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KL Lifestyle Art Space, also known as KLAS, is a Malaysian art gallery and auction house, specialising in Modern and Contemporary artworks from Malaysia and around the world.



Beginnings
KL Lifestyle Art Space first opened its doors at Tropicana City Mall in 2011, with the intention of embarking into art auctions by the next calendar year. KLAS hosted its first art auction in September 2012 – the Inaugural Indonesian and Malaysian Modern & Contemporary Art Auction at Nusantara Grand Ballroom in Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur selling over RM 2.7 million worth of artworks in the inaugural auction. The second KLAS auction dubbed “The Malaysian Modern & Contemporary Art Auction 2012” sold over RM2.4 million worth of artworks, achieving over 90% in sales from 108 artworks. It was evident during this auction that Malaysian art aficionados started to take a keen interest in the auctions hosted by KLAS. The interest surged steadily during the third auction, during which sales catapulted and surpassed the RM3 million mark, with over 92% in sales garnered.

KLAS’s introductory auction in 2012 saw the debut by Malaysian and Indonesian artists Cheong Soo Pieng, Yeoh Jin Leng, Jeihan Sukmantoro and Srihadi Soedarsono alongside established masters Datuk Ibrahim Hussein and Hoessein Enas.

In 2013, Filipino artists began to pervade KLAS, led by Ang Kiukok, Malang Santos, Benedicto Cabrera and much recently, Jose Joya. 2013 was also the year Singaporean artworks began making its way into the KLAS art auction, which in turn opened KLAS to a new market of art buyers in Singapore. Work from Chen Wen Hsi, Cheong Soo Pieng, Liu Kang, Tan Choh Tee from Singapore, Laxman Pai, B Vithal and Suhas Roy from India and Bangladesh respectively, John Coburn and David Bromley of Australia, Sujarit Hirankul] of Thailand, Min Wae Aung] of Myanmar and many more were auctioned by KLAS.

Creating awareness of Malaysian and Southeast Asian art
Today, KLAS’s stronghold is its newly purpose built gallery located at 31, Jalan Utara, where daily operation and auctions take place. The gallery is currently undergoing further renovations which will see it doubling the gallery floor space by the third quarter of 2020.

Designed by founder and chief executive officer, Datuk Gary Thanasan, the purpose-built gallery presents art in a mini international art museum format, which has since encouraged countless art galleries within the country to raise the bar, making it on par with international standards.

Malaysia has today a fast growing and active art scene in the region with a significant increase of new collectors coming into the art market annually. As the leading force in the promotion of art in Malaysia, KLAS’ chief goal is to create awareness of Malaysian art. Its gallery in Jalan Utara, Petaling Jaya, serves as a platform to educate the masses on the thriving local visual art industry, background of art legends and upcoming artists as well as the provenance of their brilliant works. It is also through KLAS Art Auctions that art connoisseurs and young collectors are able to get their hands on coveted works by venerable artists.

Exhibitions

 * 777 important and rare masterpieces from Malaysia and Singapore, March 20 2019 – April 30 2019
 * A New Moon – a two-man show by Nizar Kamal Aiffin and sSed Thajudeen, May 2, 2019 - June 5, 2018
 * REMEMBERING KHALIL IBRAHIM – TRIBUTE EXHIBITION@KLAS, June 1, 2018 – June 17, 2018
 * THE WORLD OF DAVID BROMLEY, Aug 8 – 30, 2017
 * HOMAGE TO PAGO-PAGO, May 2 – 18, 2016
 * MINIATURE WORKS BY RAPHAEL SCOTT AHBENG – 2014
 * KWAN CHIN EXHIBITION – 2013
 * THE FACES OF ABSTRACTION BY NIZAR KAMAL ARIFFIN – 2013
 * MOSAIC XIII, 2nd ANNIVERSARY SHOW 2013 – 2013
 * HORIZON, CELEBRATING NATIONHOOD THROUGH ART – 2013
 * WWF – ART FOR NATURE – 2013
 * OUR BEING BY JEIHAN SUKMANTORO – 2012
 * A GOLDEN ERA BY TEW NAI TONG (1936-2013) – 2012
 * MOSAIC XII, 1ST ANNIVERSARY SHOW – 2012
 * SPIRIT OF EAST COAST BY ISMAIL MAT HUSSIN – 2012
 * PEASANT LANDSCAPE BY KHALIL IBRAHIM AND SHAFURDIN HABIB – 2011
 * MALAYSIAN GEMS, A GROUP EXHIBITION – 2011
 * EAST COAST NATIVE, A GROUP EXHIBITION – 2011
 * PAINTINGS ON LOVE... BY SYED THAJUDEEN – 2011

Press Coverage

 * A painting went under the hammer for more than RM940k The Malaysian Reserve, Oct 3, 2019


 * Inspired by new moon The Star, May 30, 2019


 * Latiff Mohidin’s Pago Pago works among top picks at art auction The Star, Sept 21, 2018


 * Three-part exhibition by Aussie artist enters second leg The Star, Sept 15, 2017


 * Ibrahim's 'Jellyfish' on show in Malaysia for first time The Star, Oct 22, 2016


 * Art exhibition in Bangsar in support of nature conservation The Star, Oct 29, 2013
 * RM2.99mil new record sales in third edition of Malaysian Art Auction The Star, April 12, 2013
 * RM500k, going once, going ... Masterpieces by Malaysian and Indonesian artists to go under the hammer The Star, Sept 12, 2012
 * Blending Eastern mysticism with a Western approach The Star, Nov 16, 2011
 * Artists tell stories through their works at Malaysian Gems exhibition The Star, April 20, 2011
 * National Art Gallery acquires pieces from new gallery The Star, March 7, 2011