A new era of the Malaysian creative forces you are about to see everywhere. Get to know them now before they take over.

Valery Koh builds worlds out of fragments. The Malaysian artist and art designer bridges the analogue and digital, blending nostalgic collage with digital tools to craft narratives that feel both tactile and alive. For Valery, art isn&rsquo;t static; it&rsquo;s motion, memory and imagination colliding into something new. Collage is about fragments coming together to form a whole. Do you see this as a metaphor for Malaysia itself, multicultural, sometimes fragmented, yet always reassembling into something new? That&rsquo;s a beautiful way to put it. I truly believe there are no bad collages, only stories formed by the coming together of fragments, differences, and, often, a little messiness. In my experience, the most compelling collages are built from the most unexpected pieces: random colours, odd shapes, clashing textures, and materials that shouldn&rsquo;t work but somehow do. That, to me, is also the metaphor for Malaysia. It may feel chaotic up close, but when we step back and take in the bigger picture, we see that every piece is essential to the larger collage we all belong to. Malaysia in 2025 feels like a crossroad of tradition and hyper- digital futures. How does being based here shape your work, and what does it mean to be a creative in this specific cultural and social moment? I&rsquo;ve always believed that moving forward means embracing the past, present and future that is to come. Tradition gives depth, substance and context, while digital tools help to open up possibilities to take the work further. I draw from my roots to create meaning, then expand those ideas through digital storytelling. That said, right now feels like the best time to be a creative in Malaysia. There are no blueprints, and that&rsquo;s the gift, because we&rsquo;re in the position to set it. As our country grows, we have the chance to both honour the past and shape the future of the scene.

Your work often oscillates between the tactile and the virtual. How do you balance the nostalgia of analogue collage with the infinite possibilities of digital tools? Analogue collages carry a certain imperfection, besides authenticity and soul that you can feel, while digital tools open up endless possibilities for pushing a story further. When I bring the two together, that&rsquo;s where the magic happens. The analogue keeps the work human, while the digital lets it expand into something unexpected. That balance allows me to create stories that are emotional, tangible, boundless, and, most importantly, true to me. What role do you believe Malaysian artists play in reimagining narratives about Southeast Asia for both local and global audiences ? I think Malaysian artists play a vital role in showing the world that our work has depth, richness and interesting perspectives that are daring, bold and fresh. We haven&rsquo;t always been as visible and noticed on the global stage, but I think that&rsquo;s changing. Even here at home, there&rsquo;s a growing awareness and excitement around our own breed of creatives. And it&rsquo;s never just about one artist; it&rsquo;s a community effort. Every Malaysian creative who puts work out contributes to the collective visibility of what our scene can be, both locally and globally.

"I think it&rsquo;s important to not overthink about &ldquo;being different&rdquo; or &ldquo;standing out&rdquo;, instead, focus on creating what feels true and authentic to you." - Valery

The art scene here has always had to negotiate questions of visibility, funding and institutional support. From your perspective, what do you think the biggest challenges and opportunities are for artists in Malaysia right now? I think the challenges for local artists have always been quite real. Our institutions and market are still growing, and many of us balance our practice with other kinds of work to keep going. It does feel like we don&rsquo;t yet have the same infrastructure as some of our neighbouring countries. At the same time...

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Photography Floyd Grey Creative Direction, Styling &amp; Words Syazil Abd Rahim Hair &amp; Makeup Joey Yap Photography Assistant Sze Yang Styling Assistant Fekar Khairul

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