When the world goes topsy-turvy, there are those who turn to distraction, some to action, and others to conversation. For artist Chok Yue Zan, he turned to art as a way of doing all three. Photo: The Star/Low Boon Tat
When the world goes topsy-turvy, there are those who turn to distraction, some to action, and others to conversation.
For artist Chok Yue Zan, he turned to art as a way of doing all three.
The 30-year-old Chok, born in Tawau, Sabah began working on his current series, De Upside Down, two years ago, and is now presenting these latest paintings in the Between Us exhibition at The Back Room gallery of the Zhongshan building in Kuala Lumpur.
The show, running through Jan 26, features five works created with acrylic and oil on canvas.
“I started creating this series because I feel deeply troubled by the chaos in the world right now, like wars, pandemics, political issues, economic crises, technology, global warming, human rights issues, the wealth gap, and so on. It’s clear that we are living in an imbalanced world,” says Chok.
A new work from Chok titled 'Echoes Of Being' (acrylic and oil on canvas, 2025), which is part of his 'Between Us' exhibition in KL. Photo: The Back Room
De Upside Down series consists of realistic upside-down landscapes, one-half being the polar opposite of the other half, resulting in a whole piece that features an uncannily perfect, serene world that is also wrong and alienating.
“My work is inspired by Genesis, the first book in the Bible. In the first chapter, the first verse states, ‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the Earth’. But obviously, the world today is totally different from what God created.
“The series also incorporates the Taoism concept of yin and yang, exploring the ideas of opposition and balance,” he adds.
To create each piece, Chok sourced landscape photography from open-source image websites and collaged various different genres of landscapes together in a single painting.
Chok’s 'Existence In Memory And Reality II'(acrylic and oil on canvas, 2025). Photo: The Back Room
A homecoming of sorts
For many art lovers in the Klang Valley, this exhibition by Chok offers a timely introduction to his work.
While Between Us is Chok’s third solo exhibition, it is actually his first solo exhibition in Malaysia.
A graduate of Dasein Academy of Art in KL, Chok’s artistic journey has been marked by significant early achievements, including winning the prestigious UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia) in the Established Artist Category in 2017.
His career has been enriched by international experiences, such as residencies at the UOB Art Gallery in Shanghai, China (2018) and the Fukuoka Art Museum in Japan (2018). Alongside these opportunities, he has actively participated in numerous group exhibitions and art fairs across Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, China, and other countries.
Chok working on one of the pieces from his 'De Upside Down' series in his studio. Photo: Chok Yue Zan
His debut solo exhibition was Retrospect Of Paradiso in 2018, followed by Throughout in 2022, both in Singapore.
“I’m based in KL, but about 90% of my shows over the past five years have been in Singapore,” says Chok with a smile. “I’ve always wanted to have a solo show in Malaysia. My friends have often joked about not being able to see my work here.”
It also turns out that Chok has a past connection with The Back Room. “I’ve been following his work for a long time,” says gallery founder Liza Ho.
“He used to work part-time for us at the gallery when he was a student, helping out at openings. After he won the UOB award, he went to (exhibit in) Singapore, but I’ve always wanted to invite him back to KL.”
On the Between Us series, Ho explains that while the pieces have Chok’s signature dreamy, nostalgic style, they initially appear calm and idyllic on the surface.
“But if you look closer, you’ll realise something’s not quite right. There’s a tension beneath the calmness,” she adds, hinting at a deeper layer in his work that prompts reflection on the complexities and contradictions of the human experience.
‘I hope this series can resonate with more people and get them to think about what’s happening in the world,’ says Chok. The Star/Low Boon Tat
A dialogue with the world
As a new series, Between Us also marks a thematic departure from Chok’s earlier works, exploring fresh ideas and emotional landscapes that invite a deeper engagement with the evolving nuances of his artistic vision.
“Before this, my work has always been about my past and personal experiences, especially my relationship with my family and the environment,” says Chok, who grew up being close to nature in Sabah.
Chok’s piece I Thought, We Can Stay Strong Like Stones, featuring silhouettes of his family members made from stones drawn in charcoal, was the one that bagged him the coveted UOB Painting of the Year award.
“I drew the silhouettes using stones to represent how I initially thought that my family’s relationship was strong like stone, but I drew them with charcoal, because I eventually realised that the relationship I thought was strong was actually very fragile,” he explains.
In his debut exhibition, Retrospect Of Paradiso, Chok also creatively utilised woodcutting techniques in his paintings to illustrate the gradual disappearance of paradise around his hometown.
Chok's 'In Between II' (acrylic and oil on canvas, 2025). Photo: The Back Room
“'Between Us' is more of a dialogue with the world, exploring the themes of balance, uncertainty and introspection, as well as the relationship between individuals and society. It’s not only my own memories, so I hope this series can resonate with more people and get them to think about what’s happening in the world.
“It’s not as simple as 1+1=2. I’m not offering any solutions or fixed answers in these pieces, but what I would like is for people to come up with their own thoughts and feelings when they look at the paintings, to question and search for their own answers,” he says.
Chok even had the walls of The Back Room gallery painted in grey to reflect a balance between black and white.
“I hope those who visit the exhibition leave it contemplating how they can strike that balance of living in between,” he concludes.
Between Us is showing at The Back Room, the Zhongshan Building in Kuala Lumpur until Jan 26. Free admission. Open: Wednesday to Sunday, noon to 6pm.
