A bookstore may not be the usual setting for a design exhibition, but xOrdinary has brought its latest showcase to Eslite Spectrum Kuala Lumpur, with pieces integrated into the bookstore’s reading nooks and other spaces.
“It’s Lit!”, a multidisciplinary showcase by Malaysian design platform xOrdinary and Eslite Spectrum Kuala Lumpur, was launched at The Starhill, Kuala Lumpur.
The showcase, which features 40 works by 17 Malaysian designers and brands, would be on display until next month, bringing together functional lighting, sculptures and lifestyle products.
For xOrdinary, lighting is a new focus this year, with founder and curator Lim Bo Qiang saying the platform wanted to support local lighting designers and artists as part of its National Day and Malaysia Day celebrations.
“Throughout the years, we rarely see lighting categories in design exhibitions in Malaysia, whereas we see a lot in Europe.”
“So we actually want to pioneer this and support lighting designers and artists,” he added.
Lim said the idea grew from his time showcasing Malaysian design overseas, where he met local designers who were well known internationally but less recognised in Malaysia.
“As we celebrate National Day and Malaysia Day, we want to invite local designers to connect, collaborate and push boundaries together,” said Lim.
Among the works on display is artist Alexdrina Chong’s “Disambiguate Table Lamp”, a limited-edition piece showing a figure wearing a skirt of thorns and a glowing cloud over its head.
The piece is part of Chong’s “The Shape of Obedience” series, which began in 2025 and explores conformity, self-preservation and the psychological pressures of meeting external expectations.
Chong described “Disambiguate” as “a quiet manifesto of rebellion, dissociation, and self-preservation.”
Another work on display is Shi Terrazzo Atelier’s pink “Do-nut Float” found near the children’s section of the bookstore.
Visitors were taken on a guided tour across the bookstore and briefed on the different displays during the launch.
They also took part in a scavenger hunt, searching for tiny Malaysian-themed souvenirs hidden at each stop.
The showcase is open to the public until Oct 30 at Eslite Spectrum Kuala Lumpur. Admission is free.
The showcase also featured guided tours, workshops, design talks and artist-sharing sessions throughout its run.
xOrdinary is a Malaysian design platform developed alongside the Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF), spotlighting independent Malaysian designers and creatives.
The platform debuted at MIFF in 2022 and showcases furniture, lifestyle, lighting, art and collectible design..
