This Saturday evening (April 26), Pusaka, in collaboration with the Museum of Asian Art, Universiti Malaya, presents 'A Tribute To Dalang Dollah Baju Merah', celebrating one of Kelantan’s most revered wayang kulit masters. The tribute, marking his 20th death anniversary this year, will take place at the Museum of Asian Art in Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Photo: The Star/Faihan Ghani
EXHIBITION: 'A LIFE IN SHADOWS: THE STORY OF WAYANG KULIT'
Venue: Museum of Asian Art, Universiti Malaya, KL
Date: ends April 30
Curious about regional shadow puppetry? A Life In Shadows: The Story Of Wayang Kulit, now in its final days at the Museum of Asian Art, Universiti Malaya, explores the shared stories, rituals, and heritage of wayang kulit across Asean.
Running until April 30, the exhibition is a collaboration with Australian photographer Constantine Korsovitis, who brings his book project to life in this evocative showcase. Featuring nearly 100 puppets and artefacts - including archival pieces from the late Malaysian master Dollah Baju Merah and rare traditional puppets from Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia - the show wraps up with a special public programme this Saturday (April 26).
"A Tribute To Dalang Dollah Baju Merah", presented with cultural organisation Pusaka, begins at 6pm with a talk featuring Pusaka founder Eddin Khoo, Korsovitis, and wayang kulit master Abdul Rahman Dollah, moderated by Pauline Fan.
A wayang kulit performance by Kumpulan Wayang Kulit Sri Warisan Pusaka follows at 8.30pm. These events mark the 20th death anniversary of Dollah Baju Merah, the revered Kelantanese shadow puppet master who passed away aged 67 in September 2005.
The exhibition and all "A Tribute to Dalang Dollah Baju Merah" events are free admission.
More info here.
Sarawakian sculptor Sahzy will discuss 'Gerbang Alam', his site-specific work made with materials from Rimbun Dahan’s forest garden on April 27. Photo: Rimbun Dahan
RIMBUN DAHAN OPEN DAY
Venue: Rimbun Dahan, KM 27, Jalan Kuang, Mukim Kuang, Selangor
Date: April 27
If you’re looking for an artful way to spend your Sunday away from the city, Rimbun Dahan’s Open Day offers a day of contemporary art, forested calm, storytelling and creative encounters.
Happening this Sunday from 11am to 6pm, the (walk-in, free admission) event invites the public to explore the 5.7ha property in Kuang, Selangor – just a 45-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur.
This season’s Open Day highlights the work of Rimbun Dahan’s current resident artists, featuring artists M. Sahzy and Tan Choon Ting from Malaysia, Pare Patcharapa from Thailand, Indonesian author Nuril Basri, and Malaysian indie musician Izuan Shah.
Visitors will have the chance to meet the artists and view their latest works, with open studios running from 11am to 1.30pm, and again from 2.30pm to 6pm.
One of the featured artists, Sarawakian sculptor M. Sahzy, will also offer a guided walk and discussion of his in-situ installation Gerbang Alam, created using natural materials sourced from Rimbun Dahan’s own forest garden.
At 2.30pm, singer-songwriter Izuan will conduct a songwriting workshop titled "Singing Niskala: Songwriting The Unseen". Participation is limited and requires prior registration. Later in the day, at 4.45pm, Nuril will host a reading and discussion session, offering insights into his writing and current literary explorations.
Rimbun Dahan is a long-established arts residency that supports South-East Asian artists working across disciplines.
More info here.
'Objects Of Desire', a Mahua anthology in English, will be launched at Lit Books in Petaling Jaya on April 26. It is PEN Malaysia's first book, with publishing and distribution handled by Fixi. Photo: PEN Malaysia
BOOK LAUNCH: 'OBJECTS OF DESIRE'
Venue: Lit Books, Petaling Jaya
Date: April 26, 8pm
The world of Mahua literature gets a fresh boost with Objects Of Desire, an anthology of Malaysian fiction originally written in Chinese, now translated into English for the first time. The launch features a conversation between editor Lee Hao Jie and Fixi publisher Amir Muhammad - two key voices in diversifying and reshaping Malaysia’s literary scene.
As the debut publication by PEN Malaysia, Objects Of Desire gathers 10 striking short stories that move between the surreal and the deeply personal. These tales explore longing, disquiet, and obsession - offering sharp insight into the concerns of contemporary Malaysian writers working in Chinese, now brought into new light through translation.
