2007/08/24
Klang Valley Streets/Why I love... Brickfields: Art, heart and character
By : LOKE POH LIN
An art-gallery owner tells LOKE POH LIN why she finds Brickfields an interesting neighbourhood.
LIM Wei-Ling, the affable founder and director of Wei-Ling Gallery (WLG) in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, is passionate about the attractions of the neighbourhood where she works.
The gallery, located in Jalan Scott, a quiet side street off Jalan Brickfields, has been rebuilt, literally from the ashes of her father’s office when fire gutted the premises in April 2004.
Being the powerhouse of contemporary art that it is, the juxtaposition of WLG amongst a row of old shophouses which include a budget hotel and the disused offices of one of Kuala Lumpur’s oldest bus companies, is interesting to say the least. This is the charm of Brickfields, where old and new rub shoulders in happy kinship.
Q: Where do you work and how long have you been there?
A: I moved my art gallery to Brickfields in September 2005, but as my dad’s office, JLD, has been here for the last 15 years, I’ve always been familiar with the neighbourhood.
Q: What do you like about the neighbourhood?
A: There’s an edginess and rawness about Brickfields that is very real. Whenever we have overseas guests, we make sure they spend a couple of hours exploring the neighbourhood to get a feel of the place.
You can find everything here from printers and paper suppliers, an Indian Temple, a Buddhist temple, the Temple of Fine Arts, a couple of churches, schools, shops with Indian saris, spices and more, a vet, pet shops, hardware shops, great food (people come from all over KL to eat here) and of course contemporary art!
The great thing about Brickfields is its location. It is literally five minutes to the city and KL Sentral is within walking distance.
Q: What don’t you like about it? What improvements would you like to see in your neighbourhood?
A: I wouldn’t change how it looks and feels. However, I would like to see the streets and roads being cleaned more often. The whole place is a bit neglected.
Q: What do you do around here? In terms of shopping, eating, etc?
A: I spend my whole day at the gallery, so I spend much of my time eating and drinking in Brickfields. I also pick up all my hardware from the shops here and one of my dogs is treated by Dr Prem at the clinic down the road. Most convenient.
Q: Where are your favourite places for dining out, shopping, recreation and why?
A: We frequent this amazing banana leaf restaurant down the road from us called Vishal Curry house. Fresh home-cooked food every day. What more could one ask for? This is one of the restaurants that everyone comes to Brickfields to eat at.
The other best kept secret is a Chinese restaurant called Woo Lan. Superb Chinese fare.
Q: Can you name a secret or two in your neighbourhood that you’d like to tell us about?
A: The best goreng pisang and curry puffs in KL are found in Brickfields. You’ve got to try them!
Of course, in case you didn’t know, you can also find some of Malaysia’s most cutting-edge art at my gallery! So pop by whenever you are in the neighbourhood.