EXHIBITION

Celebrating Diversity: When Food Becomes Art, Identity, and Memory

A Merdeka month celebration of Malaysia’s culinary diversity as both cultural anchor and artistic inspiration

Viewers immerse themselves in the artwork ‘Bowls of Malaysia’ by Ho Mei Kei (left) and ‘Breakfast’ by Syed Fakaruddin (right).

G13 Gallery presents Celebrating Diversity: Consuming Culture, Constructing Identity, a contemporary group exhibition held in conjunction with Malaysia’s Merdeka month. Running from August 16 to 30, 2025, at G13 Gallery, this exhibition brings together 26 artists across generations, ranging from established figures to emerging voices, each exploring the symbolic and emotional power of food as a reflection of Malaysian identity, cultural memory, and social belonging.

The exhibition responds to Malaysia’s diverse culinary traditions while extending its scope to broader themes of nationalism, migration, and identity formation. Through a wide range of artistic expressions, the works examine food not only as sustenance, but also as metaphor, memory, and cultural bridge. By reimagining how we consume, remember, and connect with one another, the exhibition highlights the ways in which everyday acts of eating are intertwined with issues of heritage, belonging, and shared experience.

Participating artists include Aimman Hafizal, Anisa Abdullah, Amy Nazira, Chong Ai Lei, Fawwaz Sukri, Gan Sze Hooi, Gan Tee Sheng, Haziq Syawal, Ho Mei Kei, Izzuddin Basiron, Kow Leong Kiang, Khairudin Zainudin, Nik Mohd Shahfiz, Noor Zahran, Syed Fakaruddin, Wong Ming Hao, Yuki Tham, Amar Shahid, Azzaha Ibrahim, Azizan Paiman, Calvin Chua, Gabriel Cheah, Gan Chin Lee, Issarezal Ismail, Sack Tin Lim, and Yiji Lee Sou Ven. Each artist contributes a unique voice, collectively offering a vibrant and layered exploration of how food continues to shape both personal histories and collective narratives within Malaysia’s evolving social landscape.

A crowd of artists and visitors gathers inside G13 Gallery, attentively watching a live performance ‘Naratif Panca-indra’ by Azzaha Ibrahim

Azzaha Ibrahim dressed in traditional attire stands in front of vibrant artworks featuring local dishes.

The art performance blending with storytelling, traditional Kelantanese rebab music, gastronomy, and sensory interaction.

Kenny Teng officially launched the Celebrating Diversity: Consuming Culture, Constructing Identity exhibition following the art performance by Azzaha Ibrahim.

Guests were served food during following the the art performance by Azzaha Ibrahim.

A crowd of artists and visitors queuing to enjoy the food served at the exhibition.

Guests enjoying a delightful variety of dishes thoughtfully prepared for the launch exhibition.

A tray of traditional Malaysian foods, including nasi lemak, awaits guests at the exhibition opening, symbolizing the show’s theme of food as a cultural connector.

A woven basket filled with nostalgic childhood treats, snack packs and sweets, offers visitors a taste of collective memory, echoing the exhibition’s focus on how food shapes identity.

A visitor reading the exhibition statement at the gallery entrance.

Visitors gather in the gallery, viewing large colorful canvases inspired by Malaysia’s food culture. The artworks spark conversations as people move between paintings and installations.

From left, ‘More Than Just Snacks’ by Yuki Tham, ‘The Taste of Home’ by Aimman Hafizal, and ‘I Got This from My Neighbour’ by Haziq Syawal, each work offers a unique perspective on how food embodies memory, community, and identity within Malaysian culture.

‘Bowls of Malaysia’ by Ho Mei Kei portraying dozens of noodle bowls, each full of colour and flavour, are laid out like a visual feast. Each bowl is a little piece of Malaysia. A mix of flavours, cultures and comfort.

Visitors immerse themselves in the artwork ‘The Little Visitors’, a vibrant pop-art piece by Nik M Shazmie that humorously reflects on how AI and robotics are reshaping everyday life.

A colourful works, including ‘Blocks of Kuih (Kuih Muih Series)’ by Ho Mei Kei and ‘Dari Sungai ke Segara’ by Anisa Abdullah.

‘Heroes’ anti Heroes (2014–2022), A Menu of Ideology, Promotion of Power’ by Azizan Paiman, is a series of artworks made using collage on exercise books.

Artist and visitor engage and took photos of the artwork ‘Kampung Baru Culinary Shaping’ by Gan Sze Hooi, which highlights the blend of heritage and modern life through Kampung Baru’s food, people, and traditional Rumah Limas.

‘Fragile Assets’ by Noor Zahran, where agar-agar puddings symbolize property ownership and fragile economic aspirations, with a broken pudding hinting at the emotional strain behind stability.

The exhibition was honoured by the presence of former Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Muhammad bin Ibrahim.

Visitor reflect on ‘Dari Sungai ke Segara’ by Anisa Abdullah, a work that honors Malaysia’s hard-won independence while reminding us that unity, peace, and freedom must be continuously protected and shared with the world.

Monochrome artworks by Nik Mohd Shahfiz depict a bowl of ais batu campur (ABC) as the centerpiece of a reimagined gathering, layered with rhythmic cuts that transform memory and tradition into a new visual rhythm.

Aimman Hafizal shares his artwork ‘The Taste of Home’ with his friends, a sculptural nasi lemak island where rice rises like mountains and sambal towns bustle with life, celebrating unity, memory, and Malaysia’s diverse heritage.

His work is carefully crafted using acrylic paint on 3D print and wood, combining both mediums to bring out its unique form and texture.

Artist Wong Ming Hao (Right) explains his artworks, which highlight Malaysia’s food culture by playfully portraying the habit of photographing meals before eating, turning everyday dishes into both a celebration and a commentary on modern dining.

Visitors reflect on the artworks, from left:’ A Taste Of Memories’ by Shafiq Nordin, ‘Junjungan Kemerdekaan’ by Fawwaz Sukri, ‘Digestion’ by Gan Tee Sheng, and ‘No Photo, No Makan’ by Wong Ming Hao.

Mr. Kenny Teng is having a thoughtful conversation with an art collector during the exhibition.

Visitors engaged and took photos of gabriel cheah’s artwork, an installation using rice and gold feces sculptures to question cultural pride, prejudice, and our shared human condition.

Visitors view a series of artworks by Amy Nazira, including ‘Sneaky Snacky (Senyap-senyap Ngap!)’, which evokes the playful act of stealing a kuih from the jar, alongside Resepi Emak, a tender reminder of recipes passed down through generations.

‘Toekang Koppie’ by Amar Shahid, created with cyanotype and mixed media on canvas, reimagines colonial-era street merchants while critiquing the commercialization of coffee as a cultural and global commodity.

‘Rempah Ratus, Aroma Malaysia’ by Izzuddin Basiron captures the architecture of TTDI Market, evoking the colours of fresh produce, the aroma of spices, and the rhythm of daily life.

A visitor views Sack Tin Lim’s work, where raw produce and cooked dishes echo the artist’s migration journey from Sabah to West Malaysia, bridging memory and experience.

The artwork displayed on the wall features round canvases arranged in two rows. The top row shows portraits of people, while the bottom row depicts various dishes, visually connecting personal identity with the food that sustains and defines it.

Visit g13gallery.com for more information about this exhibition.

All photos were shot using a Canon EOS RP + RF 35mm f1.8 lens.