In December 2011, eight Malaysian photographers were invited to join in an Advance Visual Storytelling workshop by American photographer Justin Mott. The workshop and exhibition are sponsored by the US Embassy in Malaysia. The workshop and exhibition presented a challenge for them: to find seldom told stories in Malaysia and to tell them through photography.

In the former leper colony of Sungai Buloh, Mazlan Samion shares with us the solitary life of a lone former leprosy patient. Amidst the gentrification of Damansara Perdana, Azreen Madzlan highlights the story of an Orang Asli Temuan family – the original people there – and their struggle to fit into the new urban development. All the way in Tg Dawai, Kedah, Sze Ning follows a few ikan bilis fishermen into the sea as they battle wave and weather for a meagre income.

Meanwhile, in the capital, Danny Lim reveals the symbiotic relationship we have with the pulsing rivers that run through the city. Mahen Bala roams the restless streets in search of napping souls, painting a portrait of Kuala Lumpur as a city that is perpetually tired and perpetually tiring. The endless struggle to survive in the big bad city is captured by Azwan Mahzan as he trains his camera on workers who surround us daily and who seem almost anonymous.

On a more heartwarming note, Izzat Yahaya found a big family that is fostering over 20 orphans, providing love, shelter and guidance to them. Dog-lover Steven Goh travelled to a humble shack for stray dogs in Klang, showing how a little care goes a long way in restoring dignity to all living things.

The eight Malaysian photographers represent a growing number of young photographers with a keen interest in social issues. Some of them are active in collaborating with NGOs, some are full-time photographers who want to find a personal voice beyond what they shoot for work. Shooting across the Klang Valley and beyond, the photographers have uncovered stories that were once without words but are now worth thousands.

Curated by Justin Mott and Pang Khee Teik.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

STEVEN GOH: The Dog Days Are Over
DANNY LIM: In Our Element
IZZAT YAHAYA: Keluarga Besar
MAHEN BALA: The Sleeping Tiger
MAZLAN SAMION: A Former Leprosy Patient
SZE NING: Small Makings with Little Fish
WAN MAHZAN: Living for the City
AZREEN MADZLAN: The Temuan of the Concrete Forest