BOOK FAIR: HONG KONG PAVILION (BOOKFEST@MALAYSIA 2026)
Venue: Hall 1, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC)
Date: ends March 26, 10am-10pm
Never been to Hong Kong before? Get a taste of its vibrant literary culture at the Hong Kong Pavilion, which makes its debut at BookFest @ Malaysia 2026, celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Under the theme, "Golden Legacy, Timeless Ink: A Tribute to Hong Kong Culture", the pavilion showcases Hong Kong's unique cinematic and pop culture alongside literary works by “transporting” visitors to the city’s bustling streets.
The pavilion’s layout is cleverly connected by streets signposted as some of the city’s famous districts, like "Central" and "Kowloon”, guiding visitors through different exhibition zones. It also utilises a plethora of dazzling neon signs, paired with nostalgic visual elements like old-style bookstores, pawnshops, Cha Chaan Teng (traditional Hong Kong cafe) booths, and bus stops, recreating nostalgic Hong Kong vibes.
Inside the pavilion, visitors will encounter immersive exhibits, including a comparison of the film and TV adaptations of Jin Yong's martial arts novels and Ni Kuang's sci-fi series; how renowned directors like Ann Hui and Stanley Kwan translated the classic texts of Eileen Chang and Lilian Lee; and the cross-media journey of the recent smash-hit Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In from novel and comic to film.
For the book lovers, there will be over 600 works from Hong Kong’s publishing and printing industries, covering a wide range of genres, such as popular literature, children’s picture books, history and culture, practical lifestyle guides and graphic novels.
Throughout the book fair, the Hong Kong Pavilion will host a series of events and workshops open to the public, featuring Hong Kong authors and industry representatives such as award-winning comic artists/illustrators Pen So (Dali Libreria), Lam Sim Sim (Animal Clinic) and Keung Chi-kit (Life Of A Painting).
The Hong Kong Pavilion is presented by the Hong Kong Publishing Federation and the Hong Kong Printers Association, and sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: 'NANYANG NEW FRONTIERS'
Venue: Wisma Kebudayaan Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM), Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends April 12
The Cao Tang Men Eastern Arts Society, a Malaysian Chinese ink painting community, marks its 20th anniversary with Nanyang New Frontiers, now unfolding across three floors of the Wisma Kebudayaan SGM building - each level filled with expressive ink works.
Curated by calligrapher Ong Chia Koon (a Cao Tang Men Eastern Arts Society committee member), the exhibition reflects the society’s ongoing commitment to evolving ink painting, calligraphy and seal engraving, accompanied by a commemorative catalogue featuring members’ works in celebration of the milestone.
The month-long show at Wisma Kebudayaan SGM, featuring weekend walkthroughs and workshop events, brings together 54 artists presenting 134 works – 81 ink paintings and 53 seal carvings – reflecting the diversity and creativity of its members.
Founded by the late Dr Cheah Thien Soong and now led by Chong Choy, Cao Tang Men Eastern Arts Society has become a highly recognised name in Malaysia’s art community.
Over the years, the society has organised exhibitions, workshops, overseas sketching programmes, seal-carving sessions and lectures, significantly contributing to the advocacy, education, and development of traditional and contemporary Nanyang art forms.
Free admission exhibition. Closed on Mondays.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: ONG HIENG FUONG'S 'INNOCENT BYSTANDER'
Venue: The Back Room, Zhongshan building, KL
Date: ends March 22
It's the last call to catch Innocent Bystander, the second solo exhibition by Malaysia-born, China-based artist Ong Hieng Fuong (better known as Hieng) at The Back Room,
The show, which is open through the Raya holiday weekend, gathers new paintings produced between 2024 and 2025, spanning the period after Hieng's graduation from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and the start of his Master’s at the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in Chongqing.
Rendered with dry, understated humour, the works draw from Hieng’s everyday observations while living between China and Malaysia.
Viewers may find themselves guessing where each scene unfolds – a man perched on a bollard with a cigarette suggests China; an immigration clerk scrolling beneath a “No Handphone” sign feels distinctly Malaysian.
The resulting world is neither bleak nor celebratory, but closely observed—its everyday scenes detailed and laced with irony, often through grotesque or impassive faces hinting at something unresolved beneath.
Across these strange and quietly comic tableaux, Hieng positions himself as the “innocent bystander”: an accidental witness to the small absurdities of the everyday.
More info here.
PHOTOGRAPHY: DINESH PUSHPARANI'S 'ARAM'
Venue: ArtVoice Gallery, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur
Date: ends March 21
Photography rarely reaches Kuala Lumpur galleries, making each show notable. This weekend, ArtVoice Gallery closes Aram, the second solo exhibition by contemporary photographer Dinesh Pushparani - an opportunity not to be missed.
This Saturday at 3pm, Dinesh hosts a public sharing session, exploring the ideas and process behind the exhibition.It’s a two-way exchange - artists, writers, photographers and hobbyists are welcome to bring their tools. Small activities invite you to explore and create "aram" through your own perspective.
The exhibition explores the quiet power of faith, memory and moral strength through striking 13 photographs of Tamil folk deities, ancient rituals and lesser-known sacred spaces.
Rather than grand statements, Aram turns the lens on devotion as an inner, sustaining force for individuals and communities. The show, as a whole, reflects virtue and resilience, portraying faith not by race or religion, but as a universal human need to remain grounded and disciplined in times of uncertainty.
Through his monochromatic works, Dinesh invites viewers to look beyond the visible, to consider the invisible strength that supports us. What sustains your inner world?
Artvoice Gallery, led by artist-curator Stephen Menon, is a contemporary art space in Sentul dedicated to authentic storytelling and Malaysian narratives.
Free admission exhibition.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: CHAN WEI SAN'S 'SYSTEMIC'
Venue: Papan Haus, Petaling Jaya
Date: ends March 22
This weekend marks the close of artist Chan Wei San’s Systemic exhibition at the independent space Papan Haus, a series born from careful observation of nature’s living systems.
Through blocks of colour, lines, and dots, Chan distills complexity into a visual language that balances minimalism with structural depth. The works challenge viewers to reconsider life itself - not as random evolution, but as an intricate system where each part reflects and shapes the whole.
Set within the intimate spaces of Papan Haus, the exhibition unfolds through painted canvases and mixed-media works that trace the deliberate, methodical pulse of Chan’s practice. Each composition reflects a careful negotiation between observation and abstraction.
More info here.
