In ‘Me, Then Blue’, artist Alice Chang reimagines centuries-old porcelain fragments from a shipwreck into striking works of art, inviting viewers to embrace brokenness as beauty. The exhibition at Lai Lai Art Gallery is a quiet yet powerful meditation on memory, heritage and resilience.
Fragments of Blue
‘Me, Then Blue’ at Lai Lai Art Gallery
ON a balmy Saturday evening, June 28, we stepped into a world of cobalt dreams at the launch of ‘Me, Then Blue’, a new exhibition at Lai Lai Art Gallery in Kuala Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
Tucked within a converted bungalow in an old Chinese neighbourhood, the gallery offered a nostalgic and intimate setting – one that felt both rooted and revelatory.
At the entrance, Alice Chang – artist, sculptor and founder of Lai Lai Art Gallery – greeted guests alongside the neighbourhood’s community chief, affectionately known as the Choon Chiong (Cantonese for ‘Village Chief’).
As a fellow Cantonese speaker from Sarawak, I was charmed by this traditional title, rarely heard in contemporary Malaysia, yet perfectly fitting for the evening’s warmth and sense of cultural continuity.
Chang, known for her bold mosaics and public art installations, is a familiar name in Kuala Lumpur’s art scene.
I first encountered her work during a Mooncake Festival installation at Kwai Chai Hong, where her vibrant, community-focused art left a lasting impression.
Her practice, often centred around heritage, identity and memory, has since expanded into prominent spaces across the city. But Lai Lai Art Gallery is perhaps her most personal project to date.
More than just a showcase, Lai Lai functions as a creative hub – hosting exhibitions, workshops, and artistic dialogues that nurture both emerging and established talents.
Under Alice’s thoughtful leadership, it has become a home for Malaysian creativity, including voices from East Malaysia.
The opening of ‘Me, Then Blue’ was a true celebration, drawing artists, collectors, friends, and visitors from across Malaysia, China and beyond.
Upon entering, we were immediately enveloped in hues of cerulean – from the décor and lighting to the food – all curated in homage to the exhibition’s central motif: blue and white porcelain.
During the opening ceremony, a visiting professor from Jingdezhen – China’s legendary porcelain capital – shed light on the origins of the porcelain fragments featured in the exhibition.
These authentic pieces were salvaged from the 17th-century Wanli shipwreck, a Portuguese trading vessel en route from Jingdezhen to Europe and Asia that sank off the coast of Terengganu.
Centuries later, in the 1990s, local fishermen stumbled upon its fragile cargo: over 9,000 kilograms of blue-and-white porcelain, now treasured for their historical and cultural significance.
Named after Emperor Wanli (1573-1620), the shipwreck underscores Malaysia’s overlooked role in maritime trade along the ancient Silk Roads – now recognised by UNESCO.
These fragments of qinghua (blue-and-white porcelain), which reached artistic heights during the Ming and Qing dynasties, serve as both relics and metaphors in Alice’s hands.
Rather than restore or reshape them, Alice chose to work with the shards as they were – raw, sharp and full of untold stories.
“What truly moved me were the broken porcelain pieces,” she said, “overlooked and discarded, even though they share the same history as those displayed in museums or sold at auctions.”
Through a delicate process of reimagining, she has transformed these fragments into 11 mixed-media sculptures, each one intimate, complex, and layered.
Complementing them are 20 oil paintings rendered entirely in blue and white, echoing traditional porcelain motifs – pomegranates, florals, and swirling patterns – all painted with reverence and restraint.
The result is a space that feels almost meditative. Surrounded by glinting surfaces and quiet forms, one experiences a profound sense of calm, fragility, and healing.
Alice’s decision to celebrate brokenness is both literal and symbolic, inviting us to reconsider value, dignity, and resilience in a world that often discards what it deems imperfect.
‘Me, Then Blue’ is more than an exhibition. It is a deeply personal meditation on memory, craft, and continuity – an invitation to see beauty not only in the whole, but in the broken.
The exhibition runs until July 29, 2025, at Lai Lai Art Gallery, Kuala Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. Opening hours are 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed on Mondays and Thursdays.
