Malaysian artist Ise (Roslisham Ismail) dies at 47 in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian artist Roslisham Ismail, widely known as Ise, has died at age 47 in Kuala Lumpur due to complications from kidney disease, which he had been managing for years. His multidisciplinary practice encompassed installation, animation, collage, publications, and social practice, often drawing inspiration from popular culture and local community histories. He founded the artist space Parking Project in his Kuala Lumpur apartment and co-founded the Malaysian art publication sentAp!, whose name abbreviates a phrase meaning 'art without prejudice.' Ise's 2009 collage NEP utilized stickers, posters, and ephemera advertising services of illegal migrant workers in Malaysia to examine official and unofficial histories of Southeast Asia. He participated in numerous international biennials, including the Istanbul Biennale (2005), Jakarta Biennale (2009), Singapore Biennale (2011), and Sharjah Biennale (2019). A major solo exhibition of his work was presented at the National Gallery in Singapore in 2015. In 2016, his project The Self Help Open Space Project with Kelly Street collaborative in New York exemplified his community-focused approach, inspired by local area history. His work consistently engaged with social issues and regional narratives through accessible visual language.