Off The Wall

As the Malaysian art market heats up at home and abroad, Shireen Zainudin speaks to four female gallerists who are doing it their way.

- Shireen Zainudin

LIM WEI - LING

Gallery director, Wei-Ling Contemporary Lim Wei-Ling’s incarnations are many. Jewellery maker, artist, and gallerist at Wei-Ling Contemporary. This year saw her spearheading Malaysia’s Pavilion at the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

It started with a letter to the prime minister. “I approached him to request his blessing for this project and was delighted that we shared the same vision of elevating Malaysian art into the international arena.”

In just four months, Lim pulled everything together. May 9, 2019 saw the inaugural Malaysian pavilion launch with four eminent Malaysian artists: Anurendra Jegadeva, H.H. Lim, Ivan Lam, and Zulkifli Yusoff. The exhibition ‘Holding Up a Mirror’ deals with the concept of identity within the larger context of society, weaving personal narratives into a shared fabric of public consciousness that is diverse, yet unified.

Back home, Wei-Ling Contemporary’s curated projects and exhibitions change regularly. Boundaries are pushed through multi-disciplinary works, installations, and interactive pieces. Currently, ‘The Buddhist Bug: A Creation Mythology’ by Anida Yoeu Ali, combines live performance, installation, photography, and video art. Wei-Ling Contemporary, RT-1, 6th Floor, The Gardens Mall.

RAHEL JOSEPH

Gallery director, Ilham Gallery

Ilham Gallery’s gift shop offers delicious cakes alongside artisanal crafts and witty educational material. There’s Kleptopoly—a monopoly set with local avatars teaching asset declaration and “saying no to the rule of theft”.