Harmony: In Colours & Combinations

Ady Ezwan Nordin(1978-), born in Malaysia, is a visual artist whose practice bridges contemporary art and traditional Malay craftsmanship. He holds a Diploma in Graphic Design and Multimedia from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) and further refined his skills through apprenticeship programmes in Traditional Malay Arts under master craftsman Wan Yahaya Abdullah, as well as contemporary art training with Satu Art Collective under the guidance of Elias Yamani Ismail. 

His artistic practice is rooted in material exploration, cultural heritage, and visual interpretation, often informed by traditional techniques such as telepuk (a traditional Malay gold-leaf decorative technique), menggerus (a traditional surface treatment technique involving grinding and abrasion), and tanjak (Malay headgear) craftsmanship. 

Through this intersection of tradition and contemporary expression, his work reflects an ongoing engagement with Malay identity, material culture, and artistic transformation. Ady Ezwan has exhibited extensively in Malaysia and internationally, participating in numerous group exhibitions across galleries, museums, and art festivals since the early 2000s. 

In addition to his exhibition practice, he is actively involved in seminars, workshops, and demonstrations, contributing to the preservation and transmission of traditional Malay art forms. His continued involvement in both contemporary art and cultural heritage positions him as a significant practitioner working at the intersection of tradition, craft, and modern artistic discourse.

Elias Yamani Ismail(1978-), born in Malaysia, is an established artist and researcher based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He holds a doctorate (PhD) in fine arts and founded Satu: Creative Collective, a platform that successfully organised twenty five independent art exhibitions and seven curatorial projects with local and international organisations. 

Elias’s research, written texts and curatorial work revolve around topics of comparative studies in the visual arts, modes of thinking processes, and indigenous knowledge practices mainly in Southeast Asian contexts. 

Elias has been invited as a panelist and presented his research findings at The Sámi Pavilion: Aabaakwad 2022 Venice Biennale, Italy; UNESCO Journal Observatory Multi-Disciplinary in The Arts the University of Melbourne 2021; Reconnecting-Museums; Creating and Events Gallery Weekend, 2020 Kuala Lumpur; and Social Engagement Artists South East Asia and Beyond, Art Basel 2015, Hong Kong. His works are in the collections of various institutions and private collectors in Malaysia, Japan, Canada, Germany, and Australia.

Faizal Suhif(1984-), born in Muar, Johor, Malaysia, received his early training in fine arts at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Melaka (2002–2006), before continuing his studies at UiTM Shah Alam (2006–2008). He later completed his Master’s degree in 2013. 

He is a core member of the printmaking collective GoBlock and co-founder of Studio Chetak 17. His artistic practice spans multiple media, though he frequently employs charcoal and printmaking as his primary mediums. Nature serves as a central subject in his work, driven by his interest in the intersection between human presence and the natural environment. 

He has held 9 solo exhibitions since 2002 and has participated in more than 300 group exhibitions both locally and internationally, including in Bangladesh, Japan, Germany, the United States, Singapore, Indonesia, India, the Netherlands, Turkey, Taiwan, and China. 

He has also taken part in numerous artist residency programmes in Selangor, Penang, Kuala Lumpur (Barehands Residency), Langkawi, Bali, Bandung, and Macedonia.

Fakir Mohamad Md Nor is a lecturer, visual artist and writer based in Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia. 

He completed his Master of Arts (Studio-Based Research, Photography) at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in 2022, with a focus on the interpretation of black and white photographic images in the socio-cultural context of locality. 

He currently serves at City University Malaysia as a lecturer and Head of the Diploma in Corporate Communication Programme, in addition to holding the role of PIC at the Research Management Centre, Faculty of Creative Industries. His professional experience spans academia and the creative industry, with expertise in photography, visual communication, media culture and broadcasting. 

His artistic practice is based on photography, particularly in the medium of black and white, with an emphasis on critical and reflective visual readings. His works explore the relationship between images, human experience and local context, often through an artistic research approach that combines aesthetic dimensions and socio-cultural discourse. 

