Kota Kinabalu: Polygon Forest – an exhibition by local visual artist Japson Wong, comprises more than 20 art pieces made from discarded materials.
They include broken plastic stools, packaging trays, abandoned furniture and even chicken coop wires and explores the intersection of waste and imagination — where trash transforms into narrative and the abandoned becomes a vessel of emotional complexity.
The exhibition at Tinggi Tinggi Creative Hub in Jesselton Quay lasts from July 1 to Sept 1.
For Japson, each item he collects is more than debris.
“They are things that used to be part of someone’s life. I want to give them new meaning as a second story,” he told Daily Express.
Walking into the space, visitors are immediately enveloped by a surreal, almost meditative world of angular lines, vivid colours and intimate storytelling.
From giant beetles made of metal mesh to fragile floral structures formed out of used filters and spoons, the works speak of rebirth, memory and the blurred line between nature and human-made chaos.
The name Polygon Forest references both the visual style: polygonal, angular, digital-like and the thematic direction of the exhibition.
“Polygons are imperfect shapes. They remind us that beauty doesn’t need symmetry or smoothness. Nature, too, is wild and flawed and that’s what makes it alive,” Japson said.
Much of the material used was collected from alleyways, beaches, junkyards, and construction sites. In Japson’s hands, this detritus becomes poetic.
A piece of broken table leg becomes the neck of a bird. A crumpled plastic basin, once used in a market stall, becomes a flower.
Each work is imbued with a sense of care, contradiction and unexpected tenderness.
“Many people think recycled art is supposed to look ugly, but I don’t believe that. I want to show that even waste can carry emotion,” he added.
Among the standout works is “Penyu Yang Kembali” (The Turtle Returns) by Azman Rassin, a Kota Marudu artist whose intricate use of dot art draws inspiration from traditional Bajau bead patterns.
Created using acrylic in 2025, the RM4,000 painting symbolises the idea of homecoming to the sea, to nature and to one’s cultural roots.
“The dots aren’t just decorative. Each one is a step in a journey, a moment of reflection,” he said.
The inclusion of Azman’s work in the gallery complements the forest’s aesthetic while deepening its message that sustainability isn’t just about reusing materials, but also about honouring heritage.
Another deeply evocative piece is “Not A Unicorn” by Daxton, born in Kota Kinabalu in 1996. Priced at RM30,000, this mixed-media artwork captures a personal story of childhood and emotional vulnerability.
The piece portrays a boy who, feeling the weight of not meeting societal or parental expectations, improvises a whimsical moment by pretending to be a unicorn, not to be perfect, but to make his mother laugh.
“In that moment, he isn’t successful. But he is something real: a child trying, in his own beautiful way, to make his mother smile from the heart,” Japson said.
The sincerity of the story, combined with the raw textures of reused materials, makes “Not A Unicorn” one of the most quietly powerful entries in the exhibition.
They include broken plastic stools, packaging trays, abandoned furniture and even chicken coop wires and explores the intersection of waste and imagination — where trash transforms into narrative and the abandoned becomes a vessel of emotional complexity.
The exhibition at Tinggi Tinggi Creative Hub in Jesselton Quay lasts from July 1 to Sept 1.
For Japson, each item he collects is more than debris.
“They are things that used to be part of someone’s life. I want to give them new meaning as a second story,” he told Daily Express.
Walking into the space, visitors are immediately enveloped by a surreal, almost meditative world of angular lines, vivid colours and intimate storytelling.
From giant beetles made of metal mesh to fragile floral structures formed out of used filters and spoons, the works speak of rebirth, memory and the blurred line between nature and human-made chaos.
The name Polygon Forest references both the visual style: polygonal, angular, digital-like and the thematic direction of the exhibition.
“Polygons are imperfect shapes. They remind us that beauty doesn’t need symmetry or smoothness. Nature, too, is wild and flawed and that’s what makes it alive,” Japson said.
Much of the material used was collected from alleyways, beaches, junkyards, and construction sites. In Japson’s hands, this detritus becomes poetic.
A piece of broken table leg becomes the neck of a bird. A crumpled plastic basin, once used in a market stall, becomes a flower.
Each work is imbued with a sense of care, contradiction and unexpected tenderness.
“Many people think recycled art is supposed to look ugly, but I don’t believe that. I want to show that even waste can carry emotion,” he added.
Among the standout works is “Penyu Yang Kembali” (The Turtle Returns) by Azman Rassin, a Kota Marudu artist whose intricate use of dot art draws inspiration from traditional Bajau bead patterns.
Created using acrylic in 2025, the RM4,000 painting symbolises the idea of homecoming to the sea, to nature and to one’s cultural roots.
“The dots aren’t just decorative. Each one is a step in a journey, a moment of reflection,” he said.
The inclusion of Azman’s work in the gallery complements the forest’s aesthetic while deepening its message that sustainability isn’t just about reusing materials, but also about honouring heritage.
Another deeply evocative piece is “Not A Unicorn” by Daxton, born in Kota Kinabalu in 1996. Priced at RM30,000, this mixed-media artwork captures a personal story of childhood and emotional vulnerability.
The piece portrays a boy who, feeling the weight of not meeting societal or parental expectations, improvises a whimsical moment by pretending to be a unicorn, not to be perfect, but to make his mother laugh.
“In that moment, he isn’t successful. But he is something real: a child trying, in his own beautiful way, to make his mother smile from the heart,” Japson said.
The sincerity of the story, combined with the raw textures of reused materials, makes “Not A Unicorn” one of the most quietly powerful entries in the exhibition.