A Sign Of Our Times

Tania Jayatilaka speaks with art curator and jewellery designer Zena Khan for an unexpectedly eye-opening take on the value of contemporary art in Malaysia.

- Tania Jayatilaka

Though she likely won’t admit to it, Zena Khan is the ideal person to get a crash course from on Malaysia’s burgeoning contemporary arts scene. Vivacious, well-read and disarmingly amusing, the youngest daughter of famed art collectors Farouk and Aliya Khan has not only inherited her parents’ discerning eye for contemporary art, she’s also gifted with the uncommon ability to translate her knowledge and passion for culture onto others with effortless finesse.

“What I absolutely hate is when I’m reading something about art or being given information and it’s handed to me in a way that is utterly confusing,” Zena says. “If the point is to give information, it should be of a certain standard, of course, but it should also be accessible and understandable.”