Here are the passionate champions of art from our 300 List who give their all to their craft whether it is in dance, the performing arts, fine art or more.
As much as our 300 List is made up of the country's most prominent business moguls and social welfare leaders, there are also some equally dedicated thespians and art figures in the lot.
These passionate champions of art give their all to their craft whether it is in dance, the performing arts, fine art or more, and have carved a name for themselves in the industry, a feat that takes some decades if not more to achieve.
Here are the names in Malaysia's arts scene that tirelessly fight for it to have some well-deserved time in the spotlight.
Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina
An award-winning actress and producer herself, Puan Sri Tiara Jacquelina is the driving force behind many acclaimed musicals staged in Malaysia. The founder of PLAY! and The Enfiniti Academy of Musical Theatre and Entertainment Arts recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of the award-winning movie, Puteri Gunung Ledang, which she starred in. One of her latest current ventures is MUD The Musical, a heartwarming story about the humble roots of our city Kuala Lumpur.
Datuk Ramli Ibrahim
The mastery of various artistic disciplines in dance has been Datuk Ramli Ibrahim’s lifelong goal. His body of work in the field include ballet, modern dance and classical Indian dances such as odissi and bharatanatyam. Other than his noted success in the industry, he also helms the Sutra Foundation, an arts foundation that strives to serve and contribute to nation building through arts and culture, and he is also the artistic director of the Sutra Dance Company.
Dato' Faridah Merican
Many would immediately link the First Lady of Malaysian Theatre to her longtime work in the local performing arts scene. Dato’ Faridah Merican works alongside her husband Joe Hasham to spearhead the growth of The Actors Studio Malaysia, KLPAC and the Performing Arts Centre of Penang. This respected thespian is proud to be a mentor to some of the country’s rising theatre talents and is the force behind some original and engaging locally-produced theatre productions.
Datin Shalini Ganendra
Having come a long way since establishing her eponymous fine arts gallery 12 years ago, Datin Shalini Ganendra is today busy promoting the great works of some of the best talents in the country. She has turned her gallery into a regional name and is a worldwide advocate of local contemporary art. Her work in speaking about cultural entrepreneurship and her nomination for the Sovereign Art Prize has sparked interest from New York experts in our local talents. She also occasionally contributes exclusive guest posts to this website on topics like art-collecting for beginners and how to invest in art.
Lim Wei-Ling
Lim Wei-Ling is the owner of leading art galleries Wei-Ling Gallery and Wei- Ling Contemporary, which specialise in representing contemporary Malaysian art while introducing internationally renowned artists to Malaysia. This jewellery designer and art history major by training was in fact a stockbroker for many years before setting up her galleries. Making use of her passion for art combined with her financial background, she advises collectors who want to invest in art.
DatinYvette Kang
The bubbly Datin Yvette Kang is the founder of Yvents! Sdn Bhd, the company that brought in renowned international musicals such as The Sound of Music, Shrek the Musical, Hairspray, Mamma Mia! and more. Kang majored in accounting but it was her love for the art scene which she developed in Sydney that brought her to set up Yvents!
Shirena Hamzah
Shirena Hamzah is the founder and principal instructor of Dancesteps Studio which recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. A dancer herself, Shirena was born into a family who loved the arts. She is registered with the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD). She was the first Malaysian to receive the Fellowship Tap certificate from ISTD. Last year saw her organising a Dance4Charity programme together with Friends to Mankind.
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