What Defines an Emerging Artist, and Why A New Platform Puts Them On Centre Stage

This October, Art KL launches its inaugural edition in Kuala Lumpur. The new platform hopes to elevate the next generation of voices in the emerging art scene and grow Malaysia’s role in the regional and international art landscape. Led by Art Anonymous, Richard Koh Art Advisory, and A Place Where (APW)—as well as being supported by UOB—the event aims to create a meeting point for galleries, artists, collectors and the public.

A platform can only showcase what has already been nurtured. So we looked beyond Art KL to understand the thinking behind it, speaking to some of Kuala Lumpur’s seasoned gallerists and artist-mentors. Here’s how they define an emerging artist and their take on what the scene has been like so far.

Staying the course

“It’s about consistency,” says Chin Chin Liew, an industry veteran who runs Gallery 10 at Isetan Lot 10. She is not alone in believing that artists must put in the work, producing and exhibiting without pause. Desmond Tong, founder of Zhan Art | Space, shares the view: “Working artists experiment, show and practise all the time.”

One can’t simply wait for inspiration. There is routine, labour, problem-solving and operational discipline, all sharpened by continuous curiosity and creation. Najib Bamadhaj, who trained under Yusof Ghani, likens it to medicine: “You have to keep seeing patients.”

Michelle Yap, founder of Else Gallery and an accomplished artist trained at Central Saint Martins who exhibits regularly in America and China, adds, “If you aren’t doing enough, you can’t be found.”

Measuring progress

How about the numbers that define an emerging artist’s career? If we must put a figure on it, Rahel Joseph, director of Ilham Gallery, suggests that emerging could mean a few group shows and a solo that proves range. Lim Wei-Ling, founder of Wei-Ling Gallery, is more specific: five to six years of practice and two to three exhibitions.

To reach the next stage, an artist needs to be noticed by both institutions and buyers. Lim counts sales and gallery representation as proof of progress. Tong clarifies that recognition should also come from reputable bodies.

Originality, Not Just Skill

Yet it isn’t all about repetition, regular exhibitions, or technical mastery. Gallerists are quick to point out that though some artists have a remarkable command of craft, they fail to be highly original or bring real depth to their style and approach.

“What are rules if you don’t break them?” asks Yap. For her, emerging is the stage when an artist can go off on a tangent and step outside the expected. Tong agrees: he tends to favour artists who do things a little differently.

Joseph looks for something original, somebody who is thoughtful and thinks in interesting ways. Richard Koh, of Richard Koh Fine Art, adds a further requirement: relevance. Integrity, skill and something new to say are essential, he says. So is speaking to one’s own time, “We like artists that are now.”

Integrity, in this field, seems to mean staying true to yourself, your craft and your process. Lim puts it eloquently, “Art should feed you first, no one else,” and argues that an artist must be able to defend their practice. Yap frames it as a purpose. Make work for yourself, don’t fret over what others think and, most importantly, don’t give up. It comes back to a question every artist wrestles with throughout their life: who am I making this for?

That is also where the tension lies.

A Thin Market, Too Few Collectors

Not every artist can afford to stay true to themselves. Few stop because they want to. Most stop because they cannot earn a decent living or support their families.

The prevailing view is that the market is thin and the future of Malaysian contemporary art hangs in the balance. Softer auction results and few new collectors add to the strain. Some gallerists link the shortage of collectors to limited exposure, as contemporary art is rarely accessible and approachable.

Chin points out that many artists leave Malaysia to establish themselves, a path Yap knows well. Koh observes that some younger buyers are curious and discerning, wanting to collect the visual language of their own generation. Yet they struggle to find their way into the contemporary art scene.

An Ecosystem Responds

What is heartening is that those sounding the alarm are also acting on it. Else Gallery connects its young artists with developers, interior firms and materials brands. At the last two Archidex fairs, those partnerships came together beautifully, showing how art, interior design and architecture can work as one to open doors to future collaborations and make local contemporary art more accessible.

The gallery remains committed to nurturing emerging talent, helping artists bring their visions to fruition and placing their work in the places where people live, work, dine, shop and stay. Beyond providing artists with a livelihood, the hope is that this visibility cultivates a new generation of collectors and brings fresh voices into the market.

Najib offers studio space and internships to young artists. His Toko venture is due to launch in Merdeka 118 by the end of 2026. It creates merchandise from contemporary artworks—a bid to reach new collectors, though he admits it has unsettled some of his own. Lim’s WLG Incubator, now in its sixth edition, mentors emerging Malaysian artists, spotlights their work and connects them with internationally established peers.

Tong’s gallery champions fresh graduates. In 2024, it gave Lim Tong Xin her first solo exhibition, Tong in the House. This year, she won the UOB Painting of the Year (Malaysia) award.

Where Art KL Fits

So where does Art KL fit among all these efforts? Conceived as a platform for experimentation, discovery and generational exchange, it runs for four days. It seeks to bring emerging practices out of the market’s margins and into the centre.

Ten galleries, a mix of established names and younger ones, will each present up to two artists. Two are Malaysian—Galeri Sasha and Zhan Art | Space—the rest from Southeast Asia. Koh sees it as a stepping stone towards larger regional and international platforms.

Art KL also acknowledges the difficulties facing young artists. Koh explains that galleries tend to see those below the age of 35 as too young and not yet profitable. He hopes Art KL can become a platform for the next generation of Southeast Asian artists and for the communities that support them.

In addition to gallery presentations, talks, and panel discussions, Discovery—a programme of site-specific installations—features eight Malaysian artists: Farhan Rizuwan, Lee Mok Yee, Najib Bamadhaj, Neoh Shin Yen, Phillip Wong, Samantha Lee, Wong Perng Fey, and Alexdrina Chong.

A charity auction of donated works will raise funds for The Lighthouse Children’s Welfare Home, a Kuala Lumpur non-profit that shelters and educates underprivileged and orphaned children. Artists, Koh insists, also need to learn to give back.

Visitors can expect to encounter contemporary art in immediate, spatially dynamic ways within an approachable and open atmosphere. Though Art KL also aims to court a new generation of collectors, Koh emphasises: “It’s not about selling. It’s about developing the ecosystem.”

‘Art KL’ at A Place Where (APW), Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, runs from October 15th to 18th, 2026. For more information, visit the website.