BOOK EVENT: BOOKSTREET FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
Venue: Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya
Date: July 4 and 5
Books, community and the irresistible thrill of discovery await visitors as BookStreet marks its fifth anniversary with a celebration of literary heritage, rare finds and the enduring allure of print.
More than 25 vendors from the Klang Valley, Ipoh, Kota Bharu, Alor Setar and beyond will gather to showcase an eclectic collection of rare books, manuscripts, Malaysiana, maps, vintage magazines, postcards and printed ephemera.
Whether searching for an elusive first edition, a long-forgotten local publication or a piece of Malaysia's documentary heritage, visitors can expect the kind of serendipitous discoveries that have made BookStreet a favourite among bibliophiles, collectors and history enthusiasts.
More than a marketplace, the anniversary gathering celebrates the stories, memories and cultural legacy preserved within the printed page.
Adding a playful touch to the celebrations, BookStreet will also unveil a series of special commemorative BookStreet stamps for visitors to collect throughout the event.
On Sunday, author Yoke Chan Ee will present Batu: The Coal Town at 12.30pm, exploring stories shaped by coal, courage, culture and community. At 2.30pm, collector and author Zukarnine Shah will offer insights into the history and significance of The Forgotten Tin Ring Currency Of The Malay Peninsula, sharing a collector's perspective on one of the region's most intriguing numismatic legacies.
BookStreet is free admission and doors open from 10am to 7pm.
More info here.
CULTURAL ARTS: 'SENI REOG' FROM JOHOR
Venue: Lamar Sinaran, TRX City Park
Date: July 3 and 4
The third edition of ART@TRX and Senjakala: Seni Kita by Pusaka features Seni Reog from Johor, performed by Sri Wahyuni.
What can the audience in KL expect? Originating from Ponorogo in East Java, Indonesia, Seni Reog has been practised in Johor for generations by communities of Javanese descent. Also known as Reog Ponorogo, the tradition draws on the legend of King Kelono Sewandono of Ponorogo, the beautiful Princess of Kediri, and the fearsome Singa Barong, the mythical guardian of the princess's kingdom.
At the heart of the performance is the majestic Singa Barong mask, depicting a lion's head crowned with an elaborate fan of peacock feathers. Standing over 2m tall and weighing around 50kg, the mask demands extraordinary strength, balance and skill from the performer, making it one of the defining features of the Reog Ponorogo tradition.
Pusaka works closely with Kumpulan Sri Wahyuni from Batu Pahat, Johor. Established in 1970, the troupe is among the most acclaimed practitioners of the Reog Ponorogo tradition in Malaysia, preserving and presenting this rich cultural heritage for new generations.
The showcase takes place this Friday from 5.30pm to 6.30pm and Saturday from 8.30pm to 9.30pm at Laman Sinaran, TRX City Park. Admission is free and open to all. There will be one performance each day with no intermission. In the event of rain, the organisers will announce any adjustments to the performance time.
More info here.
OPERA/THEATRE: 'THE MERRY WIDOW'
Venue: Pentas 1, KLPac
Date: July 3-5
Singer Janet Lee has built a remarkably versatile career, moving effortlessly from Shanghai jazz to pop favourites and timeless evergreens.
This weekend, however, she steps into a different musical world, embracing early 20th century Viennese operetta as she takes on the title role in Hungarian composer Franz Lehar’s beloved work The Merry Widow.
Lee stars as the wealthy widow Hanna Glawari in KL City Opera’s (KLCO) new production of The Merry Widow, staged at KLPac.
Set against the elegance of 1920s Paris, it offers Lee a fresh artistic challenge, showcasing her vocal and dramatic abilities. Directed by KLCO’s Danny Chen – who also co-produces alongside Ho Soon Yoon – the production is led musically by conductor Bernard Tan.
The Merry Widow carries a tale where the tiny Balkan state of Pontevedro faces financial ruin. All hopes rest on the wealthy widow Hanna, whose fortune must stay in the country. The solution? Marry her off to the charming Count Danilo – her former flame – provided neither pride nor suspicion gets in the way.
