Across two evenings in the verdant neighbourhood of Bukit Persekutuan, guests of Chee Hoe & Associates, including legal eagles, developers and C-suite executives of public listed companies, gathered at The Conservatory, a newly built event space that also serves as the current offices of legal firm Chee Hoe & Associates. These guests were joined by celebrated art collectors and gallerists who turned up for the debut of The Voyage of Zheng He & His Armada, a new show of artworks by Malaysia-originated international artist Michelle Yap.
Inside this spanking new five-storey building, the main floor saw BMW dealer Quill Automobiles showcasing two newly launched BMW models, the BMW i4 eDrive35 M Sport, and the BMW 530i M Sport. The former, a four-door coupé, impressed with its imposing redesigned kidney grille, 19in aerodynamic M wheels, and plenty of cutting-edge tech within. Meanwhile, the 530i M Sport served up its signature ‘Sharknose’ styling with exterior line stain aluminium, slender LED taillights, 20in M light alloy wheels, and the inescapable Hofmeister kink.
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Just upstairs, to the grooves of DJ Angel Yau, guests discovered The Voyage of Zheng He & His Armada. This collection showcased artist Yap’s double take on the fabled expedition of Zheng He, who was variously an admiral, diplomat, and explorer from the early Ming Dynasty. Utilising a combination of media, including lenticular prints as well as sculptures, Yap’s new works describe the many wonders of the sea through the lens of Zheng He and his exploration that results in a dichotomy of expressions of him and his fellow sailors.
Alongside the art showcase was a GlenAllachie tasting bar with expressions of 8-, 12-, and 15-year-old whiskies on offer. Abigail Chua, the brand manager representing Asiaeuro Wines & Spirits, was also in attendance to share the unique qualities of this award-winning Speyside single-malt Scotch. The array of drinks would also include Champagne Palmer & Co, with the maison’s stated aim of creating emotions through its drink, and Bavaria’s Erdinger in blonde and dark varieties.
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Across both days, the canapes included elevated dim sum fare of siew mai with abalone and tobiko, nasi lemak pai tee, and Beijing duck crafted and prepared by the kitchen team of Halley by Wondermama. A starring assortment of French pastries and desserts were also served up, courtesy of Doux Doux by Chateau Dionne. Or Gelato, one of the hottest newcomers to Kuala Lumpur’s ice-cream scene, was present with a trio of flavours—lemon basil sorbet, very Madagascar vanilla, and S.O.E. coffee.
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Across the space at The Conservatory, a complementary showcase of audio-visual equipment by Hoe Huat Electric included Samsung’s Neo QLED screens, KEF speakers, Shinoe air purification systems, and HYLA’s water-based filtration air cleaner. And to cap the evening, Mighty Milestone, one of Malaysia’s largest licensed tobacco importers and distributors, rolled out the smokes in the form of Davidoff Winston Churchill The Original Series Robustos and The Late Hour Series, the latter exhibiting greater intensity than its brethren with a dark chocolate Ecuadorean wrapper and cask-aged Nicaraguan filler.
Photography by Sunlee Khan
