SHAH ALAM, Dec 10 — At a gallery in the middle of a green padi field, renowned artist Haron Mokhtar’s artwork catches the eye, one by one. From their colour palettes to their curving lines, every single one is enthralling.
It is not enough to look at the beauty and refined nature of his art. Images of houses and buildings in assorted shapes and forms, which have long been his identity, appear to be living and breathing.
Haron is faithful to historic houses and buildings where other artists are fascinated by the human figure or natural panoramas.For him, houses aren’t just structures; they are a symbol of life.
“I grew up in a shabby hut, so since I was a child, I loved drawing beautiful houses. There was no pencil or paper, but I drew my dream houses in sand.
“A house is a symbol of three major things — economy, politics, and society. From a house, we know who the owner is, how they live, what their ambitions are,” the 62-year-old said.
Recalling memories of over 50 years ago, Haron said he lived in Sungai Besar, Sabak Bernam, with 11 relatives. Though many inhabited the home, he always felt lonely.
In his loneliness, Haron drew every day. Without realising it, his loneliness formed who he is today.
When he was seven, he started selling his drawings. It wasn’t money he was after, but pencils and paper, so he could continue doing his favourite thing — drawing.
“Many friends liked to look at my drawings, because I had a hard life. It was difficult to get paper and pen, so I exchanged my art for those things,” he said.
He brought his hobby to Institut Teknologi MARA (now Universiti Teknologi MARA, or UiTM). Though his parents were hesitant about his aspirations towards art as they thought he wouldn’t have a future, he has never given up.
“I persuaded them by joining teaching, but never left art behind,” Haron said.
From car boot to palace
In 1994, his life started to change. Tens of his artworks were brought by car boot to Galeri Shah Alam. Though he was nervous, he still wanted to try his luck at making a name for himself. It was successful. The gallery management sponsored his first solo exhibit.
Even more of a surprise was that all 60 of his artwork at the Siri Kaseh Sayang exhibit were sold. It was a major turning point, sweetened only by the fact that Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, who was Raja Muda Selangor then, was patron of the gallery.
This became a benchmark for Galeri Shah Alam as well, which succeeded in showing a small artist who was marketable.
“I understand that at the time, His Royal Highness started looking into me, wondering who the unknown artist whose artworks all sold. I’m not boasting, but I was touched. There were also collectors looking for me at the time.
“I’ve never asked for anything, but God sent me good people. His Royal Highness truly appreciates art, loves history. That’s when my fortune started to grow,” Haron reminisced.
Excitement at having his art in museums
Haron couldn’t hide his excitement when more than 20 of his pieces sold at his Siri Perakam Waktu exhibit in 2018 were shown at the Sultan Alam Shah Museum.
He said his eighth solo exhibit was hosted at Galeri Shah Alam as well, and some of his pieces were bought by Sultan Sharafuddin.
“At the exhibit, all 86 pieces were sold. After that, I don’t know where they went, because at the time I only got the money.
“But in 2025, after seven to eight years, only now have I realised that my art is somewhere I view as a noble place — a museum.
“To me, museums are a treasure that have significant meaning for the future. A place where culture perseveres,” he told Media Selangor on November 24.
Siri Perakam Waktu, titled Haron Mokhtar: 1988-2018 Time Capsule, centres four themes — customs, culture and heritage, animals and figures, and transport.
Among other titles in the Sabak Bernam artist’s repertoire is Siri Khazanah Bahari I-IX, Waris Baba dan Nyonya I-III, Pelamin Baba Nyonya, and Balik Haji I-II.
Fondly known as Cikgu Haron, he said this exhibit series left a deep impression due to the colour pattern transitions in the pieces, which symbolise emotional variations.
“I took about two years to finish this piece for this exhibit, and I was ill at the time, so I liked to use dark and sombre colours to reflect emotions under pressure.
“Brighter colours appear towards the end of the series when my health and emotions start to recover. That’s why if you go to the museum, you can see the differences in colours, some are bright and some are muted,” he said.
The Sultan Alam Shah Museum was reopened in February at a cost of RM5.23 million.
More than 1,000 pieces, including artifacts, dioramas, models and replicas, are shown at the museum, which tell stories of history, culture, heritage, and 800 nature-related specimens specific to Selangor and Malaysia.
Padi field gallery
Haron also owns a gallery, named Galeri Merah Teratak Anak Amas. Built in 2021, it was a brainchild of the ninth Selangor Sultan. His Royal Highness’ advice is still fresh in Haron’s memory — “Haron, if you want to set up an art gallery, do it in the countryside. Not in the city. Let the countryside grow.”
Today, his gallery in the suburbs is an art tourism magnet. Every month, visitors from Kuala Lumpur and abroad flock to Sungai Besar to enjoy his art.
“I used to think: who would come here? The roads are so bad,” he said, laughing. “But His Royal Highness said, if people are interested, no matter how bad the conditions are, they will come. And true enough, people are coming.”
Identity in art
Two layers, that’s Haron’s personal touch. A building on top, life below. According to the father of four, this identity of his emerged in 1983 when he was studying the Look East Policy.
“If we look at Bali art, we know it’s from Bali. If we look at Japanese art, we know it’s from Japan. So I asked myself: What’s my identity as a Malay artist?”
Haron’s lecturer once asked him why there was an empty space in each of his pieces. He said the space was for people to breathe, to think.
This concept brought Haron to victory at the Bakat Muda Sezaman contest in 1987, marking his name in local modern art history. Since then, he has been known for this distinct style.
“If people see my art and say ‘this is Haron Mokhtar’, that’s enough for me. It’s like hearing Siti Nurhaliza’s voice, we know it’s her.”
Now in his 60s, Haron has retired from teaching and is giving all his attention to his art. He lives a humble life, surrounded by padi fields that were once his first canvas.
“With art, if we do it with our hearts, it becomes zikir,” he said, who views art not just as a career, but as spiritual.
Haron’s journey is not the glamorous tale of an urban artist, but a story of a village kid who drew his dreams on canvas in colour. From a dilapidated hut in Simpang Lima, he now owns a gallery in his hometown. His art isn’t just decoration for walls, but a visual heritage.
Under the same sky, in the middle of the padi field that watched over him as a child, Haron continues to draw. His hands may be wrinkled, but the colours on his canvas shine bright.
Artist’s profile
Hometown: Simpang Lima, Sungai Besar
Age: 62
Education: Fine arts, UiTM
Career: Former visual arts teacher, now full-time artist
Achievements: Bakat Muda Sezaman winner (1987), eight solo exhibits, hundreds of group exhibits
Art style: Two layers (building and life), concept of home and Malay identity
Gallery: Galeri Merah Teratak Anak Amas, Sungai Besar, Sabak Bernam
* This story was first published in the SelangorKini BM print edition (December 11-17, 2025), free to download here.
