'Gerak Bayang' exhibition: where light and shadow meet

Nik Zainal Abidin's artwork 'Wayang Kulit' (watercolour, 1969) is one of the many paintings from Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery's collection being exhibited at the 'Gerak Bayang: The Art Of Storytelling' show. Photo: Bank Negara Malaysia Collection

Before the advent of modern cinema and television, Malaysians – especially those living on the East Coast – had long been accustomed to the art of wayang kulit, (shadow puppets) in their villages.

The traditional art form – the most distinctive style of wayang kulit being the wayang kulit Siam, practised in Kelantan – remains one of the most celebrated national treasures.