Gilang Propagila’s 'Abolish Distance' (2025), an upcycled metal grid framing a screen print and canvas painting. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
The latest exhibition Society: Work In Progress at Tali Art Gallery in Petaling Jaya, is, among other things, perplexing. It features two non-mainstream art practitioners from different countries whose works are presented together – but not as a collaboration in the usual sense, where two names or brands combine into a single piece.
Confusing? Not once you step inside Tali Art Gallery (located in the JAM PJ lifestyle hub) and see the artworks of Malaysian artist-printmaker Sanan Anuar and Indonesian illustrator-activist Gilang Propagila. The artistic ideas burst with edgy energy and DIY excitement, reflecting the talents of both artists, both reaching their mid 30s.
There are illustrations, but not on canvas; sculptures are printed, rendering them two-dimensional rather than three. The installations feel random – half a chair, discarded corrugated sheets, rusted window bars – like a posh gallery transformed into a street spray-painted with punk portraiture, mysterious slogans, and poetic verse.
Sanan’s 'Don’t Look Back In Anger' (2025) is his boldest installation yet – melding his signature mediums into a heartfelt tribute to his mother. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
Eye-catching pieces include colourful (giant) tote bags printed with street photography and logos, large enough to fit an adult, and a tiny CRT television stencilled with Sanan’s father’s face on the screen amid the white noise of a dead channel. Seen up close, it looks like accidental paint strokes; from a distance, the face emerges.
“We had the idea for this show about a year ago, before the gallery even existed. I met Gilang three years ago in Bali while living in Australia and selling Aboriginal art in France, and Sanan two years ago in Malaysia – we became good friends,” says Thomas Martin, the French-born gallery owner and curator, who has mounted a series of edgy shows in the three months since Tali opened.
"Sanan and Gilang already knew each other – they share a similar background but took different paths: Sanan focused on fine art and printing, Gilang on zines, punk illustrations, and painting. It was exciting to combine these two universes with a shared alternative scene and punk background into one exhibition,” he adds.
Sanan's new artworks – 'Echo TV' (multimedia sculpture) and 'Hanuman, Buddhas And The Priest (screen print and acrylic paint on canvas) – at the 'Society: Work In Progress' exhibition at Tali Art Gallery in Petaling Jaya. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
If an exhibition were a film, Martin is the director behind the scenes, while Sanan and Gilang take centre stage.
“From the start, the title was Society: Work In Progress, and it really is a work in progress,” says Martin.
“It’s about sharing ideas, clashing over concepts, and making something that isn’t monolithic. My job was to organise everything visually so it doesn’t clash too much, but still clashes enough to create new dynamics, ideas, and visions – so people can form their own opinions."
The exhibition catalogue describes art galleries as a “proto-society,” spaces that transform everything that enters them. “Their space is one of expectation, almost a model, and their influence extends beyond mere presentation,” the notes explain.
Martin wanted the Society: Work In Progress exhibition to include everyday objects while reflecting on society.
“The idea was to gather elements from daily life and cool visual creations, mix them, and question society as a system. Language is a system, pictures are a system – we wanted to gently bring that idea into the gallery, questioning its boundaries while keeping it artistic.”
The differences between the two artists are clear.
“We discussed via WhatsApp or in person. They worked separately, which was the point. We didn’t want to merge styles and tone them down; we wanted a 'clashy' aesthetic. Sanan’s screen prints are neat and clean, Gilang’s work is spontaneous and painterly. The exhibition itself is the collaborative work – no piece is made jointly, but together they form a huge installation,” says Martin.
Sanan showing a visitor his artwork 'Kais Pagi, Makan Maggi' (2025), a screen print on handmade oversized tote bag. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
Sanan, founder of the printmaking label Bogus Merchandise, has come a long way since his debut showcase, Potret Diri, in Kuala Lumpur two years ago.He also completed a residency at Rimbun Dahan (in Selangor) last year, and this year has seen him exhibit in two group shows – Transmapping and Outside-In in the Klang Valley – earning both a busy stretch and wider visibility.
“My art reflects my personal view of society, the experience of living in a community. There are layers about people and their beliefs, and how we coexist,” says Sanan.
Those layers are visible in the Kelantan-born's colourful tote bags, featuring morning-market photography and witty, poetic statements.
“I wanted to depict certain classes of people, how they spend, consume, or struggle. The verses, like ‘kais pagi, makan maggi,’ are poetic and comedic, reflecting working class language. The ‘halal’ logo adds another layer, highlighting daily negotiations of what’s permissible,” he explains.
Gilang Propagila’s 'Try DIY' (left), a call-to-arms, and Sanan’s 'Don’t Look Back In Anger' installation (right). Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
Known for his silkscreen prints, Sanan has also explored painting, and this exhibition highlights his installation work using mirrors, tiles, and repurposed furniture.
The seventh child in a family of 10, he also incorporates those close to him, particularly his late father, a schoolteacher.
“I feature my parents in my work. My father passed 10 years ago; he appears as the moon’s face or on a television screen. It’s a homage in a way, reflecting how he shaped who I am today. We had different political ideas, but his influence is evident in my growth. My previous works were even more intimate than those featured here,” he says.
In 2023, he created the Cinta Buta series as a tribute to his homemaker mother, who also features prominently in Society: Work In Progress.But Sanan isn’t saying much – he wants the art audience to come and meet her for themselves.
Society: Work In Progress runs at Tali Art Gallery in JAM PJ, Petaling Jaya until Aug 31.
