Front Row

Artist Caryn Koh has been making a name for herself through her dreamlike and emotive paintings, particularly her “Sekolah” series that features a schoolgirl in the iconic blue pinafore. We speak to her about her debut solo exhibition, called “As Deep As I Could Remember, As Far As I Could See”, and how it represents both her connections to the past and an attempt to move b...

On our arts review show, we discuss “di antara ITU & INI”, an exhibition that brings together 15 visual artists to reflect on what it means to be a nation that is grappling with change. Themes of power, ownership, and autonomy are examined by the diverse line-up of artists within the context of the recent political shift that has happened in Malaysia. Artist Ruby Subramaniam joins...

The story of three old men whiling their time away in a retirement home hardly sounds like gripping entertainment - but “Heroes”, Tom Stoppard’s English version of the French play by Gerald Sibleyras is a humorous yet bittersweet examination of ageing. In this local staging of the play, the World War I veterans are played by Patrick Teoh, Thor Kah Hoong, and Paul M. Baker, with G...

“River Cities” is an art exhibition by People Ideas Culture that reflects on the vital role of rivers in building civilisations and culture. The exhibition also examines the various issues related to rivers and river cities, such as environmental damage, politics, and socioeconomic development. We speak to some of the people involved in the exhibition about why art is an interesting ap...

How do you make a story of feuding families and star-crossed lovers who die tragically by the end, a fun and engaging experience for children? That’s where the KL Shakespeare Players’ “Storytelling Shakespeare” series comes in. This time around, they’re bringing their interactive storytelling approach to “Romeo and Juliet”, which is designed to get the lit...

Writer Ridhwan Saidi describes his Teater Normcore productions as a “series of seemingly normal stage plays”. The latest addition to the series, Stereo Genmai, is adapted from Ridhwan’s novel, and is a psychedelic adventure about a novelist who goes in search of his lost fictional character. We speak to him, actor Hannan Barakbah, and producer Nurul Aizam about bringing this mind...

Pangrok Sulap is an artist collective from Sabah that has been making a name for itself through representations of its state. It brings together traditional woodcut printmaking with its unique punk aesthetic to depict and reflect on Sabah’s sociopolitical issues. Pangrok Sulap is presenting its first solo show in Peninsular Malaysia, called “Lopung is Dead!”. We speak to two of t...

The artistic director and actors tells about this “edible, cultural, social, theatrical intervention” which has traveled from France, Spain, Poland, Italy and now, Malaysia. As consequence, the participants come from France, Italy, India, Germany, India, Ukraine, Poland, Myanmar and of course, Malaysia. The process of creating this kind of theatre is in itself uncommon. It involves bot...

A multilingual theatre production called “The Tragicomedy of Errors” brings together two different plays to create a whole other play - confused yet? Basically, two theatre troupes - one Malay, one Chinese - are forced to rehearse in the same space, and the show is about both these individual plays and the interactions between them. We speak to some of the cast and creatives of the sho...

Artist Jalaini Abu Hassan often plays with notions of memory and identity in his paintings. In his latest exhibition, “Cerpan-Cerpen”, he expands on these by addressing questions of belonging and the homeland - not by overtly focusing on politics or current events, but rather, on the familiar and the everyday. We speak to Jalaini about his work, his latest series, and how he found insp...

Jeremi Ca is a contemporary artist who is a part of the newer wave of artists coming out of France, who are redefining what French art can be to the rest of the world. He is known for his inventive use of colour and for using unconventional tools in his work, and has been featured in collections around the world. During his visit to Kuala Lumpur to participate in Art Expo Malaysia 2018, Jeremi and...

“The Ring of the Nibelung” by Richard Wagner is probably one of the best-known operas in the world. An upcoming local production is staging a theatrical version of the operas, where the four operas in the cycle are being presented as a five-hour play in Mandarin. The story retains the original’s epic plot and characters, but adds a contemporary spin to the staging. We speak to th...

