Zulkefli Jais (b. 1996, Perak), also known as “Kecik,” is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans installation, performance, sculpture, and mixed media collages. Grounded in an engagement with social history and collective experience, his work explores the psychological and political structures that shape contemporary life. Drawing on personal and shared memory, Zulkefli constructs open-ended narratives that challenge systems of visibility, identity, and power.
In his latest body of work, Zulkefli turns to the subject of migration and displacement, tracing the sociopolitical tensions that arise when communities are uprooted and order begins to dissolve. Crowds of indistinct, anonymous figures populate the compositions—bodies in motion, suspended between place and placelessness. Through these forms, the artist examines the ways in which conformity, obedience, and survival instinct intersect in moments of crisis.
Central to this inquiry is the notion of anonymity. The facelessness of Zulkefli’s figures is both metaphor and strategy: a concealment of identity that speaks to vulnerability, control, and the ambiguity of intent. As the artist notes, anonymity may be claimed in pursuit of self-expression—or as a means of harm. This tension unsettles clear readings of power, and raises questions around complicity and erasure.
Blending the materiality of sculpture with the visual language of collage and performance, Zulkefli's work navigates the intersection of geography and psychology. His practice advocates for a more layered understanding of displacement—one informed by lived experience, memory, and emotional rupture.
Zulkefli is the recipient of the Young Contemporary Major Award (Bakat Muda Sezaman, 2023) and represented Malaysia at the Gwangju Biennale 2024. His work has been exhibited at the National Art Gallery of Malaysia, among other institutions across the region.