Making Meaning of Ismail Zain’s Art

The late Ismail Zain is a familiar name in the Malaysian art world, both as an artist and a cultural icon. An exhibition of his works, called (Mem)bayang Maksud, celebrates his unique approach to making Malaysian art and his view of what it meant to be Malaysian. We speak with the exhibition’s curator Jaafar Ismail and Badan Warisan Malaysia president Elizabeth Cardosa, about Ismail’s life, art, and legacy.