Azzah Sultan, a Malaysian artist based in New York City, brought Malaysian identity, tradition, culture, and representation together in an art installation to bridge the cultural proximity between the United States of America and Malaysia.
Photo by Ashiqin Ariffin (2025), Trotter&Sholer, New York City
Upon entering the Trotter & Sholer gallery on the Lower East Side of New York City, visitors are greeted by the burst of bright, colorful paintings and different fabrics of various textures integrated into the artworks. "Pengantin Baru,” which translates to “The Newlyweds,” is Azzah Sultan's third solo exhibition, with the gallery centering on the theme of Malay wedding traditions.
Sultan said her work is mainly inspired by childhood nostalgia from attending weddings in Malaysia and focuses on the relation of significant materials or objects in traditional Malay tradition, including Peranakan jewelry. Peranakan refers to the mixed cultural heritage of Chinese Malay in Malaysia and Singapore. Other than the jewelry, her artwork features fabrics such as batik and songket, which are listed in UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Sultan attained a BFA from Parsons School of Design and completed her MFA from Washington State University. Being Malaysian, the idea of incorporating her identity and culture into her work was not the first thing that she turned to as inspiration when she began her studies in the United States. In an interview with EWC Young Professional Ashiqin Ariffin, Sultan said that early on, her work focused on her identity as a Muslim woman living in America. During her graduate studies, she started reflecting more on her culture and later connected it with themes of gender and identity.
Sultan then connected culture with gender and identity by using fabric to represent their intersections. Most of her paintings have no faces, a choice inspired by her time at Washington State University, aiming to channel the focus on the work itself rather than the individual’s identity.
“You could think about the identity through the fabrics and through the colors, rather than what someone looks like, because Malaysia, for me, Malaysia is so mixed, and there are so many different types of ethnic groups in Malaysia, and I wanted that to be something that's universal,” she said.
Another message that Sultan aims to convey through her artwork is about Malaysia’s diversity. She would like people to know that Malaysia is home to various ethnic groups beyond the Malay majority. “I didn't want something that just portrays what a typical Melayu (Malay) person looks like. And a lot of my work is a mix of Southeast Asian as well as some South Asian inspirations [as well], coming from Penang. And I really wanted that to be emphasized in my work,” she added.
From her experience as an artist in the United States, Sultan highlighted that there is an increasing number of Southeast Asian artists exploring the intersection of art and culture, seeking platforms and communities to grow together.
Other notable Malaysian artists and celebrities who have carved their names in the United States include contemporary artist Anne Samat, whose art incorporates traditional weaving techniques from Southeast Asia, watercolor artist Jansen Chow, Michelle Yeoh, Yuna, and Ronny Chieng.
The United States and Malaysia established diplomatic relations upon Malaysia’s independence in 1957, and the two countries have maintained partnerships spanning trade, climate action, investment, and security, and educational and cultural exchanges.
Ashiqin Ariffin is a Spring 2025 Young Professional at the East-West Center in Washington. Ashiqin is currently a second-year Master of Journalism student at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.