Last week, a corner of London's fashionable W2 area became brighter thanks to an exhibition by a Malaysian artist. Sarkah , Aris Yaacob's debut solo exhibition was held at the FarmiloFiumano Gallery and its opening night was attended by many guests, including acclaimed shoe-maker Jimmy Choo and the Malaysian High Commissioner to London.

Sarkah celebrates the Malay psyche and the artwork is visually arresting. Aris uses bold strokes and vibrant colours in his work. "Sarkah is based on the word saka," he explained. "The word pusaka is more about materials whereas saka is spiritual, it's deeper and has got more depth to it. We should consider wayang kulit as saka for example. I'm exploring this idea because I think it's so interesting". Alongside his close friend and collaborator Rozmanshah Abdullah, Aris had been working on the idea and concept behind Sarkah for a long time.

The Malay psyche

He has always been interested in Malay psyche, and his explorations in the subject are done in the Malaysian context. This is after all, what he can relate to the most: "You can be Malay no matter where you are, no matter what citizen you are but I was born in Malaysia, raised in Malaysia; your early childhood in Malaysia, that is something you cannot take away from your own destiny, your own fate because the early childhood, that's what makes you who you are."

Being abroad has made Aris become even more aware of his identity as a Malaysian Malay. At a conference on South-East Asian Studies held at the University of Exeter recently, Aris was disappointed to note that whilst there were hardly any talks on Malay psyche, art or literature, talks on Indonesian art were held. Indonesian art and culture was dominant, leaving Aris feeling as though Malay arts and culture from Malaysia was very much the junior partner. He accepts that there is a similarity between the (Malaysian) Malay and Indonesian arts, but feels that "... there's a major distinctive line that you can draw to divide the two".

"When you talk about wayang kulit (shadow puppets) they always talk about Java, when you talk about batik they talk about Indonesia, gamelan Indonesia. Where is Malaysia?" he ponders.

Aris, who hails from Seremban, has been living in London for almost ten years. As a young child, he knew he was creative: "When I was small, I always loved to draw and I entered a lot of art competitions". He also had a great interest in the arts, but the education system made it difficult for him to pursue his interest ("You don't have the chance to learn literature"), although he did manage to study with French-trained Malaysian artist Mansor Ibrahim, whose influence he acknowledges, during his two-year International Baccalaureate course. He eventually gained a degree in architecture, but on its completion, Aris realised that his interest did not lie in the architectural world, and he pursued a Master's degree in Theatre Design. Being close to the creative and arts world again brought to the fore his first love of drawing and "... that's how it all began".

Already a rising star in the Malaysian arts scene, nevertheless Aris admits that life as an artist is not easy, and he is thankful for the support and patronage that he has enjoyed so far. "To put on an exhibition in London, especially as a young, struggling artist - no matter where you're from, even if you're British - passion, will, and determination can only bring you so far. There's no easy way. There are too many artists in London".

Network, network, network

He continues: "You have to be persistent and I think it's all about communication. You need funding and support from established organisations, institutions or even individuals. In a way it's all about contacts, marketing, PR, that's what you have to do to progress."

Aris's supporters include his business partner Keith Mills, the National Art Gallery in Malaysia, the Malaysian High Commission in London, and Studio Voltaire London. How did he manage to gain such strong support? Aris laughs. "I can't tell you that!" He admits later that it was all down to "networking and meeting the right people at the right time". Jimmy Choo, for example, has a shop almost directly opposite the FarmiloFiumano Gallery.

Aris is currently completing a Ph.D in re-reading and re-interpreting wayang kulit and plans to become a full-time artist when he graduates. He wants to do more exhibitions, not just in London but also in Malaysia. His intentions are plain - to challenge the perception of Malay art in London so as to give greater exposure to works from Malaysia, and to challenge the Malaysian perception of art in Malaysia. His reinterpretation of a wayang kulit show in Malaysia last year was not universally liked. "People hated my work; they said it was rubbish and I even had a comment saying my work was childish," he admits. Not that this would stop him - Aris, a self-declared radical Malay artist, intends to "contemporise the traditional understanding of certain genres in Malaysian art".

Having held a lecturing stint at the LimKokWing Institute in KL, Aris would not mind teaching again. "I love teaching. Although it's not something I want to do fulltime it's very self-satisfying to share your knowledge with others and then learn from others". Once established, Aris would also like to support young Malaysian artists and become a patron of Malaysian art. He cheekily and cheerily adds, "Tell the Ministry of Culture to give me some funding so that I can open a gallery to support Malaysian art in London".

His ultimate ambition though, is to be the next big Malaysian "thing" worldwide. "I'd love to become the Malaysian Picasso," he declares, "why not? After all, if Jimmy Choo can do it, why can't I?"

Note: Aris's next exhibition is on the 15th of November, at the Nolias Gallery in London, and Aris can be contacted via his email address: ariscurator@yahoo.co.uk .

FARAH FAHMY is a regular contributor to malaysiakini. She lives in London.