A view of the Orang Asli community exhibition titled 'Awas Mawas!' at GMBB in KL. Photo: Awas Mawas!
Orang Asli culture and folklore come to life in the form of giant puppets and street parades in the Awas! Mawas! exhibition. Named after the Mawas, the Orang Asli version of Bigfoot, the exhibition is the finale of the Awas! Mawas! community project, aimed at introducing indigenous stories to the masses through the art of puppetry.
After conducting parades in Kampung Sungai Bumbun (the Mah Meri community), Kampung Pulau Kempas (Temuan community), and in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur between December and this month, the Awas! Mawas! artist collective is holding a special exhibition to share the experience with those who missed out. The gallery will be filled by the puppet props, storyboards, photographs and sketches, each revisiting this inspiring Orang Asli community project.
On Saturday, there will be an artist sharing and discussion, followed by a tour of the exhibition and a screening of behind-the-scenes footage. On Sunday, there will be a cardboard puppet workshop and sumpit demonstration.
The exhibition, free admission, will go on until March 9.
More info here.
A view of the Subali Cubbakar character from the Fusion Wayang Kulit collection, showcased at the exhibition in Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Photo: The Star/Faihan Ghani
This Saturday, Fusion Wayang Kulit takes centre stage in supporting the newly opened A Life In Shadows: The Story Of Wayang Kulit exhibition at the Museum of Asian Art in Universiti Malaya. Through its contemporary wayang kulit projects, the group bridges tradition and innovation, ensuring the art form remains dynamic and relevant.
At 2.30pm tomorrow, the team will lead a hands-on puppet-making workshop at the Museum of Asian Art, offering participants an immersive look into the craft, followed by a wayang kulit performance (4pm) featuring both traditional narratives and fusion storylines (Star Wars, anybody?) that push the boundaries of shadow puppetry.
Fusion Wayang Kulit is showcasing a series of contemporary shadow puppets alongside nearly 100 traditional puppets from Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Indonesia at the exhibition.
Free admission to exhibition and showcases.
More info here.
BOOK EVENT: 'BOOK STREET'
Venue: Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya
Date: Feb 22 and 23
The community-based Book Street series returns to Amcorp Mall this weekend, inviting bibliophiles to immerse themselves in two days of literary discovery. With vendors from the Klang Valley and beyond, the event promises a treasure trove of books - from rare and out-of-print editions to well-loved paperbacks at bargain prices - ensuring something for every taste and budget.
This edition places a special focus on "architectural heritage", drawing in history enthusiasts, design lovers, and the architectural community eager to delve into the narratives behind iconic structures. Beyond books, the event offers a welcoming atmosphere where visitors can pause for coffee and snacks, recharging before continuing their literary hunt. Whether seeking a long-lost classic or simply soaking in the love of books, Book Street remains a haven for readers and collectors alike.
Free admission, open 10am-8pm.
More info here.
Punk rock archivist Joe Kidd (from Carburetor Dung) will discussing Malaysian rock music and development of subcultures at Ilham Gallery in KL on Feb 22. Photo: The Star/Filepic
This weekend, Ilham Gallery hosts a packed programme alongside its Boom Boom Bang exhibition, which explores 1990s counterculture in Kuala Lumpur.
On Saturday, artist Liew Kung Yu discusses his 30-year creative practice at 11am, followed by "Ilham Conversations" at 3pm, where veteran punk musician and archivist Joe Kidd delves into Malaysian rock and 1990s youth subcultures. On Sunday at 3pm, theatre fans can revisit Jit Murad’s 1990s plays with Zahim Albakri and Ida Nerina, an "Ilham Conversations" series moderated by director-playwright Fasyali Fadzly.
Free admission to the exhibition and public programmes.
More info here.
Jalaini will be presenting an artist talk titled 'Material, Meaning & Method in Art Practice' at UR-MU on Feb 22 at 2pm. Photo: Handout
The private gallery UR-MU is presenting Jalaini Abu Hassan’s latest solo exhibition, Sepia Tak Sepi, at The Toffee building in downtown Kuala Lumpur. The free admission show is happening at its Level 4, Project Room.
"Sepia Tak Sepi is wordplay to embolden the Sepia aesthetic, that it is 'not quiet' (tak sepi)," reads the exhibition notes.
For an artist and thinker like Jalaini, this series serves as a reflective inquiry into the tensions between East and West, navigating themes of adaptation, displacement, and identity.Through his work, he interrogates the complexities of ethnicity, socio-cultural evolution, and political and national consciousness – revealing the friction between tradition and modernity, belonging and estrangement.
To coincide with the exhibition, Jalaini will be presenting an artist talk titled "Material, Meaning & Method in Art Practice" on Feb 22 at 2pm.
More info here.
Zulkefli Jais is showing his new installation 'A Promised Freedom?' at the 'kam.ceng' exhibition in Petaling Jaya. Photo: The Star/Azlina Abdullah
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 mini showcase featuring artists Samsudin Wahab, Haslin Ismail, Faizal Suhif, and Zulkefli Jais.
Samsudin, Haslin, and Faizal, all established names in the local art scene, 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 recent favourites and studies.
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.
One of the indie bookshops located at the Kompleks Hentian Kajang, now known as Hentian Buku Selangor. Photo: The Star/Shaari Chemat
Here’s a new haven for book lovers in the Klang Valley. Thanks to Hentian Buku Selangor, a once-quiet floor space at Kajang Bus Terminal in Selangor has been transformed into a hub for writers and readers. Since its launch in May last year, the initiative by Pertubuhan Kota Buku Bangi has housed over 150,000 books, spanning used, rare, and new titles.
This weekend, it will host its first Pasar Buku Bangi, a book fair featuring pop-up stores, author talks, forums, and comic discussions.
A highlight is the forum "The Role of Book Clubs & Bookstores in the New Era", featuring Zin Mahmud, Benz Ali, and Rosli Ibrahim. Literature lovers can also look forward to a discussion on "The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm", led by translator Muhammad Shuib Rosli, and a talk on "Musyawarah Burung" with Prof Madya Dr. Saiful Akram Che Cob.
Comic book enthusiasts won’t want to miss a session with Wukong artist Jusoh Turbo, while horror fans can join a discussion with Nizam Wahid on his eerie story compilation.
Pasar Buku Bangi, featuring Bahasa Malaysia and English books, is a free admission event.
More info here.
