An artwork preview from Chua's 'Bleeding Scars: The Calamity Of Canning' graphic novel. Photo: Chua Kok Yee
BOOK LAUNCH: CHUA KOK YEE'S 'BLEEDING SCARS: THE CALAMITY OF CANNING'
Venue: Books Kinokuniya, KLCC.
Date: Oct 5, 2.30pm
Looking for a chilling ghost story to dive into this Halloween? Add a touch of local flavor for some frightful fun! Independent publisher Maple Comics is gearing up to launch its latest title, Bleeding Scars: The Calamity Of Canning by Chua Kok Yee.
The new book promises to "take you on a journey of horror and tragedy," according to the publisher.
The graphic novel draws inspiration from an eerie urban legend in Ipoh, centred on the haunting of a "chee cheong fun" food stall in Canning Garden, a well known housing estate, during the 1980s.
“It took me 40 years to reach this moment. I am grateful for the opportunity to realise my dream,” says Chua, the author and artist.
With over 15 years of writing experience in the local scene, Chua is best known for works like The Muse And Other Stories, Not A Monster, and Without Anchovies.
Learn more about Bleeding Scars as Chua launches the book this Saturday at 2.30pm at Books Kinokuniya, KLCC.
More info here.
BOOK LAUNCH: AMY LEOW'S 'THE SCARLET THRONE'
Venue: Lit Books, Petaling Jaya
Date: Oct 5, 8pm
New on the literary scene, author Amy Leow is embarking on a book tour around Klang Valley this month to celebrate the release of her debut novel, The Scarlet Throne.
Kicking off this Saturday with a stop at Lit Books in Petaling Jaya, Leow’s dark, pulse-pounding political fantasy is packed with scheming demons, morally complex heroines, talking cats, and cutthroat priests - everything a fantasy lover could wish for.
Moderating the session will be Lit Book’s Fong Min Hun, who will be speaking to Leow about her inspiration for the book, characters and plot line. There will be an audience Q&A as well as a book signing on the evening. Entry tickets are RM10 and you will receive a RM10 voucher to use on event day.
The novel follows Binsa, a “living goddess” appointed by the gods to dispense both mercy and punishment from her seat on the Scarlet Throne. But her reign conceals a deadly secret, one that risks being exposed when a new girl, Medha, is chosen to succeed her.
Leow's The Scarlet Throne is the first installment in The False Goddess series. Other book tour stops include Books Kinokuniya, Suria KLCC (Oct 12, 2pm), and MPH at The Exchange, TRX (Oct 19, 11am).
More info here.
Part of the cast for 'Opera Si! La Bohemia' (from left): James Long as Schaunard, Tan Chee Shen as Rodolfo, Joseph Ng as Benoit, Chi Hoe Mak as Colline, and Wilson Loh as Marcello. Photo: Goh Bong Hiang and Connie Chan
THEATRE: 'OPERA SI! LA BOHEMIA'
Venue: Pentas 1, KLPac
Date: ends Oct 6
It’s opera with a twist of kebaya and sarong! KL City Opera’s production of Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème takes centre stage at KLPac with a refreshing reimagining, transporting the beloved Italian classic to the vibrant 1960s Malaya - the golden age of Tan Sri P. Ramlee and Shaw Brothers’ cinema. Expect an enchanting blend of timeless music and nostalgic flair, where the bohemian streets of Paris are swapped for the bustling lanes of Malaya, complete with local flair and cinematic charm.
The two-and-a-half-hour performance, smartly titled Opera Si! La Bohemia, features a double cast, with talents such as Tan Chee Shen, Heo Yueh Ren, Ang Mei Foong, Evelyn Toh, Wilson Loh, and Seow Chee Chuan.
Directed by Amelia Tan and conducted by Bernard Tan, this production combines Puccini’s timeless music with the nostalgic charm of retro Malaya. Audiences will also enjoy performances by the KL City Opera Orchestra, Chorus, and young talents from Opera for Kids, Speech & Drama, and the KL City Opera Children’s Chorus.
More info here.
EXHIBITION: ZHANG-XU ZHAN'S 'JUNGLE JUNGLE'
Venue: Ilham Gallery, KL
Date: ends Oct 6
It's the last weekend to catch Ilham Gallery's intriguing exhibition Jungle Jungle by Taiwanese artist Zhang-Xu Zhan.
