Khairulddin Wahab, a Singapore-based painter, infuses his vibrant canvases with the environmental and colonial histories of Southeast Asia. This presentation of work at Tina Kim Gallery marks Wahab’s debut in the United States, where he presents a new body of work that draws connections between Singapore’s colonial past and broader global forces, including those originating in the United States.

His new series, on view at Tina Kim Gallery, stems from Wahab’s research into the brutal colonial legacies of the Malaysian region, with a particular focus on the Dutch and British control over nutmeg, once indigenous only to parts of Malaysia and central to the spice trade economy. Through this micro-history, Wahab exposes the larger structures of exploitation and environmental transformation that accompanied European imperialism in Southeast Asia. His practice is deeply influenced by Singapore’s material culture, especially Batik textile techniques. Echoing Batik’s layered compositions and interplay of positive and negative space, Wahab’s paintings explore how taste, trade, and territorial ambition, particularly British sensibilities and aesthetic preferences, shaped not only the physical landscape of Singapore, but also its cultural identity.

With bold color and compositional complexity, Wahab’s works critically engage with extractive colonial systems while reflecting on the enduring power dynamics between East and West. His paintings act as both historical inquiry and personal reflection, offering a visual language for understanding how global forces have long impacted local environments.