Malaysian artist gives National Art Gallery a sculptural soar

Artist Ahmad Syakir Hashim’s new project greets visitors with an understated presence in the foyer of the National Art Gallery (NAG) in Kuala Lumpur, where he has given the space a uniquely contemplative feel. His work features seven installations made from sheets of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), arranged in repetition upon sturdy steel structures. Part of NAG’s “Single” spotlight series, Syakir’s Wings Before Words highlights his craftsmanship with a reflective approach. Piece by piece, layer by layer, the “white feathers” of his scattered sculptures take shape – weightless yet precise. “Each piece reminds me that conviction isn’t instant but is shaped through patient, repeated effort. The simple steel structure provides support, allowing the organic forms to emerge – much like reason, which upholds without taking over,” says Syakir, also an art educator, in a recent interview at NAG. With quiet pride, he takes the time to explain how each work came to life, starting with the sketches and design drafts he created earlier this year in his Shah Alam home studio. Syakir, known for exploring identity, spirituality, and human connection, now invites contemplation on the tension between doubt and faith, logic and belief. Photo: The Star/Samuel Ong Wings Before Words, on view at NAG until Dec 23, has caught visitors’ attention, with some likening the installation to a white playground and others seeing the forms as toys or action figures waiting to be assembled. To Syakir, that childlike curiosity is part of what he hoped the artwork would inspire, an open and tactile kind of engagement that encourages people to look closer at how things are made. Seizing new challenges Turning 40 has also brought Taiping-born Syakir a renewed energy. A longtime lecturer in 3D design and multimedia, he has explored everything from furniture-making to exhibition curation. In Perak, he is also active with Kapallorek, an independent art space in Seri Iskandar that nurtures emerging artists through exhibitions and collaborations. “People often ask whether I’m more interested in making art or writing about it, but I’ve never felt the need to separate the two. I just go with the flow. Syakir views the installation as an evolving work, one day potentially placed outdoors to transform naturally with time and weather. Photo: The Star/Samuel Ong “In my work, I never stick to one medium – I paint, sketch, design. This installation is my first time working entirely in sculpture, and it’s also the largest piece I’ve ever made,” says Syakir. He also reflects on a work ethic shaped by his civil service parents (Hashim Abdul Kadir and Fauziah Rashid), who spent 35 years as prison wardens across various facilities in Malaysia. Their discipline and consistency informed his sense of responsibility – even as he later questioned what it meant to serve long-term in a single institution. A spiritual side The seven sculptures of Wings Before Words were built on frameworks of galvanised wire, mesh, and gauze. Syakir then layered EVA foam – a material more commonly used in cosplay armour or product prototypes. Firm yet flexible, the foam forms a surface for thousands of feather-like shapes, cut by hand and laser, giving the sculptures their delicate, airy texture. “I deliberately left the sculptures in the original white of the EVA foam, resisting the urge to add paint or colour. White suggests purity and calm, but it also draws attention to the forms themselves – how each curve or feather catches the light. It lets the movement of the shapes take centre stage, letting their rhythm speak for itself without relying on colour,” says Syakir. Syakir retained the sculptures’ original white EVA foam, letting visitors focus on the feather shapes, cut by laser and hand. Photo: The Star/Samuel Ong The process, he explains, was slow and deliberate, balancing discipline with intuition. “It’s time-consuming – many late nights after teaching – and it taught me patience, and more importantly, when to let go of what’s beyond your control. Overthinking can become a burden, even demotivating,” he says. That quiet rhythm of repetition, he adds, also reminded him of the spiritual side of focus. “When you repeat something long enough, it becomes more than a task. It reminds me of zikir – the repetitive recitation that calms the mind and links you to something greater. Eventually, you stop thinking about the shape and simply move with the process. When the form finally emerges, that’s when I know it’s time to let go,” he adds. Evolving in unexpected ways As much as Wings Before Words is a study in material and method, it also signals a new phase in Syakir’s creative journey. The process of making it has given him space to rethink his direction as an artist and to view patience as part of progress. “It’s a nice moment to pause. Sometimes you’re so focused on what’s next that you forget to notice what’s already taking shape.” The installation, he says, has reinforced his belief that art can evolve in unexpected ways. He also views Wings Before Words not as an endpoint but as a step toward new possibilities, including a solo exhibition expanding on the same ideas of form and repetition. “These sculptures belong together, but I like the idea that they can keep changing. "I’ve been thinking about placing them outdoors, maybe in an open space where rain, moisture and heat can slowly alter their surface. That change, to me, is also part of the work, letting nature finish what I started,” concludes Shakir.