ABOUT THE ARTISTS
ANAS AFANDI (B. 1991)
Anas Afandi (he/him) (b. 1991, Malaysia) is a Kuala Lumpur-based artist whose practice spans drawings, paintings, sculptures, and installations. His work offers nuanced perspectives on the interconnectedness and dynamic relationships within the natural world, historical narratives, and cultural identity. Prompting contemplation on their impact on contemporary society.
Drawing has always been the cornerstone of Anas’ practice. His works explore the boundaries between art and life, fact and fiction, as well as, design and function. Often drawing from his personal experiences and memories, Anas believes that art should be deeply personal and closely tied to its creator. Constantly evolving, as the artist evolves through life’s experiences and emotions. By reflecting his experiences in his artworks, Anas is able to question the role of art in human life.
The conceptual underpinnings of his work are rooted in his close relationship with nature, a connection established during his upbringing in a familiar natural environment. His interests in history, archaeology, and botany often inform his art; with the environment serving as the foundation for his work. Anas views himself as a vessel, channelling ideas derived from this foundation, with the resulting artwork becoming a fusion of both the artist’s touch and the environment’s influence.
Anas has participated in several group exhibitions, including Interwoven Realities at HARTA Space, Kuala Lumpur (2024), WLG Ignite by Wei-Ling Gallery at GMBB, Kuala Lumpur (2021), WLG Incubator Young Artist Show at Wei-Ling Contemporary, Kuala Lumpur (2020), Drawings Matter at HOM Art Trans, Kuala Lumpur (2019), and SH/FT: A Contemporary Art Show at White Box, Kuala Lumpur (2019) and has recently done his first solo exhibition at Wei-Ling Gallery (2024).
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ANISA ABDULLAH (B. 1985)
Anisa Abdullah (she/her) (b. 1985, Poland) spent much of her early life abroad, following her father, a member of the Malaysian diplomatic corps, to countries such as Poland, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. She began her art education in 2003, earning a certificate in Fine Art at Perbadanan Muzium Melaka (PERZIM), followed by a Diploma at IKIP College in Kuantan, Pahang, and later at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in Shah Alam, where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, majoring in Painting, in 2010.
Based in Malaysia, Anisa is a painter by training and discovered the art of paper collage early in her career. Her works are intricately collaged depictions of everyday life in culturally rich Malaysia, with thousands of paper fragments carefully cut from newspapers and periodicals.
Over the years, many aspects of nature and culture have become subjects of her artworks, ranging from wildlife to urban life, as seen through her eyes. In her most recent solo exhibition, ‘Gemersik’ (2023), Anisa presented a body of work that focuses more on her personal life, marking a departure from her previous themes. Documenting her life and struggles as an artist, mother, and wife, while also expressing her love for culture and fashion, the exhibition reaffirms her position as an important artist of her generation, one whose practice sets her apart from her peers.
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ANWAR (B. 1987)
Anwar (he/him) (b. 1987, Malaysia) has a profound interest in exploring diverse topics such as cultural barriers, power dynamics, and social constructs. He incorporates practical techniques in motion design, situational crafts, and physical computing into his works. Through his art and research, Anwar strives to build meaningful connections and engage in thoughtful mediation with fellow artists from South East Asia.
Currently based in Tokyo, Anwar is part of the Indonesian Contemporary Art and Culture (ICAD) Curatorial, Research, and Writing team. He holds a B.A. in Media Innovation from Multimedia University Malaysia and an M.A. in Fine Art and Technology from MARA Institute of Technology, Malaysia.
His recent works include writing for ICAD 12 Festival 2022, Indonesia; Water in a Tank in a Tank of Water 2021, Wei-Ling Gallery, Malaysia; and Time Dilation 2019, in collaboration with Nicholas Ong, Malaysia – Singapore Triennial Culture Showcase 2019. He is also one of the Jury Award recipients in the Young Contemporary Awards 2019 hosted by The National Art Gallery Malaysia.
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CHEN WEI MENG (B. 1965)
Hailing from Dungun, Terengganu, Chen Wei Meng’s (he/him) (b. 1965, Malaysia) artistry finds its roots in a profound connection to the natural world. His hyper-realistic paintings go beyond surface representation, aiming to capture the spiritual and transcendent essence of landscapes. This endeavour has driven him to immersive journeys, often living out of a car for months to be as close as possible to his inspirational sources.
The coastal vistas of Dungun shaped Chen’s early years, providing a daily theatre of oceanic splendour. His canvases not only portray the physical landscape but also encapsulate the dynamic interplay of weather and seasons. Through a wide-angle perspective, Chen invites viewers into nuanced narratives within his compositions. His approach is scholarly, probing into the geological facets of his subjects, resulting in landscapes pulsating with a palpable vitality.
