Ask anyone, what comes to mind when they think of Kuala Lumpur’s Brickfields. For most, it would be the Little India along the main Jalan Tun Sambanthan; YMCA; or Buddhist Vihara. Those interested in the fine arts would tell you about the famous iconic Temple of Fine Arts. Now, hold your breath…
A new icon of the arts has come to Brickfields - Wei-Ling Gallery.
The gallery is located in a prewar building on the edge of Brickfields that looks like it is trapped in a ‘time warp’ making it stand out from the ugly commercialism that is taking place in the surrounding area. For many years the building has been the office of Jimmy Lim, Wei-Ling’s father, the internationally respected architect. In 2004, this building was gutted by a fire that the famous architect said ‘obliterated forty years of personal and professional history’.
As I stepped into the gallery building, I saw Jimmy Lim discussing some work with someone in the midst of the colonial era antiques that lined the walls. I realized the immensity of what the father and daughter (with Yohan) have done: creating this ‘time warp’ in Brickfields that’s preventing this street of prewar buildings from falling off the edge.
I walked up a narrow flight of stairs to the gallery that is laid out on three floors. Standing on the first floor Perspex flooring, I was bathed in natural light coming in through opaque glass walls. The whole gallery, with its wood floors and bridges, is airy and spacious. It engendered in me a feeling which resulted in an unhurried pace that made me spend about an hour in this gallery – soaking in the emotions of the artists’ artworks on display.
The gallery marked its opening on 17 September 2005 with its 18@8 exhibition. Since then, it has become an annual event showcasing the works of contemporary Malaysian artists and from the region. This year’s 18@8 features nine artists each producing two artworks in response to the theme of Vice and Virtue. The results are 18 pieces of artworks on display from 13 October 2008 to 13 November 2008.
Wei-Ling Gallery is located at No. 8, Jalan Scott, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur.No. 8 Jalan Scott, Brickfields. Tel (0): 603-22601106/7
