We had to start somewhere, first by making art affordable and accessible—the same reason why I started retailing books. This is something I’ve always wanted to do. I was at an art fair in Surabaya in 2016, where everything was creative and affordable. Another one in Jakarta 2018, when it hit me that I wanted to bring Indonesian art out of Indonesia. I had the blueprint ready back then, as we were seriously thinking about it. The ideas were there.

I never think about the origins of art. Artists are artists. Just like how we are multiracial; we all breathe the same air. It’s a borderless world now. When you go online, information is everywhere, pictures from everyone; there is no difference between Malaysia and Indonesia. But we get excited when we see Indonesian art as there are different subject matters when they paint. Artists paint what they see. We don’t see what they see. We wouldn’t never know that viewpoint of Indonesia but through the eyes of an Indonesian. It’s a breath of fresh air.

It’s a journey everyone in life should go through. I wished mine started earlier through art appreciation and education in school. So I started a little late in life, only about 15 years ago, with tourist art (hahaha) then realized it was everywhere so I chucked it and found a new direction. But you have to start somewhere first, to find and be exposed to what art you really like. Malaysians need this education, and so this is the main mission of ARTisFAIR.

We didn’t think about the number … we just banged down 2000. We didn’t even think about how we were going to hang 2000 pieces of art, neither the space nor the containers needed. We plucked the number from the sky.

It’s a natural progression. I have always appreciated art, and know how important it is in our lives to appreciate beauty. I am really coming from the point where I have dedicated my whole life to doing a business that opens up people’s worlds and minds with books. Once you open up their minds, the next thing is to get them to be creative. There is no other product that is closer to a book than art; both allow us to be creative and appreciate different things.

We’re starting with affordable art, then perhaps elevate to contemporary art. The ultimate goal is to spin the game … to make Malaysians appreciate art more, not just by organising an art fair but by giving them some kind of understanding of it through experiences and conversations. ARTisFAIR is a kick start. It’s never been done before, so we are thankful to Fahrenheit88 for allowing us to transform the whole mall into an art gallery. Also, we’re grateful for the 500 over artists for believing in us and wanting to see a change in the industry. Magnificent things happen when you collaborate!

To make Malaysia beautiful, by helping people be creative. It’s not just about owning art but inspiring their imagination. We’re not advocating “local” or Malaysian and Indonesian art, or pushing affordability—we’re championing creativity. At the same time, we are living in unprecedented times and that brings about unprecedented opportunities. We never expected a pandemic that will change the world and how we function forever—It’s a new world we live in now. So, this is an opportunity for us to do something totally different for Malaysians who are now open to doing things differently.