The Philharmonic Winds of Malaysia has put together a programme of American music. Beyond sharing about this upcoming concert, the musicians share their insights into the characteristics of this music and what about it resonates with us here. They also help us better understand this music of open spaces, possibilities and the idealised common man. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio...

WVC Jazz Ensemble’s new album, “Give Thy Ear”, takes inspiration from the works of William Shakespeare - each of the songs reinterpret a particular piece of writing by him. We speak to the band’s music director/pianist Tay Cher Siang and drummer KJ Wong about the process of putting music to the Bard’s words, and how they continue to approach jazz with a fresh ear. See...

The stand-up comedy scene in Malaysia is increasingly getting more diverse, but it still tends to remain fairly confined to respective languages, with most of the attention being paid to English-language stand-up. We speak to Prakash Daniel and Keren Bala Deven, two local stand-up comics who are part of a movement to break some of these boundaries, specifically between English and Tamil-language c...

This time on our arts review show, we talk about ASK Dance Company’s “The iProject: Between Self and Others”, a contemporary dance production that reflects on the choices and the pull between self-interest and societal interest. Dance producer Bilqis Hijjas joins us to review and discuss the show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Australian poet and rap artist of Greek heritage, Luka Lesson’s writing and performances reflect a wide range of influences from rappers, Greek mythology, and Australian history. During his visit to Kuala Lumpur for a showcase, we speak to Luka about about how he brings together the past and the present in his works. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Creatures of Near Kingdoms”, a recently published book by Zedeck Siew with illustrations by Sharon Chin, is a fantastical catalogue of flora and fauna from Malaysia and its surrounding region. These creatures may not really exist, but the vivid writing and beguiling art are almost enough to convince you that they just might. We speak to Zedeck and Sharon about how these creatures made...

The event of May 9 has changed mindsets. At least that's the assumption of ADC's choreographers and dancers. The realization that major situations can change when people act has prompted the choreographers to ask about the choices we make. And what needs to be weighed in the process: self-interest or the interests of others. Naimsyah Razad also shares how his and his co-choreographer, Fauzi Amirud...

There's been a surge of local productions that directly incorporate poetry with other performance disciplines like music, theatre, dance, and the visual arts. This episode, Sheena Baharudin explores the different ways poetry engages with the arts. In conversation with her to do just that are Veshalini Naidu and Hannan Barakbah. Music Credit: Lakey Inspired Track Name: Days Like These See omnystudi...

Stewart Macfarlane is one of Australia’s most prolific contemporary narrative painters, with his works in collections at, among others, Art Gallery of Western Australia, the Australian National Gallery, the the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art (New Mexico) and the Provincetown Museum and Art Center (Massachusetts). His latest series, “The Untold” (which is showing in Kuala Lum...

Now into its fourth year, the Migrant and Refugee Poetry Competition provides a valuable platform for migrant workers and refugees in Malaysia to express themselves, and to display their literary talents. The event also creates a space where Malaysians gain insight into the thoughts and experiences of these communities. We speak to the competition’s founder, Shivaji Das, and two of this year...

With Canticle Singers upcoming choral concert just around the corner, Joanne Poh informs about the rather unconventional offerings which mixes gospel with classical, musicals and pop. She will also be introducing a singer with Asperger Syndrome at the concert, and shares on the work she also does with those on the autism spectrum. Patrick Leong gives a quick history of gospel music in the country...

The Artists’ Workstations is an art exhibition where the line between the art and the artist’s process is blurred, by presenting four different artists’ works alongside their workstations. We speak to the show’s co-curator Eric Goh about turning the creative process itself into art, and what there is to be discovered in this undefined space. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Inspired by the classic children’s novel “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett, artist Marisa Ng has painted a series of abstract expressionist paintings that recall nostalgic pleasures of childhood. She speaks to us about her process, her inspirations, and why this particular novel evoked such a strong reaction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.