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Art
Scene
T
he
local contemporary
visual arts scene has been
growing exponentially in
the last few years, judg-
ing from the numerous
art-related events taking
place in various parts of
the country. Among noteworthy events
featuring prominent local art practitioners
as well as those from abroad are the
annual Malaysia International Art Expo,
the Sasaran Art Festival and the Penang
Georgetown Festival. The frequent art
auctions taking place in the capital and
the increasing number of private galleries
operating in the Klang Valley alone are
encouraging signs that Malaysians are
warming up to the idea of collecting art as
a passion and for investment. Among the
handful of Malaysian art galleries that is
gaining serious attention in the domestic and international art scene, G13 Gallery stands
out as a success story of a local boy done well. Hailing from the state of Pahang and of
humble beginnings, G13 Gallery’s youthful looking proprietor Kenny Teng has risen
through sheer hard work and commitment to become the proud owner of a successful
agency that specializes in architectural illustrations and two art galleries that caters to
the art needs of the different sections of society.
Below is a short interview with Kenny Teng about his gallery and the ideas behind
its establishment.
What is themotivationbehind the settingupof your gallery?
I have always loved art. I find much inspiration from the visual arts in my work as an
architectural illustrator, which is my principal profession for about two decades now.
So, when circumstances allowed, I decided to collect art as a serious pursuit. Initially,
like many others, I thought one needs to be extremely wealthy to be able to afford
art, especially the good pieces. However, to my surprise, it was relatively easy to get
into the business of collecting with a reasonable budget. I realise that there were also
many others who may have had the same reservations and misconceptions about art
collecting. Therefore, in 2005 I opened my first art space Art Village gallery with the
primary intention of encouraging Malaysians, especially the middle and upper middle
class professionals to give art collecting a chance.
Kenny Teng, founder of G13 Gallery
Art For Everyone