Evolution marks Chen’s artistic path, leading him towards a monochromatic palette. This shift empowers him to authentically convey the elusive contours that have always lingered within his work. His pursuit of ‘flow,’ a concept woven into his earlier pieces, materialises through mediums such as acrylic, charcoal, and ultimately, Chinese ink on Xuan paper. This ‘flow’ imparts a vivid and rhythmic quality to his art, evoking a sense of mystery that words cannot fully encapsulate. Chen Wei Menghas garnered recognition on several fine art platforms, including Art Stage Singapore 2016, Sotheby’s Auction (Modern and Contemporary Southeast Asian Paintings), 2017 in Hong Kong, and 2004 Seoul International Star Exhibition, in Seoul, Korea.
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CHENG YEN PHENG (B. 1982)
Cheng Yen Pheng (she/her) (b. 1982, Malaysia) creates intimate and autobiographical works that reflect on life’s struggles, including difficult decisions, reconciling realities, and overcoming loss. Despite uncertainties and unknown outcomes, her unwavering determination to uphold her beliefs remains constant.
Cheng made an impact on the local art scene when, as a finalist in the National Art Gallery’s Bakat Muda (Young Contemporary) 2014 competition, her controversial work ABU was censored from the final exhibition. Her outspoken, honest approach to life mirrors her artistic journey.
Her work is deeply personal and lays her life bare. Through it, she creates a museum of life, using art to materialise and preserve her experiences. As a storyteller, she connects the dots between major life events and decisions, touching on themes such as femininity, maternity, life and death, and her transition from city to “kampong” life. Her art reflects not only personal expression but also the unfolding of her inner metamorphosis as an individual, woman, mother, and artist. Her varied choice of materials and mediums amplifies the provocative messages in her work, acting as metaphors for her state of mind and feelings.
Cheng was the recipient of the 2019 UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia) competition and received the 2020 CENDANA Visual Arts Inspire Funding Programme to research the arts, crafts, and community in Terengganu, Malaysia.
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CHEONG KIET CHENG (B. 1981)
Cheong Kiet Cheng’s (she/her) (b. 1981, Malaysia) paintings have consistently highlighted the relationship between humans and nature. Although the situations she creates seem to convey over-riding feelings of beauty and love, the underlying elements of tension between the human and animal figures emphasise that imperfection is unavoidable. Yet, one is still likely to find a tranquillity within each of her works – an effect she achieves through a unique method of meditative, repetitive forms. As an artist, she is most interested in sharing positive energy through her work, rather than conforming to the conventional aesthetics in art.
Cheong Kiet Cheng is unrestricted by any particular medium, choosing instead to experiment with materials- from acrylic paints in earlier bodies of work to black ink in her latest series – which allows her to evolve into new discoveries. The romantic quality of her work is a direct result of her own personal feelings towards nature, drawing much of her inspiration from philosophy, literature, poetry, music and theatrical drama.
She has won several major awards and prizes over the years, including the main prize at the 2018 UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia) competition; Creative M50 Awards in Shanghai, China (2016); Nanjing International Art Festival Competition in China (2015); Water Color Category at Tanjong Public Limited Company, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2006). Cheong Kiet Cheng was also the recipient of the esteemed UOB-Fukuoka Asian Art Museum’s Artists Residency Programme in 2018, where she spent two months expanding on her practice in Japan.
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CHIN KONG YEE (B. 1973)
Chin Kong Yee’s (he/him) (b. 1973, Malaysia) paintings display his continuous search to capture his own experience of a time and place. Known for his wonderful fish-eye lens work, his works evoke a somewhat surreal feeling. By combining the present, past and future through a depiction of two perspectives (realistic and unrealistic) his paintings have an exciting, dramatic edge about them that draws the viewer into his space. Chin Kong Yee seeks his audience to feel and see what he has experienced in the creation of his artwork.
He has labelled his style as Actuality Accorded Painting (AAP), whereby, in painting and portraying an object, it has to have existed and undergone the process of being real, in order for it to be translated onto the canvas as art. AAP is basically the act of “seeing” where the past, present and future are enveloped into one when one looks at an object. Once eye contact has been made through AAP, the images become the past. To Chin Kong Yee, nothing is ever stagnant. Images are continuously changing and evolving as you look at them. Space can never be measured or fixed and it is only present in the mobility of time.
His infinite canvas paintings saw the artist taking the depiction and perception of cities and landscapes to another level, where each diptych can be rearranged, so as to allow multiple arrangements and perspectives of the same place. His inspiration comes from the places he visits. His works have been widely exhibited internationally in Germany, Romania, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Korea, and Taiwan and collected by numerous corporate and private collectors.
