Wei-Ling Gallery's annual affair is back, with 12 handpicked artists that encapsulate contemporary Malaysia art today. 'By curating an annual exhibition which shortlists the most interesting artists working in the country at the moment, we hope it will allow audiences to gain insight into the contemporary art scene in Malaysia,' explains Lim Wei-Ling, gallery director.
The lucky dozen that made this year's cut are a mix of senior and fresher names, Ivan Lam, Anurendra Jegadeva, Choy Chun Wei (artwork pictured), Yau Bee Ling, Wong Chee Meng, Hamidi Hadi, Azliza, Ayob, Ilham Fadlym, Zulkifli Yusoff, Sean Lean, Cheng Yen Pheng, and Kim Ng have all tackled this year's theme of narcissism, and their works that address how social media has changed thew ay we view ourselves and others are likely to ignite a flurry of tweets, status updates, and Instagrams.
'Like' or 'Share' this juicy nugget: 18@18 is now in its ninth year, having served as the opening exhibition when the gallery moved from its Bukit Bandaraya premises to Jalan Scott in Brickfields. 'The show holds a lot of sentiment for me,' adds Wei-Ling, who reveals that a charity element has featured in 18@18's last few guises to make the show more accessible to the public.
Absolut Vodka and IDN are just some of 18@18's previous parrtners; this year, it's a collaboration with Furia. The 12 artists are fusing their art with the brand's hit CANDY bag, and these one-of-a-kind works will go home with the highest bidders in an auction this month. Rachel Jena