Phuan Tai Meng

PHUAN is regarded by some as one of the best contemporary artists in Malaysia, and it's not hard to see why. He combines a mastery of painting with cool conceptual rigour and a proclivity to experiment across media. In his Oops! Saw It (2009, acrylic on linen and plaster of Paris on plywood, 150cm by 150cm), he paints a realistic image of a construction site on linen, only to hike up its bottom half to reveal a black liquid-like surface that resembles a pool of sewage water.

Phuan says: "The painting is that of a construction site in KL that has been abandoned since the 1997 financial crisis - one of many such sites dotting the city. I wanted to convey the idea of wasted potential and highlight the problems of the global financial system."