Jungle Jungle is Zhang-Xu Zhan's exploration into commonality and plurality between different cultures, examining how music, oral stories, and folktales shift and adapt in circulation to produce localised versions - a reflection on the flow of culture and the interconnections between humans and animals.
The exhibition, located on Ilham Gallery's 3rd floor, features the artist's Golden Horse Award-winning animated short Compound Eyes Of Tropical, mixed-media sculptures, and a site-specific installation incorporating traditional Taiwanese papercraft techniques.
The exhibition ends this Sunday. Free admission, walk-in.
More info here.
Wong's 'Lost Journey' (ink, eastern gouache, and rock pigment on silk, 2022). Photo: The Back Room
EXHIBITION: WONG XIANG YI’S ‘NOMAD’
Venue: The Back Room, Zhongshan Building, Kampung Attap, KL
Date: ends Oct 13
Artist Wong Xiang Yi, who specialises in ink painting, is presenting her works at The Back Room gallery for the first time.
In Nomad, her seventh solo exhibition, Wong is showing 11 new paintings that continue her exploration of the beautiful boy archetype with new developments in style, composition, and figuration from over the past four years.
Already established within the Malaysian art scene for her paintings of beautiful, young male models in languid poses, these new works present a style of figuration that is more “chibi”-like, allowing the artist to place greater emphasis on nuances in her subjects’ expressions and gestures, instead of on their beauty.
In the paintings, the figures are all ageless wanderers who move in clouds of smoke, connected to each other through a secret truce, a mysterious thread of fate with terms that viewers can only guess at. Wong effortlessly combines the fine elegance and elaborate patience of Chinese and Japanese ink painting traditions with the androgynous grace of the “beautiful boy”, the immortal muse of artists and poets since the ancient Greeks.
Free admission. Gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday, noon-6pm.
More info here.
Umibaizurah's 'Lembah Dara' (wild clay, soil, sand, ceramic pigments, lacquer, decals, custom-made ceramic shards on canvas, 2024). Photo: Sareng Gallery
EXHIBITION: UMIBAIZURAH MAHIR ISMAIL'S 'REKAH'
Venue: Sareng Gallery, Menara Chan, Jalan Ampang, KL
Date: ends Oct 12
Globe-trotting multidisciplinary artist Umibaizurah Mahir Ismail, known as Umi, is finally new works in Kuala Lumpur.
Her sixth solo exhibition, Rekah - her first in Malaysia since 2016 - is currently showing at Sareng Gallery.
The show takes its name from the Malay word for "crack", which is exemplified in the clay-based paintings and ceramic sculptures that engage with the natural environment, both thematically and materially.
The works centre around Umi's concern with the ecological cost of urban expansion, driven by developmental desire and extractivist exploitation seen from her studio in Puncak Alam, while the raw materials used in her pieces come from locally sourced clay, soil, sand and stone.
"My works are born from an intensive study of wild clay material, focusing on the granules and texture of the soil at a detailed level. This attention to micro details captures the essence of the material's character, highlighting the inherent beauty of the natural world and providing a poignant reminder of our intimate and often-overlooked connection with the earth,” says Umi.
More info here.
The cast of 'Forget Me Not' (from left) Mia Sabrina Mahadir, Melisha, and Dexter Zhen bring childhood games to life on stage. Photo: Handout
THEATRE: 'FORGET ME NOT'
Venue: Cosmic Theatre Hub, Phileo Damansara 1, Petaling Jaya
Date: ends Oct 6
Independent theatre is set for busy month ahead with the "Theatre Takeover: Cosmic '24" series. It's a collaboration between Amberjade Arts and Cosmic Theatre Hub, which showcases three experimental theatre plays over the next three weeks.
The festival begins with Forget Me Not, co-directed by Joshua Inberaj and Jazzie Lee, which invites audiences to rediscover the joy of Malaysian childhood games through personal experiences, encouraging adults to revisit their youthful past.
Featuring a three-person cast - Melisha, Mia Sabrina Mahadir, and Dexter Zhenplay - the play explores how we often lose our sense of fun as we grow older. However, with a little encouragement, we can rekindle our playful spirit.
Combining spontaneity with structure, Forget Me Not aims to remind viewers that fun is ageless and that sometimes, all it takes is a gentle push to remember.
More info here.
