Deliberately enigmatic, Zelin Seah’s abstract works belie an awareness of his positionality in Malaysia’s socio-political landscape, often drawing from his experiences and struggles with identity. In 2016, his solo exhibition ‘Swimmer’ featured distortions of Peranakan motifs in what he describes as “liquid times”, referring to the precarious nature of cultural heritage in an ever-changing world. For Art Expo Malaysia 2018, he presented ‘In Awe of Things’ , a collection of vertical works that drew inspiration from Shan Shui (山水), a style of traditional Chinese ink painting that emphasises the use of negative space that connote specific philosophical tenets.