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CHOY CHUN WEI (B. 1973)
Choy Chun Wei (he/him) (b. 1973, Malaysia) expertly aligns fine art with graphic design, a defining aspect that sets his practice apart. His background in Graphic Design studies at the tertiary level imbues his art with a design-oriented conceptual reading and contextual imagination, significantly shaping his approach in the realm of fine arts. This fusion of design and fine art distinctly distinguishes Chun Wei from his contemporaries.
An established figure in the Malaysian art scene, Choy Chun Wei draws attention from both local enthusiasts and international collectors. His multi-layered collage works, often mistaken for abstraction, serve as an invitation for viewers to engage in his intricate pictorial dialogue. His practice is deeply influenced by the transition from rural to urban landscapes, transforming his perception of space suffocated by colossal structures and light pollution. This shift reshaped his use of materials, emphasising material culture in his practice. The act of ‘seeing’ becomes pivotal in identifying texts and found objects within his dense, intricate collages.
Objects’ significance directly relates to Malaysian material culture, as he explores the process of seeing and how it influences material selection and handling. For Chun Wei, understanding human reality isn’t enough; there’s a need for accurate interpretation and debate on relevant conditions, emphasising that we’re not mere cogs in a soulless machine.
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H.H. LIM (B. 1954)
H.H. Lim (he/him) (b. 1954) is a Rome-based artist who has divided his time between Rome and Penang since 1976. In 1990, he founded Edicola Notte, a notable art space in Rome. His multidisciplinary practice bridges Eastern and Western influences across video, installation, painting, and performance. Conceptually driven, Lim’s works explore the transient nature of meaning, blending subconscious elements, symbolism, memory, and language in playful, paradoxical ways.
Lim was one of four Malaysian artists representing the country at the 58th Venice Biennale in 2019, presenting ‘Timeframes’, a collection of triptych paintings and installations reflecting his journey through time and place. His exhibitions include the 3rd Tirana Biennial (2005), UCCA Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing (2010), the 55th Venice Biennale (2013), the 6th Prague Biennale (2016), and the 12th Dakar Biennale (2016). Lim has also shown work at the KL Biennale (2017), MAXXI in Rome (2016–2017), and Wei-Ling Contemporary in Kuala Lumpur with ‘Seen’ (2018) and ‘Aesthetics of Silence’ (2021).
Recent highlights include the Biennale of Urbanism Architecture in Shenzhen (2019), the Thailand Biennale (2021), and Out of the Dead End at OCAT Shenzhen. In 2022, he participated in Opera Opera at Palais Populaire, Berlin. In 2023, Lim showcased work across Italy, including In Dialogo con Giotto in Florence and ‘No Words Can Speak’ at Fondazione Baruchello, Rome, and in 2024, he returned to Malaysia for his much-anticipated solo exhibition ‘The Gaze of Sleepwalkers’ at Wei-Ling Gallery.
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HAMIDI HADI (B. 1971)
Hamidi Hadi (he/him) (b. 1971, Malaysia) is regarded as one of the most prominent abstract artists of his generation, and is well-known for his experimental and explorative use of material. Over the years, his practice has formally migrated from pictorial representation of the objective world, into abstraction and the synthesis of complex materials and methods, to describe his emotional and spiritual responses to the world.
He investigates the natural phenomenon of the world and uses this in his imaginary landscapes, through the application of industrial paint, resin, wax, linseed oil and charcoal in layers, allowing gravity and movement to create surface tension. As we contemplate his abstract works, we begin to connect the reference points that give us clues to the artist’s inner landscape, and his contemplation of his place in the world.
Hamidi Hadi received the UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia) – Bronze Award, Established Artist Category in 2018, the Bank Negara’s Kijang Award in 2004 and the Philip Morris ASEAN Biennale Art Award in 2000. His works have also been collected by both public and private institutions and corporations. Amongst them are the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Setia Berhad, and the National Art Gallery of Malaysia. He has exhibited extensively both within Malaysia and on international platforms, with exhibitions in Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, China, the Philippines and the United Kingdom.
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IVAN LAM (B. 1975)
Ivan Lam (he/him) (b. 1975) 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.
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KHABIR ROSLAN (B. 1995)
Khabir Roslan (he/him) (b. 1995) 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.
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NORMA ABBAS (B. 1951)
Norma Abbas (she/her) (b. 1951, Malaysia), is a prominent Malaysian artist celebrated for her profound artistic journey. Trained initially at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), she later pursued studies in printed and woven textiles at Manchester Polytechnic School of Art, England, followed by Autographics Printmaking at Chelsea School of Art, London.
Norma’s art reflects a fusion of inspiration, spirituality, and reality. Her work, primarily known for its intricate detail and vivid colours, has evolved from printmaking in the 70s and 80s to her enduring fascination with Cubism. Themes of relationships, love, and contemplation thread through her pieces.
