Wei-Ling Gallery in Kuala Lumpur presents 'Trilogy: The Lightseeker', the debut solo exhibition of 25-year-old Sabah-born multidisciplinary artist Iwadh Mahadi. Developed through the gallery's WLG Incubator programme, the show runs from Tuesday to November 1 at Wei-Ling Contemporary. Iwadh, who works in bamboo mosaics, frottage, printmaking, and experimental processes, spent seven months under the mentorship of acclaimed Malaysian artist Choy Chun Wei, with additional guidance from guest mentor Adam Chodzko, gallery mentor Lim Wei-Ling, and programme coordinator Prissie Ong. The exhibition explores themes of faith, memory, and renewal through what the artist calls 'conceptual naturalism'.
The WLG Incubator, launched in 2020 during the pandemic, was designed to identify and nurture emerging Malaysian contemporary artists through dialogue, mentorship, and rigorous selection. This exhibition matters because it highlights a structured, supportive pathway for young artists from underrepresented regions like Sabah to enter the mainstream art world. Iwadh's trajectory—from rural beginnings to a solo show in a major Kuala Lumpur gallery—demonstrates the incubator's effectiveness in fostering new voices and reflects broader efforts to diversify Malaysia's contemporary art scene.