Veteran artist Azizan Paiman's colourful career on show

Nor Azizan Rahman Paiman's Menu Pilihan Rakyat (photograph 2016).

What’s in a word? For veteran artist Nor Azizan Rahman Paiman, the word “inventory” has always fascinated him. It has an interesting concept and a fascinating ambiguity, he explains, as it refers to both the past and the future.

“An inventory is an action where you look at what you have at a peculiar point in time. It reflects what happened in the past. At the same time, an inventory is about the future. You count, you measure, you weigh what you have, you analyse your strengths and your weaknesses and, from there, you plan the future,” says the Malacca-born artist, who is popularly known as Paiman.