline” Shika concludes.
Like a mischievous schoolboy, I quickly ask her about her love life. “I knew this was coming,” Shika screams. Our uproarious laughter fills the air! Still convulsed with laughter, Shika confirms, “I’m dating someone. Things are going really well right now. He’s a lovely guy – kind and supportive. So, let’s see what the future has in store for us.”
Photographed by CHARMAINE WONG
Hair & Makeup by KYRA ROSE GRIFFIN
Assisted by JUSTICE KHOR, RANIA HASTINGS & LILY JAMALUDDIN