Objects Of Desire features stories from Yeow Jun Heng, King Ban Hui, Tew Pak Ching, NiuYou XiaoSheng, Chan Yeong Siew, leemuzmuz, Veda, Choh Chin Fei, Lee Sieng Liong and Lee Tian Poh. These have been translated into English by Dano Chow, Yee Heng Yeh, Lai Suk Yin, Brandon Choo, Foo Sek Han, Ooi Yining, Michelle Yoon, Delilah Ho, Chang Zhui Ning and Allie Xiang Haiyin.
Book launch tickets are RM10, redeemable as a book voucher at Lit Books on the day.
More info here.
On April 26 at 10am, the Chung Chen Sun archive project curator Steve Lai Chan Shiang will join Dr Chung Yi and Lok How Yuan for an art talk at the National Art Gallery auditorium. Photo: The Star/Azhar Mahfof
EXHIBITION: CHUNG CHEN SUN ARCHIVE PROJECT
Venue: National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends Sept 1
The National Art Gallery Archives Project returns with its third installment, featuring an exhibition that honours the legacy of Chung Chen Sun (1935–2024), a visionary Chinese ink painter and a pivotal figure in Malaysian art.
On April 26, exhibition curator Steve Lai Chan Shiang, together with Dr Chung Yi (Chung's daughter and the director of the Chung Chen Sun Art Museum in KL) and Lok How Yuan - authors of the Chung Chen Sun Archive Project Exhibition book - will hold an art talk at the National Art Gallery auditorium at 10am.
As a founding member of the Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA), Chung made a lasting impact not only in painting but also in shaping Malaysia’s art education landscape.
The exhibition, accompanied by a book release, presents a collection of archival materials - including photographs, sketches, catalogues, and video interviews - offering a deeper understanding of the artist’s creative process. It also showcases a series of ink paintings and artworks from both the National Art Gallery collection and his estate.
While Chinese ink painting remains central to Chung's legacy, the exhibition also showcases rarely seen oil and pastel works, tracing the evolution of his artistic style over the years.
Free admission to the exhibition and tomorrow's art talk.
More info here.
Brazilian artist Noara Quintana's 'Evenings Of Water And Dense Forest' installation work seen at Ilham Gallery's new exhibition 'The Plantation Plot.' Photo: Ilham Gallery
EXHIBITION: 'THE PLANTATION PLOT'
Venue: Ilham Gallery, KL
Date: ends Sept 21
Ilham Gallery's new exhibition The Plantation Plot, on view through September, is a collaboration with Kadist, a global non-profit that fosters dialogue on social issues through art.
Curated by Lim Sheau Yun - a Malaysian writer, editor, and emerging curator selected by Ilham and Kadist - the exhibition features 28 artists and collectives from South-East Asia and the Americas.
Lim will lead a curatorial walkthrough on April 26 at 11am at the gallery. The public is welcome to join.
The Plantation Plot traces the global legacy of the plantation system, which drove European imperial expansion under the guise of growth, progress, and free markets. Drawing on the work of Jamaican critic Sylvia Wynter, the exhibition reframes the plantation plot as both story and site - one built on large-scale human labour.
From rubber in Malaya to sugar in the Caribbean and tea in India, plantations reshaped geographies and lives. Labourers were uprooted, indentured, or enslaved - whether Tamils sent to Malaya and South Africa, or Indigenous Amazonians forced to extract rubber from their own land.
Ilham Gallery's fifth floor space is showcasing over 60 works from Kadist, Ilham Gallery, and various private and public collections, along with several commissioned pieces.
More info here.
Mohd Noor Mahmud blends traditional Malay elements like batik, Jawi calligraphy, and wood carvings in his work. Photo: Galeri Puteh
EXHIBITION: MOHD NOOR MAHMUD'S 'BUNGA RINDU'
Venue: Galeri Puteh, KL Eco City mall, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends May 25
Galeri Puteh is showing Bunga Rindu (“longing flower”), a solo exhibition by Mohd Noor Mahmud that brings together 17 years of his artistic journey.
Known for his poetic and introspective approach, Noor’s work explores themes of nostalgia, memory, and personal reflection - anchored by the use of floral batik motifs.
Blending the traditional aesthetics of Kelantanese Malay art with contemporary expression, Noor incorporates batik stamps into his process, drawing out the cultural symbols and quiet stories within these patterns.
His pieces echo the rhythm and flow of batik, both stamped and hand-painted, creating a dialogue between heritage and modernity. Visitors can also catch Noor in conversation at the opening reception next Saturday (May 3).
More info here.
