Liew Kwai Fei

Liew Kwai Fei's innovative approach to painting has garnered recognition and critical acclaim. His works are featured in prestigious collections such as the National Art Gallery Malaysia and the Singapore Art Museum.

Biography of Liew Kwai Fei

Born in 1979 in Kuantan, Pahang, Liew Kwai Fei emerged as one of Malaysia's promising contemporary painters. He embarked on his artistic journey by exploring the hybridity of painting as a medium to convey ideas transcending class, race, and language.

Through a series of solo exhibitions and group showcases, Liew honed his craft, carving out a distinctive presence in the dynamic landscapes of both local and global art scenes. His solo exhibitions include "Nothing Personal" at Rissim Contemporary in Bangsar (2022), "Light & Space" at OUR ArtProjects in Kuala Lumpur (2018), "Painted Words and Written Paintings: For the Refined and For the Masses" at Valentine Wille Fine Art in Kuala Lumpur (2012), and many more. 

Liew Kwai Fei has also participated in group exhibitions, including "Xcidentally X'mas" at OUR ArtProjects in Kuala Lumpur (2017), "This is Where We Meet" at OUR ArtProjects in Kuala Lumpur (2017), "Contemporary Forum @ ILHAM" at Ilham Gallery in Kuala Lumpur (2017), among others. 

Liew Kwai Fei's Art Style

Liew Kwai Fei's artistic style challenges conventions, delving into the complexities of high and low culture, class, nationalism, and race. Over a decade, his practice evolved to embrace idiosyncratic and hybrid approaches evident in his modular paintings and installation art. He examines colonial legacies while navigating the contemporary artistic and political landscapes, locally and globally. Through his work, Liew confronts societal prejudices and explores the nuanced intersections of cultural identity, employing a visual language that transcends traditional boundaries.

For instance, in his series presented at Run Amok Gallery, Penang, Malaysia in 2013, Liew ventured beyond painting to engage with the infamous political slogan "We are all one family," originally coined by Anwar Ibrahim in the '90s. This introspective project delves into the tension between grand political ideologies and individual daily experiences. Liew's multilingual textual references further challenge societal hierarchies, offering a unique perspective on social class and ethnicity.

This series of artworks possesses a visual aesthetic reminiscent of mismatched flora and fauna fabric patterns from the 1960s or mass-produced plastic toys with flawed designs. They are arranged in a formation akin to a Chinese folk religion altar. Through these unresolved contradictions, Liew invites us into his poetic and kaleidoscopic realm of chaos, rich in complexity.