Ng: Create regularly, put it in front of people early... even when it feels unfinished (Photo: SooPhye)
Options: Congratulations on MaiKea, your first solo show. What can one expect?
Kenny Ng: The core [of the exhibition] is my Hokkien Calendar illustration and the TuKao series, which appears as riso prints and resin sculptures. There are also a few paintings and a mixed-media piece. Each is paired with a local idiom, literally translated and for easy reading. It is funny and leaves something to take away mentally. Even if you do not speak Hokkien, there will be plenty of Penangites in attendance who will be more than happy to explain and ensure you have a good laugh.
Tell us about the interactive section.
The space recreates a classic public toilet stall. It is raw, vulgar and honest. Visitors can leave their own ‘latrinalia’ (my word for toilet graffiti) on the wall. They can either be jokes or confessions… whatever the writer wants them to be. This is where language truly lives, when nobody is polishing it!
MaiKea marks 10 years of your artistic journey. Tell us some favourite core memories.
My first group show at Pik Nik Café, where I exhibited my work publicly for the first time alongside those of friends. The second was selling my first artwork. It was a watershed moment, knowing someone wanted to bring home something I had created, and that meant a lot to me. The third has to be collaborating with The Edge for a special Penang edition it had conceptualised. It felt surreal. I never imagined seeing my work published in a title like that! It remains a moment I still think about often.
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Describe MassHaus, the venue for MaiKea.
I love that it is an artist-run space. The role it plays in supporting local creatives by providing a space for experimentation mattered a lot to me. As an artist holding his first solo, it just felt right.
You take on multiple roles: artist, Penang Art District general manager and Hin Bus Depot programme director. How do you juggle them all?
Dividing my time is indeed a challenge but I enjoy working with different artists from different backgrounds. And I love developing programmes and creating opportunities for people to experience art. What I find most rewarding is seeing an idea grow into something tangible, be it an exhibition, performance or simple event that brings people together.
What keeps you inspired?
One of the toughest challenges is finding the time and energy to maintain my own creative practice while working full-time in the arts. Sure, there are occasions when I feel drained and keep postponing projects. But over the years, I have learnt there is no perfect time or need for inspiration to strike. Just start making, creating… it can be small and imperfect. In fact, that was how my Hokkien Calendar series started!
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Any advice for the young who want a career in the arts?
Create regularly, put it in front of people early… even when it feels unfinished. Pay attention to what you see and hear around you because, for me, inspiration comes from places like kopitiams or conversations with friends or what I hear in the market. Find and connect with other people who also make things and learn or observe how they work.
Name some of your favourite reads.
A compilation of Franz Kafka’s works. I am drawn to his strange and sometimes absurd way of looking at the world, and also how he explores human behaviour, identity and the feeling of being out of place.
What are you listening to right now?
My tastes are varied but currently looping are lagu jiwang, 2000s pop punk, indie rock and alternative. I like variety and don’t stick to a single genre.
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Where are some of your favourite places in Penang?
Narrow Marrow for its atmosphere, good coffee and creative energy. It is where you can sit back, indulge in conversation and simply observe the characters and stories unfolding around you. Hin Bus Depot also holds a special place in my heart, both professionally and personally. Beyond being an arts space, it is where artists, communities and different ideas come together — literally! Raja Uda Tomyam is a place I keep going back to for its tom yam. I also love going to the Teochew Club for a bowl of porridge, especially when it’s late. It caters wonderfully to comfort food lovers and night owls.
What can visitors to Penang look forward to in the coming months?
There is a good mix. Currently, Fruiting Bodies, a solo by Hasanul Isyraf Idris, is on until Nov 8 at Blank Canvas, as is How Long Have You Been Here by Hoo Fan Chon, which is at Hin Bus until Nov 15. MaiKea by yours truly runs until Oct 31 at MassHaus and Open Studios Penang will run from Oct 16 to 18. In the offing is Thomas Powell’s Up in the Air from Oct 17 to Dec 6 at Cultprint. This will be followed by Moved to Life: Tradition and Reinvention in Asian Puppet Theatre, a two-day international performing arts symposium and cultural festival on Nov 7 and 8.
This article first appeared on Oct 12, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
