Kide Baharudin's 'Mato-Mata' is filled with nostalgia – both for Malaysia's old towns and for the past 10 years of his career. — Photos: KAMARUL ARIFFIN/The Star
When he’s in search of a little creative spark, artist Kide Baharudin often hits the road with his wife Ika Sharom, using quiet trunk roads that meander through the long-forgotten landscapes of small towns and villages across the country.
It’s these scenes from their spontaneous road trips that inspired many of the pieces in Kide’s third solo exhibition, Mato-Mata, now showing at Galeri Puteh until Oct 23. It is also a show that marks his 10th year in the art scene, starting out as a print artist/illustrator before turning to works on canvas.
In Mato-Mata, which fills up the sizeable Galeri Puteh space, Kide immortalises snapshots of town centres teeming with life in his signature acrylic technicolour – there’s chaos and cacophony, but there are also moments of community and togetherness.
Kide’s Kendughi Moh!, an acrylic on canvas diptych (2025), which is the largest work in his new exhibition Mato-Mata at Galeri Puteh’ in Kuala Lumpur.
Featuring 42 works, Mato-Mata takes viewers back to a time before multi-lane highways and expressways were built.
“When Ika and I go on our road trips, we rarely take the highway. We prefer to use the back roads that take us through rural towns and villages, where we can appreciate the nostalgic aesthetics of old town Malaysia,” says Kide, 35, in a recent interview at the gallery.
“Back then, these towns were livelier and full of their own charm. But once the highways were built and people became more focused on quickly getting from point A to point B, they no longer passed through these towns, which are slowly dying out,” he adds.
Setting his own scene
The exhibition also traces Kide’s decade-long journey as a full-time artist and how he carved his place in an art gallery scene often difficult for “outsiders” to break into.
As he talks, he casually strums his old electric guitar, letting (1960s Malay pop) lyrics and memories spill out between chords.
“My first one, from my diploma days!” he says, adding that painting, to him, feels much like making music.
“When I sketch, it’s like writing lyrics. The background is the music, and the line work adds rhythm and melody. Finishing a solo show feels like completing an album.”
To Kide, painting is akin to making music. 'Finishing a solo show feels like completing an album,' he says.
Hidden among all the hustle and bustle in his paintings are nods to his roots, particularly subcultures such as indie music and skateboarding.
“Previously, I’ve worked with local bands such as No Good and Plague Of Happiness to create album cover art. I’ve also become internationally known thanks to my collaborations with Vans, which is associated with skateboarding culture. So I wanted to include these elements, as they’ve been a part of my journey,” shares Kide.
In 2017, Kide won the Vans Custom Culture Asia competition, a breakthrough that brought global recognition.
Another recurring theme in his work is the essence of Malaysia and its people. Kide’s paintings – with Negri Sembilan Malay titles and lingo – brim with familiar, imagined characters drawn from daily life and his wry humour – hawkers at their stalls, commuters on the move, and narrow alleyways lined with mom-and-pop shops making ends meet.
“To me, everyday Malaysians are heroes. They are what makes Malaysia, Malaysia. So I see my art as a way of paying tribute to these people, who work hard to make a living. This time around, I also wanted to reflect on my career as a full-time artist and the challenges I went through,” says Kide.
Two to tango
Beyond the familiar, there are also some new things to see from Kide in his latest show. First off is a large piece that stands out from the others: Mato-Mata, where the exhibition gets its title from.
It features two characters in two distinctly different styles, going on a leisurely walk and exploring the world around them. The character on the left was painted by Kide, while the one on the right was painted by Ika, each in their own vibrant, colourful styles.
“We’ve known each other since 2008 and have been married for about six years, but this is actually the first time that we’ve worked together on a painting.
“Ika has been one of my strongest supporters all these years and is a great artist in her own right, so this piece is about our relationship – how we are our own people, yet we’ve chosen to walk on this journey together,” says Kide.
'Mato-Mata', where the show gets its name from, is the first painting Kide and Ika have worked on together.
“It’s Mato-Mata because ‘mato’ is how you say ‘mata’ or eye in Negri Sembilan slang, so it represents me, while ‘mata’ is how Johoreans would say it, which represents Ika,” he explains.
“When preparing for this show, Ika also shared some solid words of advice, which have stuck with me: don’t try to please everyone, trust the process, and do your best, which I think is a good way to live your life,” says Kide with a laugh.
In fact, all the pieces in the show slang proudly with his Kuala Pilah (Negri Sembilan) upbringing, such as Hughuhagho Pasar Pagi (Chaos at the Morning Market), Sumo Bondo Tak Kono (Everything Is Wrong), and Beghapo Seeikek (How Much For A Bundle).
There are also several pieces that feature specific characters you may spot in Kide’s paintings.
“I wanted to highlight my line work, because in most of my pieces, there’s so much happening that it’s difficult to focus on specific details. So in these pieces, I zoomed in on a character and boosted up the strokes – the energy is different, more bold. I consider my line work and detailing one of my specialties, so in the next six to 10 years, I want more people to take notice of it,” shares Kide.
One corner of the exhibition offers visitors a peek at Kide’s creative process, including the sketches that he used to plan out the composition and perspectives of the pieces on display, as well as odds and ends from his home studio in Seremban, like a table Kide fashioned himself from an old window, paint-splattered clothes that he wears while working, and one of his works-in-progress.
From heart to canvas
Galeri Puteh co-founder Galeri Puteh Mohd Nizam Rahmat recalls his long history with Kide fondly.
“We first met in 2017, when Kide was showing his works at a small art bazaar. Even then, I could already see that his works reflected who he is as a person: humble and sincere. I think these are the qualities that draw people to his art. And he’s still as true to that as he was back then,” says Nizam.
“Some people have compared him to the late Zulkifli Dahlan, and even to Lat, but in my opinion, like these two great artists, Kide stands out on his own,” he adds.
Visitors can't help but take photos of Kide's colourful works.
The gallery owner adds that when Kide is in the studio, his inner child comes out.
“Kide usually comes off as a quiet person, but when he’s working on his art, he starts jumping here and there like a kid, there’s so much energy. He’s also a sensitive soul and very observant, which is how he can capture ordinary scenes and weave fascinating stories out of them. He paints what he sees, translating it onto the canvas using his heart,” concludes Nizam.
Mato-Mata is showing at Galeri Puteh, Kuala Lumpur until Oct 23. Free admission. Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10.30am-5pm. Instagram: @galeriputeh.