Norma’s works were displayed alongside renowned artists like Ruzaika Omar and Nirmala Shanmughalingam. Her art carries subtle, hidden messages that invite viewers to explore the narratives she weaves. A comprehensive collection of her works, ‘A Colourful Journey to a Promise,’ was exhibited at the Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery in 2016, solidifying her legacy in Malaysian art.
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SEAN LEAN (B. 1981)
Sean Lean’s (he/him) (b. 1981, Malaysia), work unapologetically grapples with fragmented identities, East versus West, tradition versus popular culture. National history is explored with characteristic introspection and humour, carefully tracing regional socio-political and religious tensions.
Dissecting identity, history, and ways of being forms a thread running through his work. He has similarly examined what it means to be Chinese, questioning its criteria as it shifts and dilutes through the generations. Lean continues this narrative albeit with a guiltless sense of play in these recent times. More experimental and metaphorical, he plays with colour and materiality using steel and unexpected palettes, all while tying his subject matter back to his disparate cultural upbringing. In his process, the artist leans toward ‘industrial’ methods akin to techniques used in automotive painting. This is a deliberate statement in favour of exploring the use of ‘mechanised’ methods more reflective of our present time.
In 2018, he was one of 6 artists commissioned by KENZO, Tiger Beer, and WWF for the Rare Stripes project, which was a collection of garments inspired by real wild tiger stories. Lean’s design, ‘Kamrita’, featured three sets of paw prints in different colours, symbolising the Himalayan tigress with her cubs. Kamrita, adopted by WWF, became a symbol of hope for her species. The limited-edition collection debuted at the Ginza Six KENZO store in Tokyo. He was also commissioned by Harper’s Bazaar for a cover in 2017.
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WONG CHEE MENG (B, 1975)
Wong Chee Meng (he/him) (b. 1975) views the world through blurred lines and double images, a result of an accident that left him with permanent visual impairment. His unique perspective inspires his intricate, multi-layered works, which often overlap and blend. By meticulously painting layer upon layer, he conceals stories and hidden vistas, creating compositions that invite viewers to look beyond the surface.
Wong’s art explores image-making through additive and subtractive transformation. He interweaves random objects and subjects into intricate forms that fade into colour chains, examining the subtle presence of art in everyday life. Using techniques like paper cut and stencilling, he addresses social issues and cultural motifs, drawing from traditional symbolism and age-old fables to express his nuanced views.
Active since 1996, Wong Chee Meng has exhibited on local and international platforms, with a style that blends Contemporary Pop and Social Realism. He was an artist-in-residence at the Mali Hom Residency in Penang in 2007 and represented Malaysia in an exhibition in Havana, Cuba, in 2006. His work is held in notable collections, including Axiata, Rimbun Dahan, ABN Amro Bank, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, and the National Visual Art Gallery in Kuala Lumpur.
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YAU BEE LING (B. 1972)
Yau Bee Ling (she/her) (b. 1972, Malaysia), one of Malaysia’s foremost painters, has spent her 25-year career creating a deeply personal commentary on women’s complex roles in contemporary society. Her work draws from her own experiences, using symbolism and autobiographical themes to examine the shifting female identities of woman, wife, and mother. Family and community ties engage her inner self in a complex dance between duty and independence, hope and fear, success and failure. Within this context, she explores questions of meaning, probing existential themes and pondering, ultimately, her own legacy.
Each series of paintings is charged with its own distinctive energy, reflective of her state of mind, her emotional wellbeing and the way she perceives her place in the world at the time. Her works are therefore a cathartic process for her as she struggles to reconcile the meaning of life, through the layering and scraping back of paint and colour, navigating her way through the twisting terrain of her paintings in the search for truth.
Bee Ling has exhibited extensively in exhibitions across China, Pakistan, Sweden, Singapore, Bangladesh, Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia and represented Malaysia at the Asian Art Biennale in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1999 and at the Fukuoka Triennale in 2002. Her collection is also at the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei National University of The Arts, Taipei, Taiwan, where she was Kuandu Artist in Residence at the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts in Taipei in 2016. Her works are in the permanent collections of numerous private and public collections including Mulpha, Maxis Berhad and the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum.
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ABOUT THE CURATOR
ZHEN FENG ANG (B. 2001)
Zhen Feng Ang (he/him) (b. 2001, Malaysia) is a London-based curator currently undertaking an MFA in Curating at Goldsmiths, University of London, after earning a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from the University for the Creative Arts. His research practice is characterised by playfulness, unseriousness, and the possible connection between absurdism and Daoist philosophy. It further delves into examining how the concept of “play” can extend into adulthood and exploring the potential benefits that risk introduces in the act of play. Zhen Feng is dedicated to creating immersive and accessible exhibition experiences through installations, sculptures and various mediums to engage audiences in meaningful and interactive ways.
