The Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery In Penang Is A Tribute To Art For Peace

Many artists across various movements have advocated for peace, including Pablo Picasso, who created the Dove of Peace (1949) for the World Peace Congress in Paris, which would become a worldwide symbol of hope and unity. In her later years, Frida Kahlo showcased her passion for global unity through works such as Congress of Peoples for Peace (1952).

In a similar manner, Professor Lin Xiang Xiong has dedicated his life to promoting peace through pieces of art. He merges traditional Chinese ink techniques with acrylics and modern Western influences, resulting in a distinctive style he dubs the New Nanyang School of Painting, with themes revolving around war, forced migration, and the human condition.

Lin’s magnum opus, which epitomises these advocacy efforts, is the Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery, which officially opened its doors in December 2025 as the world’s first over-water art gallery with the theme ‘Art for Peace’. Located in Gelugor, Penang, the striking new RM100 million landmark rises along The Light Waterfront, poised like a turtle gliding at the water’s edge. Crowned with an intricate woven dome—a latticed shell of interlacing steel—the structure feels at once ultra-modern and serene. “In traditional Chinese thought, the turtle symbolises longevity and harmony between heaven and earth,” Lin says.

He personally designed the gallery building, which houses 1,000 works from his life’s oeuvre, with more than 400 on display at any time. “The world is experiencing a high-intensity period of armed conflict. This gallery serves to promote ‘Art for Peace’ all over the world. I believe peace begins with individual responsibility—when each person cares for society and the environment, and if everyone thinks that way, the world will eventually be in a peaceful state. I want to share my thoughts through my art and my writings to different generations to educate people,” Lin says.

The gallery spans 86,929 sq ft and eight floors, including an art education centre, permanent exhibition floors, a special exhibition hall, and an international collaboration conference room. Its vision goes beyond presenting the significant works of its namesake artist, but also aims to foster sustained international artistic exchange through exhibitions, joint curatorial initiatives, forums, and education programmes, with a long-term goal to develop into an open and diverse cultural platform.

Remarkably, the academically respected artist is not Malaysian but was born in Guangdong, China, in 1945 and is now a Singapore citizen. “I chose Penang as the location for my art gallery because it is a wonderful bridge of the East and West that can allow for global dialogue between communities,” Lin explained. “There are many different cultures living under one roof here mirroring Penang’s social fabric: layered, plural, and harmoniously complex.”

Enduring Labour

“Art is not just a technique. The technique is just a tool for the artist to express their thoughts and feelings,” Lin states. “For more than 40 years, I wake up and think, what can I do? Could I, through my life and paintings, contribute something to society?” It is this question and daily reckoning with purpose that fuel his tireless discipline and unwavering commitment to his work.

Beyond his paintings, Lin has authored numerous essays that articulate his views on harmony, which are also on display at the gallery. “I have also been heavily involved in global symposiums, exhibitions, and academic dialogues, which allow me to promote cross-cultural understanding,” he adds. In 2017, Lin delivered the opening address and keynote speech at the World Humanities Conference, jointly organised by UNESCO and the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences. “When I understood the core value concept inscribed on the monument at UNESCO’s headquarters, ‘Wars begin in the minds of men, so we need to build a barrier to defend peace in the minds of men,’ I became even more convinced of my determination to promote and spread ‘Art for Peace’ globally.”

During the gallery’s grand opening, Lin was also inducted as a board member of the Paris-based non-profit foundation Leaders for Peace, founded by former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who also attended the ceremony.

Lin shares: “To me, art is a message of thought. It expresses what I see and what I believe. If someone looks at my work and feels that it speaks truthfully to an issue, then the dialogue has begun. If you do not create these platforms, how can anything change? I do not know whether I will ever achieve what I hope for. But for decades, I have continued according to my vision, doing the best I can.”

A Further Look Inside The Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery

Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery

Photography by Norlman Lo