The Art of Taking Part

ELLFIAN RAHIM | 6 April 2026

Hands-on and welcoming, Kuala Lumpur’s growing number of workshops and creative studios – from painting and printmaking to craft-making – invite everyone to try their hand, making art both accessible and fun for all.

FOR Jeffrey Lim, photography has never just been about the image – it is about the act of seeing.

With more than 25 years behind the lens, his practice has moved fluidly between documentation and experimentation, often engaging with social narratives through cultural mapping, performative installations and conceptual imagery.

His works draw from found objects, lived spaces, and quiet observations – layered approaches that reflect a deep attentiveness to the world around him.

Today, that same sensibility shapes his role as an educator.

At Jeffrey Lim’s Kanta.Studio and Kanta.Darkroom within GMBB, photography becomes hands-on. Lim invites participants to slow down, experiment, and experience the craft up close – making art both accessible and deeply engaging.

At Kanta.Studio and Kanta.Darkroom, both located within GMBB, Lim has created spaces that feel as much like laboratories as they do classrooms. Here, photography returns to its tactile roots – film, chemicals, light and time.

Using a restored century-old camera and traditional silverprint techniques, he invites participants to slow down and engage with the craft in its most elemental form.

“All around me, I see a trend towards getting hands on, returning to more fundamental techniques and methods in recent times – the learning of the craft of photography,” he says. “So right now, I hold a weekend workshop once a month, tutorials, modules on film photography, creative art photography and darkroom printing.”

These sessions are not just about technical skill. They are about re-learning how to look – how to notice light, texture and detail in ways that digital immediacy often bypasses. In that sense, Lim’s workshops are part of a larger shift: a growing desire to make art not just something to consume, but something to experience and create.

This spirit extends throughout GMBB itself. What was once envisioned as a fashion wholesale mall has, over time, evolved into a thriving hub for creatives.

As Lim Ying Xian, Senior Manager of Programmes and Partnerships, explains: “GMBB's transformation into a haven for creatives began when its founders recognised the need for a space in Malaysia’s rapidly evolving capital that empowered creativity in a new way. This shift was inspired by the founders’ admiration for successful art-centric spaces abroad, such as the 798 Art Zone in Beijing and PMQ in Hong Kong; and their keen observation of Malaysia's need for physical spaces where local creatives, artists and artisans could thrive.

“As a creative community mall, we wanted not just to house artists and artisans, but to help them build communities and foster ecosystems. We wanted to lean into the communal aspect of the arts, and use that as the bedrock for everything we do.”

Phrygian Acraft Crafted & Curated Goods at GMBB is now offering a leather-crafting workshop.

Today, that vision is visible across its many floors. Spaces like Fusion Wayang Kulit, Phrygian Acraft Crafted & Curated Goods, The Fluid Box, Lasprecious Design, Lipstick Diary, Bojen Sam Art & Creativity, Yu Wagashi, Shi Terrazzo Atelier and Summer Galleries offer more than just finished products – they open doors into process.

Visitors can try their hand at everything from terrazzo casting and illustration to craft-making and design, often guided by the artists themselves. The experience is informal, accessible and welcoming. You do not need prior training – only curiosity.

A similar ethos can be found at Central Market Kuala Lumpur, long regarded as one of the city’s most enduring creative enclaves. Here, workshops and hands-on experiences are woven into the visitor journey.

Studios such as Ainna Artwork and pop-up craft booths offer opportunities to experiment with painting and handmade crafts. At Bear It Arts & Craft Workshop one can learn how to customise your own plushie. The studio also introduced a quirky craft trend from China called Decodent Cream, where customers pipe colourful glue onto surfaces and adorn them with a dazzling selection of tiny accessories.

At Bear It Arts & Craft Workshop, workshops for all ages invite visitors to dive in, get creative, and indulge their arty side.

Proprietor Cynthia Chuah runs a variety of workshops here for children, couples, and groups of friends. From painting plaster figurines and coin banks to creating batik artworks, there’s something for everyone. “With this, I get to indulge in two of my greatest passions – creativity and children. My aim is to create a playground for kids to experiment and dive into their creativity,” reveals Chuah.

Beyond Central Market’s walls, the ecosystem continues to expand. Just down the road at Lorong Panggong, you’ll find the lostgens.artspace which introduces visitors to printmaking techniques. In nearby Kwai Chai Hong, festive seasons bring pop-up art and craft workshops such as Chinese brush painting and paper-cutting into public spaces, while along the River of Life, SketchNation’s art classes invite passersby to pause and draw the city as they see it.

At Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, the School of Hard Knocks by Royal Selangor introduces participants to metalworking traditions. At the Museum of Science Arts and Innovation for Children on Jalan Tun Perak, there are always opportunities to discover, create and design. The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia is another space closeby that always hosts workshops – from embroidery to silkscreen printing and geometric pattern drawing.

Workshops at Lost Prints, now a regular feature at lostgens.artspace, give visitors the chance to experiment, create and engage hands-on with art.

Taken together, these spaces reflect a broader shift in how art is experienced in Kuala Lumpur. It is no longer confined to galleries or institutions – it spills into malls, heritage buildings, laneways and riversides.

More importantly, it invites participation.

For families, it becomes a shared activity. For young people, a form of self-expression. For visitors, a way to connect more meaningfully with the city. And for those who may never have considered themselves “artistic,” it offers a gentle entry point – one workshop, one experiment, one small act of making at a time.

In this landscape, art becomes less about mastery and more about belonging.