By Dian Pasquinal Kaur
Art curator Sharmin Parameswaran. Photo: Kenny Loh.
Our parents plant the earliest seeds of who we become, often without us realising it. For independent arts project manager and curator Sharmin Parameswaran, childhood meant tagging along on her father’s “boring” gallery visits, until a challenge to sell his art reignited her spark. What began as reluctant exposure soon led to curating her first exhibition.
STARTING POINT
Sharmin now nurtures spaces for people to discover art. Photo: Kenny Loh.
Datuk N. Parameswaran (1948-2022), one of Malaysia’s longest-serving diplomats in the foreign service and devoted collector, amassed one of the country’s most important private art collections. For him, collecting was never just about the artwork. It was about connecting with the artists themselves, and visiting studios and galleries was one of his favourite things to do.
“Although I was exposed to art and artists from a young age, I started refusing to follow my father on art trips as soon as I could say ‘no’, probably in my teenage years,” she recalls. “I eventually found my way back to the visual arts when he challenged me to help sell his collection, offering a commission as incentive. I agreed, and that led me to organise an exhibition for him.”
However, Sharmin found little inspiration in her father’s collection of mostly 1980s and 1990s works, which felt more historical than relevant to her. Drawn to the energy of emerging artists, she asked to include new voices in the show. With his approval, she headed to Arts For Grabs, a monthly bazaar at Central Market, where she met a young artist named Ajim Juxta. She bought her first piece—a frog-like creature on a stone—and soon invited him to join the exhibition.
Her first show, titled At First Glance, combined selected works from her father’s collection with pieces by emerging artists she had personally sought out. The title reflected her instinctive approach to art at the time, judging it by immediate visual impact, without knowing the artist or the context behind the work.
“Over time, curating led me to connect with artists and appreciate the ideas behind their work. Museum shows added context and narrative, revealing art’s broader role in culture and humanity. Managing my father’s collection also brought collaborations with museums and universities, deepening my understanding of its academic and cultural significance,” she says.
LESSONS FROM MY FATHER
Art spaces like Temu House are key to promoting the local art scene. Photo: AmeirFikr
“My father was a meticulous collector. He kept detailed notes, press clippings and publications on every artist he followed,” she shares. At the same time, he stayed attuned to the market, tracking auction results and gallery catalogues. He understood both the academic and market value of art and she believes he intended to eventually present his collection in a historical context for the public.
When asked about the importance of making art accessible for understanding national history and sparking discourse, Sharmin points to her father’s early efforts. During his time in Vietnam in the early 90s, its art scene was emerging and he met many local artists. The experience sparked his interest in wartime art and led to the beginnings of his collection. In 2015, Dato’ Parameswaran loaned that collection to the National University of Singapore Museum, where it remains a decade later.
“The museum archived around 1,200 works, documented the collection and made it available for educational purposes,” she shares. “They’ve also organised exhibitions and published several books, recognising its significance to Vietnam’s history.”
Inheriting his legacy, she admits, has been both overwhelming and inspiring.
“It’s still an ongoing journey but I intend to continue his work, ensuring that the art he collected finds new homes where it can resonate deeply and be truly appreciated.” — Sharmin Parameswaran
Sharmin also loaned 40 works from her father’s collection to the Nik Zainal: Wayang Dunia exhibition at MOCA+, the new extension of the Kompleks Muzium DiRaja Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah in Kuantan, Pahang until end of November. Best known for his wayang kulit figures, the self-taught artist is also represented here through lesser-known landscapes and abstracts reflecting his love for Kelantanese culture and the East Coast.
“The most meaningful part of working on this exhibition with the curator of MOCA+, Syed Hafiz, was once again being able to delve into the collection my dad had diligently collected. Besides art works, it also includes sketches, photogramps, documents and journals. Dad was perhaps collecting with a purpose to build up and present a historical narrative of one of his favourite artists to the future generations.”
Reflecting on this, Sharmin said she would tell her younger self to do basic research on any artwork or artists she comes across and to have the mental discipline to look at her father’s treasury to learn and understand where Malaysian art came from since he’d already done the collecting of artworks and supporting materials.
BUILDING THE MALAYSIAN NARRATIVE
Temu House.Photo: AmeirFikr
“I believe art offers us constant prompts to question, reflect and see things differently. Through the perspectives of artists and their work, we’re given chances to reassess our own beliefs and ways of thinking—sometimes learning something new, sometimes realising it’s time to shift.”
For Sharmin, it’s also a reminder to think critically about the Malaysia we live in and what role, if any, we choose to play in shaping it. Artists channel their views into their work and when those ideas resonate with enough people—tapping into shared thoughts or sensibilities—it can spark a collective narrative that reflects the spirit of the times.
She hopes Malaysia’s art scene will continue evolving in step with global trends, embracing new technologies and responding to the societal shifts shaping our future. To remain vibrant and relevant, the arts must be agile, forward-looking and open to transformation. She also sees Artificial Intelligence (AI) as one of the most transformative forces of our time that we can’t ignore.
The curator opines that close collaborations with artists are essential to showcase their creative narrative. Photo: Kenny Loh.
The next generation of Malaysian artists is uniquely positioned to shape the local art landscape. Living through these technological and cultural shifts, they will naturally reflect, question and interpret them; thus, adding new layers to our evolving visual narrative.
“At the recent Dasein Academy of Art graduation show, I came across a compelling piece titled Spiritual Replacement & Recharging. The artist used anime collector cards as symbols of spirituality and renewal, reflecting on how anime offers escapism and emotional reward in today’s fast-paced, globalised world.”
After 17 years in the media and broadcast industry, Sharmin is now overseeing and curating the visual arts exhibitions and programming at Temu House, an art space in Petaling Jaya that collaborates closely with artists, often supporting ideas that galleries might shy away from, such as installation, digital or works on paper.
Photo: Kenny Loh.
“I see it as an art playground where artists can explore, and I help shape those ideas into full exhibitions.”
In many ways, the art space is an extension of the journey that began with those reluctant childhood gallery visits. Only now, Sharmin is the one nurturing spaces for others to discover art on their own terms. What started as her father’s passion has become her purpose: to carry the torch forward, one thoughtfully curated exhibition at a time.
