On Edge

Wei-Ling Gallery is pleased to present On Edge, a special pop-up exhibition by Malaysian artist Ivan Lam which will take place at The Drawing Room, Yap Ah Shak House.

Developed during his residency at the International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) in Brooklyn, New York, the exhibition brings together works that reflect Lam’s engagement with systems of meaning, observation, and the subtle negotiations embedded within artistic practice. While in residence, Lam immersed himself in the visual language of the city, studying signage across train systems and the layering of posters in public spaces. He absorbed their rhythms and coded forms of communication.

The core of On Edge is Lam’s continued inquiry into structure, authorship, and the conditions of making. The works developed during his residency moved away from fixed systems and predetermined frameworks, wherein he embraced a distributed and non-linear approach. Their meanings emerge through accumulation, overlapping, and the interplay between presence and absence. Here, he shows that gestures and pauses, alongside moments of silence, are of equal importance.

Across the exhibition, Lam balances between precision and ambiguity, positioning his practice as a form of research into how artistic knowledge is produced, deferred, and shaped. Instead of focusing on resolution or completion, the works exist in moments of transition. They are made in moments of anticipation and hesitation, within a process of becoming.

In addition to these works developed in New York, On Edge also debuts two new pieces conceived after Lam’s return. These works synthesise his residency experience, drawing together observation, research, and reflection into a more distilled visual language. They stand as a testament to Lam’s continued evolution—demonstrating that even as an established artist, his practice remains ever-evolving, responsive, and open to transformation.

On Edge offers a rare glimpse into a period of transition within Lam’s practice, where process is foregrounded and meaning is built gradually through accumulation, hesitation, and time.

Ivan Lam – On Edge features at Level 3, The Drawing Room, Yap Ah Shak House from 5 – 6 May 2026.
Yap Ah Shak House is located at 17, Jalan Yap Ah Shak, Chow Kit, 50300 Kuala Lumpur. Exhibition viewing hours on 5 May 2026 (10am – 6pm), 6 May 2026 (by appointment only). For further assistance, please contact +60123481422 or email info@weiling-gallery.com.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
IVAN LAM WAI HOE (B. 1975)

Ivan Lam (he/him) (b. 1975, Malaysia) has established a name for himself as one of the most progressive contemporary artists in Malaysia. His commitment and unrelenting pursuit of his artistic journey have seen his works span a variety of mediums and ideas, which are inspired by popular culture, autobiography, current affairs and every day vistas. With each series, he has become a maestro of different mediums; silk-screen, acrylic and oil painting, resin and aluminium. In Ivan Lam’s practice, every layer of his work is imbued with a sense of purpose and meaning.

Charting new territory for over two decades, he has conquered painting through his trademark use of resin, adding technical ingenuity while transforming narrative into hyper reality. His practice has evolved conceptually, questioning authorship, the role of the artist and the very nature of art itself.

Multiple solo and group exhibitions locally and abroad plus awards have ensured his work is in the collections of reputed institutions worldwide. He was the first and only Malaysian artist selected to present a one-man project at the inaugural Art Basel Hong Kong in 2013, and the first Malaysian artist commissioned by Louis Vuitton for its collection in 2014. In 2017, he was the only artist from Malaysia invited to create a project for the Karachi Biennale, followed two years later in 2019 by his participation in the 58th Venice Biennale, where he was one of four Malaysian artists representing the country’s first National Pavilion. His works at S.E.A Focus 2025 was acquired by the Singapore Art Museum as part of their permanent collection.

Ivan Lam has been selected to participate in the prestigious International Studio & Curatorial Program (ISCP) residency in Brooklyn, New York. He is the first and only Malaysian artist to ever be chosen for this highly selective residency, which is recognised globally for its rigorous selection process and its role in shaping the careers of leading contemporary artists and curators.