Marisa R. Ng

b. 1977, Malaysia

Studying at the National Academy of Arts, Culture & Heritage (ASWARA) in Kuala Lumpur, Marisa had an epiphany – on a chance trip to Pulau Kapas she discovered that art was her calling, leading her to expand her fine arts journey under renowned Malaysian abstract artists Suzlee Ibrahim and Ismadi Sallehudin.

With a painting style that gravitates toward abstract expressionism, Marisa believes that pure abstract art comes from the soul and the mind. In 2022 she started her latest experimentation with aluminium. Seeing it as a metaphor for the relationships we form throughout life, human behaviour, and societal systems, Marisa explores the relationship between paints, bitumen, wood stains, and turpentine chemicals on a non-absorbent surface, seeing how each medium reacts to another. For these pieces, her process involves using aluminium bars to control the pressure on the surface, allowing the aluminium panels to show through. Balancing force and momentum, as well as cohesion and deliberation is key in her work.

Marisa has participated in various solo and group exhibits across Southeast Asia, in places such as Malaysia and Indonesia. Marisa most recently showcased her work at TAKSU Kuala Lumpur’s, ‘Locals Only! 2024’ exhibition, and ‘afterlife’, a group exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur in 2023. She is currently doing her residency with Rovski Sdn Bhd. Marisa’s work can be found in public and private collections alike in places such as Malaysia, Singapore, and London; currently they hang in the public collections of Air Asia Red Q, The Bar Council Malaysia, and the Amari Hotel.