Malaysian artist creates more than colourful paintings in a political age

'Just because something looks beautiful on the outside, doesn’t make it beautiful on the inside,' says Hisyamuddin. Photo: Sareng Gallery

For an art exhibition titled Distopia, at first glance, Hisyamuddin Abdullah’s pieces look quite the opposite of dystopic. But his use of light colours and tones belie a deeper meaning.

“The title of a show plays a pivotal role, because to me, it is what piques the interest of visitors and draws them in to view the artwork within. For this show, I decided to go with Distopia. But it is by no means meant to provoke – it’s more of me questioning how one’s view of something can be the opposite of what it really is,” says Hisyamuddin, 34.