Alice Chang's Me, Then Blue exhibition at Lai Lai Art Gallery features sculptures and paintings using authentic broken relics from the Wanli shipwreck, transforming forgotten history into new beauty.
By DANIAL FUAD
Malaysian artist Alice Chang invites visitors on a profound journey through time and emotion with her latest solo exhibition, Me, Then Blue. Unveiled at Lai Lai Art Gallery in Ampang, this deeply personal and historically grounded showcase honours a forgotten chapter of Malaysia’s maritime legacy. Each piece in the exhibition uniquely features authentic broken fragments of Jingdezhen porcelain, meticulously reimagined from the historic Wanli shipwreck.
The Storied Past of the Wanli Shipwreck
The exhibition’s narrative begins in the early 1600s, during the zenith of China’s Ming Dynasty. A Portuguese merchant ship, laden with thousands of pieces of highly coveted blue-and-white kraak porcelain from Jingdezhen, set sail for markets across Asia and Europe. Tragically, the vessel sank off the coast of Terengganu, remaining undiscovered for centuries.
When local fishermen stumbled upon the wreck in the 1990s, they had, unknowingly, unearthed a remarkable time capsule of maritime trade, craftsmanship, and cross-cultural exchange. Named the Wanli shipwreck after Emperor Wanli (1573-1620) of the Ming Dynasty, the fragments offered historians a rare glimpse into the artistry and global demand for Chinese ceramics. This discovery also powerfully reaffirmed Malaysia’s strategic role as a thriving trading hub in the 17th century, a legacy further recognized under the UNESCO Silk Roads Programme. These remarkably preserved artefacts continue to tell stories that have endured through time and tide.
Jingdezhen Porcelain: A Symbol of Timeless Artistry
Jingdezhen, famously known as China’s ‘Porcelain Capital,’ boasts over a thousand years of ceramic production, reaching its artistic and technical peak during the Ming Dynasty, especially under the Wanli Emperor. Its porcelain is prized for a combination of artistic mastery, technical precision, and cultural symbolism. Artisans developed advanced kiln technologies and glaze techniques, producing porcelain with exceptional whiteness, translucency, and durability. The vivid cobalt blue underglaze on pure white porcelain became an iconic aesthetic, setting a global standard for elegance. This porcelain was highly sought after by royal courts and merchants worldwide, becoming a luxury export and a symbol of wealth. Its distinctive style influenced ceramic traditions and trade patterns globally for centuries.
‘Me, Then Blue’: Alice Chang’s Emotional and Conceptual Journey
Alice Chang’s Me, Then Blue exhibition is deeply personal. It seeks to honour Malaysia’s often-unrecognized maritime legacy through art, coinciding with the 400th anniversary of the shipwreck. Each piece in the exhibition features authentic broken fragments from the Wanli shipwreck, meticulously reimagined into contemporary artworks.
The title itself reflects the artist’s emotional and conceptual journey – a reflection on the beauty of brokenness, memory, and reclamation.” Alice explains her inspiration, “when I came across the story of the Wanli shipwreck, I was struck by how something so deeply connected to our history had been quietly resting just off our coastline.” She saw it as “a forgotten chapter waiting to be told.”
“What truly moved me were the broken porcelain pieces—overlooked and discarded, even though they shared the same historic value as those that ended up in prestigious auction houses,” Alice revealed. “I wanted to give them a new lease of life, to transform what was once considered worthless into something meaningful and beautiful.” She finds quiet poetry in working with what’s broken, hoping her art honours “not just the objects, but the resilience and forgotten stories they represent.”
Artistic Exploration: Themes and Techniques
Through Me, Then Blue, Alice Chang invites visitors into an underwater dreamscape where history, emotion, and artistry converge. Soft blue lighting bathes the gallery, creating a tranquil atmosphere for reflection. The exhibition explores profound themes:
- Resilience and Fragility
- Highlighting the paradox of delicate porcelain surviving the sea and the strength found in reconstructing broken pieces.
- Cultural Continuity
- Honouring the original artisans of Jingdezhen while breathing new life into their craft.
- Memory and Place
- Situating Malaysia in the broader global maritime trade narrative, often overlooked in dominant historical accounts.
The exhibition features 11 sculptures and 20 paintings. The sculptures, adorned with salvaged relics, are crafted without changing or cutting the original pieces, respecting their history and originality. The paintings, composed entirely in shades of blue and white oil on canvas, draw inspiration from the intuitive beauty of traditional porcelain designs. These designs often transformed everyday objects into intricate patterns by artisans without formal art training. Alice’s work pays homage to this “spirit of unassuming artistry.” Ultimately, value isn’t determined by perfection, and through Alice’s hands, what was once broken is made whole again—artistically, emotionally, and historically.
About Alice Chang and Lai Lai Art Gallery + Studio
Alice Chang is a Malaysian contemporary artist and the founder of Lai Lai Art Gallery + Studio. She is recognized for her bold use of colour, intricate mosaic techniques, and community-driven public art, often exploring themes of heritage, identity, and memory. Her signature large-scale murals and sculptures at TRX City Park and Kwai Chai Hong have become significant landmarks in Kuala Lumpur. In this exhibition, Alice shifts to a quieter form of storytelling, rooted in archaeology and deep reflection. She views art as a vessel for preserving history, reclaiming lost narratives through a fusion of traditional materials and contemporary expression.
Lai Lai Art Gallery + Studio, located in Kuala Ampang, serves as a creative space for artistic exploration, cultural dialogue, and community connection. It hosts numerous exhibitions and workshops for both emerging and established artists. The gallery acts as a showcase for Alice’s work and a nurturing environment for Malaysia’s broader creative community. With Me, Then Blue, the gallery continues its mission to elevate underrepresented histories and connect them with present-day audiences through art. Lai Lai Art and Alice Chang were also recently named among the Top 4 Finalists at the Nippon Creative Colour Awards 2025 for their mural, Spirit of Land and River.
The Me, Then Blue exhibition is open to the public free of charge from June 29 to July 29, 2025. Visitors can experience this unique display at Lai Lai Art Gallery, located at 2, Lorong Awan 3, Kuala Ampang, Selangor. The gallery’s opening hours are 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, closed on Mondays and Thursdays.
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