ZiXuanGong ShiYuan Lion & Dragon Dance Association is set for a theatrical lion dance performance at DPAC's Spring Festival on Feb 9. Photo: Ben Yee
DPAC SPRING FEST 2025: 'TRADITIONS REIMAGINED (THE LEGEND OF THE SERPENTS)'
Venue: Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC), Petaling Jaya
Date: Feb 9
Soprano Evelyn Toh, baritone Seow Chee Chuan, Dance Space Academy, the DiAbolution group, FrhythmS Percussion, The ZiXuanGong ShiYuan Lion and Dragon Dance Association, and other talented performers are set to bring a diverse cultural experience to Damansara Performing Arts Centre’s (DPAC) annual Spring Fest celebration “Traditions Reimagined” on Feb 9.
This year’s DPAC Spring Fest event is themed around the Year of the Snake, drawing inspiration from “The Legend of Serpents” to create a performance that transports audiences through the palaces of history. The story follows the benevolent and wise Empress Lin, who strives to preserve court traditions in the face of mounting pressure to change.
The show, with music direction by Dr Wong Chee Wei, will include traditional court dances, solo performance on erhu, guzheng, and flute, blending modern and classical elements. The stage line-up will feature Chinese classical music soloists, including HowZ (ruan, dizi, sanxian), Louis Chin (guzheng), Leong Ching Chiang (sheng), and Chong Koi Min (erhu). Together, these musicians will showcase the timeless beauty and complexity of Chinese classical instruments.
More info here.
'FISH LANTERN PARADE'
Venue: Kwai Chai Hong, Lorong Panggung, Kuala Lumpur
Date: Feb 8, 7.30pm
If you missed out on the Fish Lantern Parade organised by heritage lane Kwai Chai Hong in conjunction with its Chinese New Year 2025 art installation, Bountiful Blessings, you're in for a treat!
Due to the overwhelming response from the public, Kwai Chai Hong is bringing back the parade one last time this Saturday to celebrate arts, culture and community spirit.
Inspired by the traditional Spring Festival lantern parades of Anhui province in China, where it is listed as a Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage, over 20 colourful fish lanterns will be carried around the block to spread the festive cheer, starting from Kwai Chai Hong's gates.
Anyone can join the parade, and you may even be given your own small fish lantern to carry, so don't miss this opportunity. Free admission event.
More info here.
At the 'kam.ceng' exhibition, Zulkefli Jais is showing 'A Promised Freedom?' - a thought-provoking new immersive installation featuring a room filled with thermal foil blankets and safety vest straps. Photo: The Star/Daryl Goh
EXHIBITION: 'KAM.CENG' GROUP SHOW
Venue: Ground Floor, The Strand, Petaling Jaya
Date: ends March 3
The Strand Mall in Petaling Jaya has opened two pop-up spaces - on its ground floor - in collaboration with Fergana Art gallery. Presenting the kam.ceng exhibition, this initiative brings contemporary art to the public through a showcase featuring artists Samsudin Wahab, Haslin Ismail, Faizal Suhif, and Zulkefli Jais.
Samsudin, Haslin, and Faizal, all established names in the local art scene with nearly 20 years of experience each, bring their signature styles to the exhibition, offering visitors a mix of thought-provoking and visually striking works. Each artist has contributed a new work, alongside a selection of past favourites and studies on display.
Adding a fresh perspective, Zulkefli Jais - last year’s Bakat Muda Sezaman winner from the National Art Gallery - presents a brand-new immersive installation titled A Promised Freedom?, inviting audiences to step directly into his creative world.
Free admission exhibition, open daily 11am-6pm.
More info here.
WORKSHOP: 'PRINTING BOTANICAL CARDS WITH THE SUN'
Venue: Forest Learning Centre, Perdana Botanical Garden, Kuala Lumpur
Date: Feb 9, 10.30am-12.30pm
Need a fun art project this Sunday morning? Here's an idea. This hands-on workshop series, conducted by printmaker-designer Balqis Tajalli from Studio Sunprint, teaches you how to create your own unique cyanotype prints using the specimens you forage for yourself.
Cyanotype is a type of cameraless technique which uses a special solution of iron salts and sunlight to produce stunning white and blue images.
There are two workshops, ranging from easy to intermediate, which are kid-friendly. You can keep your prints in clear sleeves as part of a specimen album, display them as a desktop calendar, or hang them as wall art. They also make thoughtful, handmade gifts for loved ones.
Spaces are limited; reserve your slot here.
More info here.
THEATRE: 'POLY'
Venue: Black Box, Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC), Petaling Jaya
Date: ends Feb 16
A new local theatre production is always worth celebrating, but add an absurdist, surrealist twist, and it’s a done deal.
In Poly, which is playwright Ian Skatu's debut full-length play, the truth is never just one thing. The performance - starring Anne James, Omar Ali, Engku Armand, Sandee Chew and a new guest each night - features three stories, all with the word "poly" in them – Polygraph, Polygon, and Polygamy – and each as mind-boggling as the next.
Poly challenges our understanding of communication, reflecting the struggles we often face in connecting with one another. In a chaotic world where nothing is as it seems, the characters grapple with overwhelming physical and emotional extremes – whether with a loved one, a visitor, or a figment of their imagination.
By the end of the show, audiences will laugh, think, and wonder: is this distorted reality really so different from our own?
More info here.
Huak Huak Art Studio's CNY installation at Jalan Negara Kita, Taman Melawati, will be on display until month's end. Photo: Handout
WORKSHOP: LION HEAD WORKSHOP AND SHARING
Venue: Jalan Negara Kita, Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur
Date: Feb 8
Ever wondered how the iconic lion dance head is made? Join the community at Jalan Negara Kita this Saturday from 2pm for a Chinese New Year celebration filled with culture, creativity, and connection.
Here is a chance to discover the rich tradition of lion dance through a sharing session and a hands-on workshop where you’ll learn to “skin” a lion head. Then, experience the thrill of performing the lion dance yourself before joining a lively (halal) potluck dinner, where everyone is encouraged to bring food to share.
Don’t forget to dress in red or your best traditional attire to fully embrace the festive spirit as the evening culminates in a neighbourhood lion dance parade.
Free admission event.
More info here.
Leong poses with an artwork titled 'Kaleidoscope'. Photo: Handout
EXHIBITION: MISHELL LEONG’S ‘KALEIDOSCOPE’
Venue: Harta Space, Ampang, Selangor
Date: ends Feb 26
Artist Mishell Leong is presenting a lively solo exhibition at Harta, marking the gallery’s first show of the year.
In Kaleidoscope, Leong's paintings burst with bold colours and expressive brushstrokes, embodying joy, nostalgia, and deep human connection. Her mixed-media pieces invite viewers into a world where flowers, petals, and abstract nature forms intertwine, evoking both personal memory and universal emotion.
Beyond her canvas works (how can you not smile at a piece titled Sirap Bandung?), a standout of the show is a fabric installation wall - a nod to her deep fascination with textiles and textures.
Leong will also be in Harta Space this Saturday at 2pm for an artist talk. Admission is free.
More info here.
