Sukma: Megah, Tundok

‘Sukma: Megah, Tundok’ considers the passage of time through processes of decomposition, repair, and transformation. Rooted in the Malay words sukma (soul), megah (greatness), and tundok (humility), the title frames Malaysian artist Khabir Roslan’s reflections on the quiet, cyclical rhythms of care by presenting a body of work shaped by hand, repetition, and a commitment to slowness as method and philosophy.

Neither strictly painting nor sculpture, the works on view blur the boundaries between object and gesture. The artist applies compost soil, rich with traces of food waste and microbial life, directly onto canvas and cotton bandages, producing surfaces that retain both texture and memory. As Khabir shares, “I was drawn to compost not just for its texture and colour, but because it holds memory. I see compost as a living body that reflects us.”

Hexagonal shapes appear and reappear throughout. Referencing Singgora clay roof tiles from traditional buildings across the Malay Archipelago, these forms are cut, rearranged, and stitched by hand. In some works, the bandages are sectioned and resewn, leaving seams that resemble scars or shifting terrain. In others, pigments mix with soil and oil to create textured surfaces that hold traces of care, time, and erosion.

A large, soil-stained scroll runs the height of the main space. Made from stitched cotton bandages and cloth, it anchors the exhibition physically and thematically, pointing to layered processes of healing and repair. Though the body is never directly shown, its presence is felt. It surfaces in the rhythm of repetition, in cocoon-like forms, in gestures of binding, and in the slow, deliberate pace of making.

Khabir’s materials hold time within them, with his forms hinting at a constant state of becoming. Up close, the balance between fragility and resilience becomes palpable, unfolding in a way that surprises and invites a fresh perspective on the continuous process of becoming.

‘Sukma: Megah, Tundok‘ is featured at Wei-Ling Gallery and Wei-Ling Contemporary from 27 May – 21 June 2025.

Wei-Ling Gallery is located at No 8, Jalan Scott, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Admission hours are Tuesday – Friday 10am – 6pm, Saturday 10am – 5pm.

Exhibition is open by appointment only. For appointments and further assistance, please contact +60322601106 or e-mail siewboon@weiling-gallery.com

ABOUT THE ARTIST

KHABIR ROSLAN (B.1995) (Based in Selangor, Malaysia)

Khabir Roslan is a transdisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersections of art, science, cosmology, and philosophy. A graduate of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Shah Alam, Malaysia, with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts, he received the UOB Painting of the Year 2020 award in the Emerging Artist category as “Most Promising Artist.” From 2019 to 2022, he participated in various exhibitions and residencies.

His work reimagines the value of language, connecting it to the concept of Nature (Fitrah), inspired by Physics, Nusantara cosmology, Wabi-Sabi, Theosophy, and Islamic philosophy. In 2021, he was selected as a Guest Trainee in the Ilmu Program at Museum Gallery Tuanku Fauziah, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), where he explored site-specific installations in traditional Malay houses focused on traditional arts and culture.

In 2023, Khabir was selected for the WLG Incubator Young Artists Program, an initiative by Wei-Ling Gallery that supports emerging Malaysian artists. Under the mentorship of prominent Malaysian painter Yau Bee Ling, he developed a body of work titled ‘Inter-Connectivity’, which investigated the complex relationships between language, nature, and the cosmos.