He has held solo exhibitions such as B&W + Monochrome (2020) and participated in various group exhibitions nationally and internationally, including collaborations with global institutions such as the United Nations in Geneva. His involvement includes major art spaces such as PETRONAS Gallery and KL City Art Gallery, as well as various other contemporary art platforms. 

Throughout his career, he has received various recognitions including the Creative Industry Recovery Grant (2022) and an award in the Melaka Historical Photography Competition (2021). In addition, he is active in academic publishing and critical writing, contributing to journals, books and articles discussing visual arts and cultural developments in Malaysia.      

Mohd Nizam Radzaly (1966-), born in Beranang, Selangor, where he currently lives and works, is an abstract artist. 

He received his early education at Sekolah Menengah Dato’ Haji Kamaruddin, Kuala Kubu Bharu in 1983 before pursuing Fine Art studies at Angkatan Pelukis Se-Malaysia (APS), Kuala Lumpur (1986–1988). Supported by scholarships from Yayasan Selangor and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, he continued his studies in Creative Arts (Fine Arts) at Universiti Sains Malaysia during the 1989/90 academic session. 

As an abstract painter, Mohd Nizam’s practice centres on the exploration of emotional expression and inner experience through a visual language grounded in line and colour. His works are characterised by both controlled and spontaneous brushstrokes, combining vivid and subdued tones to evoke the complexity of human emotions and everyday life. The recurring use of black lines serves as both a structural and symbolic element, conveying depth and intensity, while layered colours reflect an evolving inner journey. Following a prolonged period of artistic searching, he re-emerged with a more resolved direction, embracing art as a medium for restrained emotional expression and personal reflection. 

To date, he has held seven solo exhibitions and participated in over fifty group exhibitions, including with Kelab Seni Lukis Hulu Langat at Galeri Prima (formerly known as Galeri Seni NSTP), Kuala Lumpur. His works are held in private, corporate, and notable collections. He currently works at the Selangor Public Library Corporation (PPAS) as an Assistant Librarian, while also serving as a part-time lecturer in Drawing and Painting at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Nik Mohd Husyaidie bin Che Hussin (1990-), born in Kelantan, received his formal education at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree (Hons.) in Fine Art in 2013, followed by a Master’s degree in Visual Art & Design, completed in 2016. 

His artistic practice focuses on translating observational experiences and visual documentation gathered during travel into artworks, with a strong emphasis on collage as his primary medium and nature as his central subject. 

While based in Penang, Nik has been actively involved in the local arts and cultural scene. He also performs as a percussionist in various forms of traditional Malay performing arts, including Dikir Barat, Wayang Kulit, Mak Yong, Gamelan, and Muzik Asli. His works have been exhibited widely in Penang and Kuala Lumpur, and he has participated in numerous open and group exhibitions such as Visual Redux at Hin Bus Depot, Penang (2016), Young & New and Longing Memories at HOM Art Trans (2017), Uncertainty Alumni USM at MGTF Penang (2020), Open Show at Penang State Museum, and as a finalist in Penang Art District (2020). 

His early series, Usia Alam, reflects his interpretation of nature through the study of textures such as leaves, roots, and surfaces, alongside an exploration of colour as a key element influencing human emotions. These observations are combined through collage techniques to construct new visual compositions via layered elements. Building upon this exploration, his second series, Sirik-sirik Alas (Edge of the Forest), is informed by his three years of experience as an actor performing the role of Peran in Mak Yong theatre with the Seri Mak Yong USM group in Penang. This series reinterprets his lived experience of performing within forest-related narratives, translated into painted compositions on canvas. Works from this series have been collected by Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur and Pavilion Hotel Kuala Lumpur, and were exhibited at ASYAAF 2020 in South Korea. 

In 2021, Nik returned to his hometown in Kelantan and established his own studio to continue his practice. He is currently developing new works that explore the intersections of nature and culture, drawing on Malay cultural imagery rich in meaning and philosophy.