Artist Background

Shaq Koyok is an award-winning contemporary artist and activist from the Temuan Indigenous tribe in Banting, southwest Selangor state, and is known for merging art and activism into a glorious hybrid. His fondest memories are fishing in the nearby peat swamp and hunting small animals in the jungle. In primary school, he discovered art, a passion that shaped the course of his life. In his early years, the land developer encroached on the jungle around his village, and now it is reflected in his many works that the trauma in his childhood has fuelled his passion and led him to fight for his people's land rights. For many years now, he has been a common face at protests, standing shoulder to shoulder with activists to demand equal rights for Orang Asli folk. Additionally, through art, he frequently expresses the plight of the indigenous communities scattered across Malaysia with his bold brush strokes. His work depicts gorgeous portraits of everyday Orang Asli people, with powerful stories that cling tightly to the canvas he paints on. 

  ARTIST'S STATEMENT

“In a rapidly modernising Malaysian state, I’m always trying to capture the tension and pressure faced by my people, whose lives interact with and respect the natural environment. My work emphasises the inequalities that exist between modern consumerism and traditional sustainable ways of life. My work is a reflection of my people and the rainforest in which I grew up, and to show the importance of nature to the Orang Asal. The presentation of artwork also captures a contemporary view of the struggle faced by Malaysia’s indigenous people, and the aim is to contribute to a deeper understanding of multiracial Malaysia.”

  EDUCATION 

● Bachelor of Fine Art (Hons), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Selangor, Malaysia (2009). 

● Diploma of Fine Art, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Melaka, Malaysia (2006).

  AWARDS 

 ● Citra Madani Award, Malaysia 2023 

 ● Eco-Business A-List Award, Singapore 2021. 

 ● Merdeka Award Grant for International Attachment 2017

 ● Indigenous People Icon Award, 2015.

 ● Indigenous People Excellence Award by Tourism Selangor, 2015. •

ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2025 • Art talk in Rainmaker Gallery, Bristol, UK 

• Presented papers in panel discussion at COP30 Belem, Brazil 

• Puppetry workshop and panel discussion at Theatre Arts Conference, Singapore

• Panel and presented paper at the Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress, Chicago, USA 

• Puppetry workshop and presented paper at Coastal Community Conference, Labuan Bajo, Indonesia

• Awas Mawas Community Puppetry Project, Malaysia 

• 2024 • Presented a paper at COP29, Baku, Alzerbaijan 

• Presented a paper at University of Plymouth, UK

• 2023 • Presented two papers at COP28, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

• Presented a paper at Cultural Wisdom for Climate Action, Bangkok, Thailand