A lot can happen in ten years. Malaysia, no different to any other country, has had a fair share of developments on the sociopolitical front, and local artists have duly responded with their craft and intellect.

This book features some of Malaysia’s top contemporary artists and their key works from the last decade. Many of these works have found homes in important public and private collections, indicating that there is a strong level of interest for art of this nature and encouraging levels of patronage.

These contemporary works form part of the bedrock in the overall entity that is Malaysian art, not only covering local topics, but also how Malaysia stands with the rest of the world. What is featured in this book are narrations of Malaysia’s political and social history, images that trigger emotions, and always, a personal point-of-view from the artists involved. Above all, the artworks define what it has meant to be Malaysian in these new and sometimes challenging times.

Essays by Anurendra Jegadeva, Nur Hanim Khairuddin, and Gina Fairley offer contextual substance to the artworks, and help readers paint a picture of the last ten years in Malaysia’s thriving contemporary art scene.

Indeed, the boom in contemporary Malaysian art comes at a critical time in art for the region and the continent as a whole. Contemporary Asian art has been gaining great headway in the global art scene over the last decade, and works from Southeast Asia more specifically, have been receiving much acclaim.

The success of Malaysia’s contemporary art industry can largely be credited to the people involved, and this book – published in conjunction with Wei-Ling Gallery’s 10th anniversary – celebrates these individuals and their marvelous effort in shaping the country’s visual art landscape. It also marks the gallery’s steadfast commitment to producing art books of fine quality, for posterity and the scholarship of Malaysian art.

May the contents of this book inspire you as you turn each page, and may they continue to do so for many decades to come.