The cast also features Gui Foo Chen (Count Danilo), Qahar Aqilah (Baron Mirko Zeta), Sharlene Rani (Valencienne), Jason Khoo Wu Ji (Camille de Rosillon), Brian Cheong (Njegus), Thompson Yunga (Raoul de St Brioche), Wynn Way Seang Ch’ng (Vicomte Cascada), Johnson Tan (Kromow) and Natelie Chee (Olga).
The Merry Widow has a running time of 165 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: ABU BAKAR IDRIS' 'MERAMU HAYAT'
Venue: Harta Space, Ampang, Selangor
Date: July 4-29
In Meramu Hayat, veteran artist Abu Bakar Idris draws on personal experience and his longstanding interest in herbal plants, traditional medicine and Malay healing practices.
The exhibition, which opens at Harta Space this Saturday, reflects on how age-old knowledge continues to shape everyday life, offering a thoughtful exploration of healing, memory and cultural identity.
Herbs, spices and flowers recur throughout Abu Bakar's paintings, serving not simply as botanical subjects but as powerful symbols of care, resilience and spiritual reflection.
Rooted in observation, research and shared experiences of traditional healthcare, the works, curated by filmmaker Datuk U-Wei Saari, celebrate the enduring relevance of inherited wisdom in a rapidly changing world.
The exhibition also marks an evolution in Abu Bakar's artistic practice. While his earlier works leaned towards realism, with darker palettes and themes closely associated with Islamic spirituality, his latest paintings embrace a more fluid semi-abstract language. Richer in colour and more experimental in form, they reflect a growing openness to intuition, emotion and visual exploration.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: 'TATREEZ: RECLAIMING PALESTINE THROUGH EMBROIDERY'
Venue: Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
Date: ends April 25, 2027
This new exhibition at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia is the culmination of nearly 15 years of research, with the museum's collection at the heart of this celebration of Palestinian cultural heritage.
Tatreez – the Arabic word for embroidery – has long served as a powerful visual language among Palestinian women.
Through embroidered textiles, garments, and accessories, the exhibition offers insight into Palestinian history, with many of the works representing some of the few possessions preserved through the forced displacement of Palestinians from their homeland.
The exhibition spans two galleries. Special Gallery 1 explores how traditional motifs and regional embroidery traditions are reinterpreted through contemporary practice while remaining rooted in identity, memory, and belonging. From everyday attire to ceremonial dress, embroidered garments once conveyed a woman's region, social status, and life stage without words.
Special Gallery 2 showcases the diversity of Palestinian regional embroidery through garments, textiles, colour palettes, and headdresses. Organised into 10 regions – Galilee, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Hebron, Jaffa, Ramlah–Lydda, Gaza, and the Naqab – the gallery highlights the distinctive styles, materials and motifs that define each locality.
The Tatreez exhibition will be accompanied by a series of public programmes, including talks and workshops, held throughout its run.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: JUSTIN LIM’S ‘PAINTINGS FOR THE OBSERVER AND THE OBSERVED'
Venue: Richard Koh Fine Art, A Place Where (APW), Bangsar, KL
Date: ends July 18
Malaysian gallery Richard Koh Fine Art, which has expanded its regional presence in recent years, returns to Kuala Lumpur with a new concept: a window gallery dedicated to intimate, focused exhibitions. Its inaugural presentation is Justin Lim's Paintings For The Observer And The Observed.
Built around two paintings, the exhibition – Lim's first Kuala Lumpur show in seven years – examines the often-overlooked details of domestic life.
Through carefully composed interiors filled with artworks, books, plants, objects and curiosities, Lim transforms familiar spaces into layered and contemplative visual narratives.
Central to the exhibition is the act of looking itself. The relationships between observer and observed, artist and collector, as well as the tension between intimacy and distance, quietly unfold across the works.
By paying close attention to what fills a room — and to those who inhabit and behold it — Lim's colourful paintings pose a simple yet resonant question: what does it mean to truly see, and to be seen in return?
Admission is free.
More info here.
