Shafiq Nordin's 'Obey' playfully reimagines road cones, a familiar sight in Kuala Lumpur’s ever-evolving construction zones. Photo: G13 Gallery
Artist Noor Zahran's pencil works in the group exhibition Urban Narratives in Kuala Lumpur trace their origins back to early 2020.
While working as a retailer in the city, he captured street photos that later inspired these pieces – moments frozen just before the pandemic reshaped everyday life.
Although he captured these downtown KL scenes five years ago, he chose to exhibit them now to highlight their impact on viewers today – a poignant reminder of the vulnerability and hardship brought by the pandemic.
“Images can be powerful, especially when they offer insight into past events, social issues, or cultural shifts,” says Noor, who views the pandemic as a defining moment that reshaped our collective experience.
His plan is to transform these photographs into a photojournalism drawing project.
Noor Zahran’s pencil-on-paper piece, 'Purchasing For Protection', transports viewers to Kuala Lumpur in the early days of the pandemic. Photo: G13 Gallery
“I want these pictures to hold historical and documentary value. Through photojournalism drawing, the next generation may be able to understand the struggles people faced during that time (pandemic),” he adds.
Noor's monochromatic artworks contrast with the bright and lively pieces in Urban Narratives, a collaborative exhibition by G13 Gallery and Yap Ah Shak House. Yet, they still capture a story of contemporary Kuala Lumpur, which lies at the heart of the exhibition's theme.
The exhibition, which runs through March 11, is showing at the Drawing Room space at the Yap Ah Shak House, a smartly restored building in KL's Chow Kit district.
The exhibition also marks G13 Gallery's first group showcase beyond its Petaling Jaya base.
Gan Sze Hooi’s 'Girl In A Labyrinth Of Food' (2025) reinterprets historical symbols, including Kapitan Yap Ah Shak’s form, highlighting how traditions, choices, and temptations shape our path. Photo: G13 Gallery
Urban Narratives reimagines Kuala Lumpur’s urban landscape through the eyes of 18 local artists, uncovering the city’s hidden rhythms, evolving architecture and layered identities.
Working with diverse mediums – from paintings to mixed media – artists such as Shafiq Nordin, Najib Bamadhaj, Fawwaz Sukri, Gan Sze Hooi, Gan Tee Sheng, Ho Mei Kei, Nik M. Shazmie, Syed Fakaruddin, Wong Ming Hao, Haziq Shawal and Yuki Tham bring their unique perspectives to the exhibition. Their works capture the pulse of the city, celebrating its diversity while also reflecting on the complexities of rapid urban development.
Shafiq's Obey series, a collection of road cones brightened with acrylic, offers a playful take on the rules and obstacles of life in the concrete jungle. Haziq's Urban Rhythms explores weighty themes, depicting the co-existence of luxury apartments and run-down flats, where class struggles remain a pressing issue.
Izzuddin's mixed media on canvas piece, 'Diversity' (2025), captures Kuala Lumpur’s rise as a global metropolis, featuring the Merdeka 118 tower. Photo: G13 Gallery
Nik Mohd Shahfiz's Urban Kaleidoscope Of Kuala Lumpur invites viewers on an LRT ride, where a blur of characters comes to life.
Gan Sze Hooi’s painting Girl In A Labyrinth Of Food reflects on the modern dilemmas of youth in KL, where everyday choices are fraught with unseen traps and alluring distractions.
"At its core, the work questions whether we control our desires or if they control us. The labyrinth represents life’s choices, where material temptations – advertisements, financial traps and illusions of wealth – lure many astray. This contrast appears in colour: blue symbolises restraint, while red embodies indulgence, especially among younger generations," says Sze Hooi.
Haziq Syawal’s 'Urban Rhythms' distills the city’s pulse into layered textures and tonal shifts through cropped, repetitive high-rises. Photo: G13 Gallery
For Izzuddin Basiron, who combines Minimalism and Brutalist architecture in his paintings, Kuala Lumpur’s transformation is a personal journey he has witnessed throughout his life.
“I’m based in Kota Damansara, PJ, but I was born at Hospital Kuala Lumpur and grew up in Selangor. I’ve seen the city evolve – from new skyscrapers reshaping the skyline to the modernisation of old neighbourhoods,” says Izzuddin, an artist with a love for surrealism.
His Diversity series and Bukit Purnama feature some of KL’s iconic skyscrapers, with the former highlighting Merdeka 118.
"With colours and fluid movement, the artworks capture KL’s transformation, where evolving needs shape its architecture," he says.
On a homely note, Anisa Abdullah’s collage paintings Ruang Damai and Diskusi Senja reflect her upbringing in a KL household blending Eastern and Western influences.
Anisa Abdullah’s 'Ruang Damai' envisions a serene interior through a collage of Eastern and Western living room elements. Photo: G13 Gallery
Though exposed to many cultures through her father’s diplomatic career, she remained rooted in her Malaysian heritage.
“Every time I had the opportunity to go back to my grandparents’ home in the kampung, it felt amazing. When we finally settled in Kuala Lumpur, I started to appreciate our culture and heritage even more,” says Anisa.
Her works explore how cultural fusion shapes everyday life, yet she also discovers unexpected similarities.
“Sitting down together at a dedicated dining table for meals is often considered a key family bonding time for both cultures. It's our cultures that shape who we are today,” she concludes.
Urban Narratives is showing at the Yap Ah Shak House, Jalan Yap Ah Shak, Chow Kit in Kuala Lumpur. Free admission. More info here.
