On August 27th 2025, the Malaysia Culture Group visited ILHAM Gallery for a guided tour of their current exhibition – The Plantation Plot, curated by Lim Sheau Yun. The exhibition gathered artists from Malaysia and abroad to explore how plantations – especially rubber and palm oil – have shaped the land, economy, and impacted people.

A catalyst that helped spark the idea for the exhibition was Gogularaajan Rajendran’s Coolies’ Chorus, a moving video that revives Tamil folk songs once sung by plantation workers, bringing forgotten voices back into focus.
Among the most memorable pieces for our group was Inuk S. Gullah’s vibrant painting,  ’36 Kinds of Fruits in the Forest Extinct Because of Illegal Logging in Sabah’, which mapped out local fruits and plants in bold colors and words. His work celebrated community knowledge and connection to the land.

Other highlights included Connie Zheng’s thoughtful maps and plant imagery showing how nature was turned into commodities, Sancintya Mohini Simpson’s delicate handmade-paper works honoring Indian women laborers, Diane Severin Nguyen’s striking photographs that made the familiar feel strange, and Yong Mun Sen’s 1950s painting The Women, depicting field workers in Malaysia.

The exhibition reminded us that plantations are not only part of history but continue to shape culture, memory, and the environment today.

Review with many thanks to Charlotte Sullivan