It has been decades since I last wrote for Malaya. As a news reporter and travel writer, I chronicled the urgency of the day’s events while capturing the poetry of distant places. Today, I return, not to chase headlines but to explore another kind of movement: the pulse of art, the rhythm of creation, and the quiet yet powerful hum of a cultural renaissance.
It seems fitting that this new chapter takes the name Resonance—a word that captures the lasting impact of color on canvas, the weight of a well-placed brushstroke, and the play of light and shadow that, like sound, vibrates beyond its source. In music, resonance is the continuation of a note long after it is played. In art, it is the afterimage that lingers in the mind, the emotion that stays long after the first encounter. It is the echo of a poem read in silence, the dialogue between artist and audience, past and present.
This column comes at a time when the country is experiencing an artistic resurgence. Galleries are thriving, art fairs are drawing younger audiences, and creative spaces—once reserved for a select few—are now filled with fresh voices eager to be heard. The arts are no longer a niche pursuit but an essential force shaping identity and community.
Resonance seeks to be part of this movement, attuned to the shifts in our creative landscape. It will primarily explore the visual arts—painting, sculpture, and mixed media—while also embracing the interplay between other art forms, including literature, poetry, music, and theater. From the raw energy of a live performance to the stillness of a framed canvas, from the weight of a written line to the movement of actors on stage, these disciplines inform and inspire one another, creating a richer, more layered cultural experience.
Whether through the brushstrokes of a master, the verses of a poet, the chords of a song, or the immersive world of a play, all art carries echoes that shape how we see, feel, and remember. This column will celebrate both established and emerging artists, engage in conversations about creativity, and, above all, invite readers to see art not as distant or exclusive but as something that speaks—to those who listen, to those who feel, to those who, knowingly or unknowingly, are already part of this growing movement.
Returning to Malaya feels like stepping into a gallery or a dimly lit theater, where every brushstroke, stanza, chord, and dramatic pause carries meaning. And so, as this journey through the world of art and creativity begins, may each story, each reflection, and each insight not only inform but resonate, long after the final word is read.
