In the Paul Henderson Gallery (first floor), artists Lee Mok Yee and Amar Shahid present new works created during their residency at Acme Fire Station, East London, as part of the Khazanah Associate Artist Residency Programme (KAAR). Both Malaysian-based artists explore colonial archives from London, using these historical materials to inform their contemporary practices.
The exhibition will run from 16th October to 22nd November 2025.
Lee Mok Yee is a multidisciplinary artist whose process-driven work transforms everyday and industrial objects such as incense and papier-mâché, into evocative pieces that interrogate identity, materiality, and mass culture. His current series, developed during the residency, continues his exploration of Chinese diasporic identity in Malaysia, bridging British colonial history and present-day cultural shifts. Combining archival images from the Imperial War Museum and the National Archives with traditional ritual elements, Lee reflects on themes of belonging, impermanence, and the tensions embedded in inherited beliefs.
He graduated from the Dasein Academy of Art in Kuala Lumpur and later from the Fine Art programme at the University of London in Middlesex.
Amar Shahid is a Southeast Asian based artist exploring the idioms of early photography in shaping the visual heritage of the region, with its relation to post-colonial dialogues in art. With a strong multi-cultural background that took advantage of the global crossings of the Sunda Plate, he is well-versed in multiple linguistic modes, leading to a colourful interpretation of globalism and regional history. After 4 solos and international residencies, Amar is now continuing his conversation with the ACME-Khazanah London Residency, exploring the impact of multiculturalism in urban London and beyond.
A Fine Art graduate of UiTM Shah Alam, Amar is a multi-disciplinary artist with a specialty in linguistics, specifically the intricacies of sociolinguistic history in Southeast Asia.
The Artist Project Showcae is open to the public on Saturdays from 10am - 4pm and by appoinment for other days.