DIGITAL ART: CERIKAPAK’S ‘NEAR-DEPTH EXPERIENCE’
Venue: Galeri Filamen, Level 4, GMBB creative mall, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends March 8
This exhibition revives the traditional red-cyan 3D glasses, repurposed for art by KL new media artist Naqib Idris, aka Cerikapak. Using the anaglyph, long associated with stereoscopic imagery, he deconstructs and recombines forms into a five-minute display.
Having previously designed live visuals for music events and featured in last year’s Tekka Festival at KLPac, Cerikapak adopts a more reflective approach at this Galeri Filamen showcase, crafting an experience that fully engages the eye.
Centred on a main screen with three smaller TVs, the exhibition invites visitors to explore "anaglyphic 3D projection mapping." The main piece features a reflective metallic sphere that continuously morphs into complex geometric forms before transitioning into volumetric video fragments.
Fluid motion is paired with ambient, meditative music composed by the artist, adding an audio dimension and evoking a nostalgic vision of futurism.
With this show (free admission), Galeri Filamen at GMBB continues to platform new media artists, following earlier exhibitions such as Aethera by Vasflow and What Tigers Dream Of, When The Kancil Roars by Roger Ng Wei Lun and Aw Boon Xin.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: HAMIDI HADI'S 'MENJEJAK HENING' (TRACING STILLNESS)
Venue: Wei-Ling Gallery, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends March 28
For over two decades, Hamidi Hadi has built a practice rooted in surface density and accumulated gesture, in this series, his focus shifts toward shaking things up.
In his latest solo show Menjejak Hening, painted surfaces are folded, torn, peeled and split until they yield, a physically demanding process that leaves visible traces – torn edges, exposed strata and stressed planes – that record exertion.
Hamidi, recognised as one of Malaysia’s leading abstract artists, invites visitors to slow down and witness the subtle unfolding of fracture. His practice, evolving from representational painting into abstraction, employs industrial paint, resin, wax, linseed oil and charcoal, allowing gravity and movement to shape both form and surface tension.
In this new painting series, each work responds to the material itself. Fracture lies at the centre – not as destruction but as opening –moments where light penetrates and attention lingers. Industrial paint yields unpredictably, darkened layers split, collapse or part.
The artist's numerical markings, faint and partial, hint at counting or measurement, evoking the structures of everyday life. Small photographic figures, tucked along edges or caught between split surfaces, appear fragile, suspended between matter and light, adding a human trace to the tension.
Contact the gallery to schedule an appointment.
More info here.
ARTIST TALK: ONG HIENG FUONG
Venue: Rumah Attap Library & Collective, Zhongshan building, Kampung Attap, Kuala Lumpur
Date: Feb 22, 3pm
Contemporary artist Ong Hieng Fuong, currently based in Chongqing, China, returns to The Back Room for his second solo exhibition, Innocent Bystander (showing until March 22).
The show features paintings created between 2024 and 2025, reflecting Ong’s experiences and observations while living in both Malaysia and China. Infused with whimsy, dry humour, and quiet introspection, the works offer glimpses into everyday moments refracted through the artist’s unique lens.
For those interested in the stories behind the artworks, Ong will join curator and researcher Ong Kar Jin – yes, double the Ong – for a conversation at the Rumah Attap Library & Collective space.
Conducted in Mandarin, the talk will explore Ong’s artistic process, his life in China, and the ideas shaping this body of work. Admission is free, providing an opportunity to engage directly with the artist and the contexts that inform his practice.
More info here.
ART POP-UP: CULTKIDS' 'JIRAN TETANGGA'
Venue: Smth, Else Hotel KL, Jalan Tun HS Lee, Kuala Lumpur
Date: Feb 21 and 22
There is always a buzz whenever pop culture illustrator Cultkids announces a special art and wares weekend. This month, he is raising the stakes by stretching it across three consecutive weekends.
He's rolling out his final weekend this Saturday and Sunday. It's a chance to relive the spirit of old Malaya through Cultkids' latest nostalgic designs, now on display at the "Jiran Tetangga" pop-up at Smth, a rotating retail space within boutique hotel Else.
The showcases three new designs to the "Jiran Tetangga" series by Cultkids, who is known for his colourful retro aesthetic that evokes the golden days of Malaya.
In collaboration with Singapore-based design studio FIN Crafted Goods, the series translates Cultkids’ illustrations onto T-shirts, A4 risograph prints, postcards and other collectables. The designs spotlight key personalities and landmarks that helped shape Malaysia’s artistic, historical and cultural landscape.
Free admission. The pop-up is open: 10am to 6pm.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: XEEM NOOR’S 'BALAI DI BALAI” (TATEMONOLOGUE 2.0)
Venue: National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends April 8
Artist Xeem Noor brings a piece of Japan back to Kuala Lumpur with her installation Balai Di Balai (Tatemonologue 2.0), which kickstarts the Hanya Satu (Singles) spotlight series in the foyer of the National Art Gallery this year.
The work is a life-sized, soft recreation of the apartment she lived in during an artist residency in Yokohama. Constructed from knitted poles and printed fabric, it offers a cozy, walk-in memory of her time abroad, accompanied by photos and personal letters.
But the installation isn’t just a display. Xeem will host live crochet sessions every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11am to 3pm throughout the exhibition, demonstrating her craft and gradually building a large collaborative crochet that grows layer by layer over time.
Visitors are invited to join in: the artist will provide needles and yarn, encouraging hands-on participation alongside the artist.
Ideal for lovers of textile art and "craftivism", this interactive exhibition blends memory, material, and community into a tactile experience.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: CHETAK 17: EDITION VII 2026
Venue: Chetak 17, Taman Wangsa Melawati, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends Feb 28
At the artist-run Chetak 17 studio and gallery, community shapes every exhibition. Each show highlights the close bonds between veteran, established and emerging printmakers who share the space and its spirit.
This months sees the roll out of its annual members’ exhibition - Edition VII 2026, featuring works by Azam Aris, Faizal Suhif, Haslin Ismail, Bayu Utomo Radjikin, Fadhli Ariffin, Fadli Mokhtar, Iwadh Mahadi and Luqman Yusry.
At Chetak 17, the studio floor is as important as the gallery wall. It is a space where visitors can view art and learn about diverse printmaking techniques and stories from the participating artists. The result is a dynamic cross-pollination of styles on display - from the tactile grain of traditional woodcuts to the crisp immediacy of contemporary linocuts.
Presented in an informal, welcoming setting, Edition VII 2026 invites conversation with printmakers often on hand to speak about the processes behind each work - the carving, inking and careful pull of the press. Free admission.
More info here.
