What does time mean to you? That was the question asked of six Malaysian artists and two illustrators when they were invited to partake in Swiss Watch Gallery’s signature Art of Time event currently ongoing at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. 

Into its fifth edition, the 10-day event gathers 14 global watch brands in an experiential showcase right in the heart of the city’s retail centre. This year also marks the 15th anniversary for Swiss Watch Gallery. In celebration of the occasion, Swiss Watch Gallery has decided to elevate the experience by including “art and movement” through a collaboration with talents from the local arts community. 

“Art of Time started as a signature event when Swiss Watch Gallery celebrated their 10th anniversary. Now for its 15th year, the aim is to add a richer experience,” said Jacqueline Toyad, assistant vice president of marketing for Valiram Group, which owns the multi-label watch retailer. 

Drawing inspiration from the different watch brands presented and the unique yet similarly painstaking process in watchmaking, the organisers felt that there is a sense of solidarity to be found between the world of fine watchmaking and that of art. “From these artwork you can see that even with the same theme, each process has its own complexities, with different expressions. It’s the same in watchmaking,” added Toyad. 

The artists and illustrators — Yusof Gajah, A Zaki Hadri, Mohd Yusuf Abd Wahid, Tham Siew Moi, Emila Yusof, Zarina Abdullah, Ellie Yong and Lisette Scheers — were given a free hand to depict their personal interpretations of time. 

As one descends the steps of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur into the showcase, two panoramic works flanking the reception area greet visitors.  On the right is digital artist Ellie Yong’s dreamscape work, depicting a fantastical theme park-like scene with a floating young girl looking on. It describes time as something no one has control over, with everyone just riding through it. On the right is Lisette Scheers’s bright red and white design inspired by Art Deco, which was painted on site.

Incorporating his signature strokes is veteran artist Yusof Gajah. Known for his vibrant and childlike style, he introduced a new addition to his Bulat Series for Art of Time. The colourful ‘circle’ painting, titled Time Flies, represents creativity and the earth, its form and the menagerie of animals within it symbolic of time and life’s cycle. 

Next to it, young artist Emila Yusof’s acrylic on canvas work presents an animated and whimsical image in Lost in Time in Chronoland, which mimics the make of a watch in a painting reminiscent of a digital artwork. On the other hand, Zarina Abdullah opts for a more personal look at time, portrayed through the wrinkles and etches of lines on a human face. 

Mohd Yusuf Wahid’s still life painting of a cabinet stocked with familiar but old objects in Retrospection is a nostalgic piece that evokes memories of Malaysia’s past. A Zaki Hadri takes visual cues from the steampunk movement in his mixed media abstract piece, Time Complexity.

In an expression of  life’s beauty and time as a precious gift, Tham Siew Moi paints a scene that is, at once, pretty and melancholic, with symbols like barren trees, a clock and quilted patchworks to illustrate her point. 

The commissioned artwork have become a launch pad for an upcoming corporate social responsibility programme for Valiram — each artwork is up for silent auction, and the proceeds channelled to an outreach programme which will be announced by the group at a later date. Further enquiries can be made at [email protected]. Art of Time runs until Oct 23.