Adam Badruddin Syah (b. 2000) is a young painter whose practice is inspired by the late-19th century French Impressionists but with a palette of his own artistic sensibilities. Through his choice of colours, Adam responds to the region’s unique ecology and geography, where light behaves differently from the temperate tones more familiar to Western Impressionism.

As an artist, Adam observes the lives and movements of his subjects with great curiosity and with deep joy, flipping constantly between close study of the 19th century painters he admires and curiosity for the present moment, careful to capture all the fine details. His painting spirit is encapsulated in a quote by Edgar Degas that ‘L’art n’est pas ce que vous voyez, mais ce que vous faites voir.’ (‘Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.’) This idea resonates deeply within Adam’s practice and his aim is not merely to depict, but to invite the viewer into a moment of intimacy with the subjects of his paintings. 

A relatively emerging artist within the Malaysian art scene, Adam has exhibited in a handful of group exhibitions locally. Recent exhibitions include 7 Ways of Seeing (2025, CULT Gallery, KL, and Hin Bus Depot, Penang), Young, Wild & Free #2 (2024, Galeri Puteh, KL), and HOM Art Open (2023, HOM Art Trans, Selangor).