Asia's Most Influential MY

The Arts

Exploring new frontiers in culture and artistic expression

John Ang

Collector, curator

The collector of Asian heritage artefacts has devoted his life to Malay textiles

Tash Aw

Author

An internationally acclaimed Malaysian writer, Tash Aw is one of the major contemporary literary figures from Southeast Asia

Karina Robles Bahrin

Author

The author stirs up conversations about race and religion in her novel, ‘The Accidental Malay’

Bernard Chauly

Film Director

Award-winning film director Bernard Chauly has worked with some of Malaysia’s biggest names, including Tatler Malaysia’s cover stars Nur Fazura and Bront Palarae

Yangsze Choo

Novelist

A Malaysia-born New York Times best-selling novelist, Yangsze Choo started writing at home while recuperating from an injury

Amanda Nell Eu

Director, Ghost Grrrl Pictures

An award-winning director known for her thought-provoking features

Kulleh Grasi

Musician, poet

Kulleh Grasi is a cultural ambassador of Borneo’s tribespeople

Munira Hamzah

Visual artist, poet

Moon HMZ or ‘mumu_the_stan’, is a homegrown visual artist and poet

Joe Hasham

Actor, Co-Founder and Artistic Director, The Actors Studio/JHA Productions/klpac

A multi-talented theatre stalwart and steadfast champion of the performing arts, Joe Hasham is also the co-founder of The Actor’s Studio

Hassan Abdul Muthalib

Animator, writer, director

The father of Malaysian animation, Hassan Abdul Muthalib has influenced generations of filmmakers and artists

Liza Ho

Gallerist, curator, The Zhongshan Building

The realty gamechanger converted an old building into one of Kuala Lumpur’s most exciting art hubs

Nadira Ilana

Filmmaker, Telan Bulan Films

A rising young Malaysian filmmaker, Nadira Ilana and her Telan Bulan Films company give voice and representation to people rarely seen and heard

Tengku Ahmad Irfan

Pianist, composer and conductor

The young maestro is acknowledged for his gifts in playing the piano, composing and conducting

Izan Satrina Mohd Sallehuddin

Founder and CEO, Cendana

An advocate of the arts who spearheaded the development of cultural economy in Malaysia

Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina

Actress, Producer, Director, Enfiniti (M) Sdn Bhd

Multitalented Tiara Jacquelina, head of Enfiniti Academy, has taken local theatre international

Farouk Khan

Art collector and co-founder, AFK Collection

A power couple in the world of art, Farouk Khan and his wife Aliya own the largest private collection of Malaysian contemporary art in the country, documented on the AFK Collection

Eddin Khoo

Director, writer, publisher, and poet, Pusaka and Kala Publishers

The leading custodian of the traditional performing arts in Malaysia and the region, Eddin Khoo is the founder of Pusaka, an organisation devoted to keeping these artforms alive

Jo Kukathas

Actor, Writer, Director, The Instant Café Theatre Company

Jo Kukathas uses the stage to entertain, and raise awareness for serious issues

Ivan Lam

Contemporary artist

A prominent artist charting new territory in contemporary art, Ivan Lam is still pushing boundaries after two decades in the industry

Susan Lankester

Actress

An actress and performer who has been in the industry for over four decades

Beatrice Leong

Filmmaker and activist

The activist has made it her mission to create a better world for the female autistic community

Adele Lim

Film and TV writer and producer

For championing Southeast Asian representation in Hollywood

Lim Wei-Ling

Director, Wei-Ling Gallery and Wei-Ling Contemporary

Lim Wei-Ling is one of the few names synonymous with the art scene in Malaysia

Annice Lyn

Photographer & Co-founder, Women Photographers Malaysia

For showing the world through her lens

Visithra Manikam

NFT artist

Visithra Manikam overcame discrimination to emerge as one of Malaysia’s top NFT artists

Yuna

Singer

Yuna paved the way for Asian talents to carve their place in the global music industry

Datuk Faridah Merican

Actor, director, producer, The Actors Studio and klpac

Faridah Merican, theatre doyenne and co-head of The Actors Studio, has dedicated her life to advancing the performing arts in Malaysia

Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid

Cartoonist, Kampung Boy Sdn Bhd

Beloved award-winning Malaysian cartoonist Mohammad Nor Khalid or Lat has elevated the country’s reputation in the cartoon industry

Alena Murang

Musician

Alena Murang is on a mission to preserve the music of the Dayak tribe

Nik Amir

Film director, Lumatic Films

A film director who smashed the local box office

Nadirah Zakariya

Photographer and Co-founder, Exposure + Photo

Nadirah Zakariya is known within and beyond Asia for her meaningful and captivating photographs

Dato' Sri Siti Nurhaliza

Singer-songwriter and entrepreneur, SimplySiti

An iconic multi-hyphenate with an illustrious career in the entertainment sphere worldwide, Dato' Sri Siti Nurhaliza is listed as one of Malaysia’s richest, most influential artistes

Kiki Poh

Shading and grooming technical director, Pixar Animation Studios

For creating authentic and representative animated characters

Datuk Ramli Ibrahim

Modern & Indian classical dancer, artistic director, Sutra Dance Theatre

Legendary dancer and choreographer Ramli Ibrahim, founder of Sutra Dance Theatre, has put Indian classical dance and Malaysia on the international stage

Red Hong Yi

Contemporary artist

For pushing the boundaries of her chosen field

Fahmi Reza

Graphic designer, artist

Fahmi Reza is a non-partisan graphic designer, street artist and political activist

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