Artistic Residency & Exhibition By Zoé Vayssières
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Discover the captivating world of art and memory through the eyes of Zoé Vayssières during her two-week artistic residency in Malaysia. Her exhibition Les Éclipsées reveals 100 names of women from the past 43 centuries — free women, adventurers, poets, authors, composers, scientists, doctors, artists, photographers, activists, and local women — bringing their forgotten stories to life through her art.
Drawing on Malaysia’s archives, Zoé’s work focuses on uncovering the names of these overlooked women. As a proponent of narrative art, she uses a minimalist approach that interacts with the site, exploring themes of disappearance, remaining traces, and the passing of time.
Tun Kudu (15th century, Melaka)
Divorced by Sultan Muzaffar Shah and married to the Bendahara, enabling her family to consolidate power. Her son, Tun Mutahir, later became Prime Minister.
Cik Siti Wan Kembang (17th century, Kelantan)
A legendary warrior queen who fought on horseback and ruled Kelantan. She never married and later abdicated in favor of her adopted daughter, Puteri Saadong.
Datu Menteri Babu (19th century, Sabah)
Took over as community leader in 1884, played a key role in tribal wars, and was appointed native chief by the British.
Mahsuri (19th century, Kedah)
Wrongly accused of adultery and executed, she cursed Langkawi for seven generations before her death.
Lim Beng Hong (1898) – Lawyer
First Malaysian woman called to the English Bar and admitted to the Malayan Bar in 1927. She was also the first female representative in the Federal Legislative Council and co-founded the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA).
Sybil Kathigasu (1899) – War Hero & Nurse
Helped anti-Japanese resistance during WWII by secretly treating guerrillas. Tortured but never betrayed secrets. The only Malaysian to receive the George Medal for bravery.
Fatimah Hamid Don (1933) – Professor
First Malay woman professor in Malaysia. Key contributor to national policies on women's rights and education.
Hang Li Po (15th century) – Chinese Princess
According to legend, she was sent by the Ming Emperor to marry Sultan Mansur Shah of Melaka, strengthening diplomatic ties.
Malahayati and the Inong Balee Armada (16th century)
During the reign of Sultan Alaiddin Ali Riayat Syah IV Saidil Mukammil, who ruled the Kingdom of Aceh from 997 to 1011 (1589-1604), a fleet was formed. Some of its soldiers were widows called the Inong Balee Armada. The fleet was formed at the request of Admiral Malahayati and was led directly by her. Admiral Malahayati, accompanied by 2,000 brave and agile female soldiers, was repeatedly involved in battles, not only in the Straits of Malacca, but also on the east coast of Sumatra and Malaysia. In addition to a fort, Armada Inong Balee also has a military base at Teluk Lamreh Krueng Raya (Indonesia).
Exhibition Opening Hours
Exhibition Launch
Stay tuned for exciting details about a special performance featuring the artist and a talented group of students — you won't want to miss it!
About the Artist
Traces, imprints, and memory are Zoé Vayssières’ inspiration. She is a French artist and graduate of ENSAD (The National
Superior School of Decorative Arts, Paris). After working as Art Director in the world of art and fashion for 15 years, she moved to
Shanghai. In China, she developed her work as a sculptor and honed her bronze techniques. She casted fleeting and endangered objects in
bronze to make them timeless. Trained in Art and Typography, her inspiration also lies in words, quotations and forgotten names, which she
engraves upon bronze. She combines embedded text and objects to question the selections and distortions that our collective memory makes.
Zoé’s profile has been raised thanks to some public and large-scale commissions, notably at the Jing’an International Sculpture
Park (Shanghai, China 2018), where she is the only Western woman featured alongside artists such as Arman and Wim Delvoye. In France, the
artist was part of Parcours St Germain with an outdoor sculpture ‘Plis de la mémoire’ exhibited at Quai Malaquais (Paris); this
work is now permanently installed at the Domaine de Chaumont (2021). Focusing on the theme of ‘The Eclipsed,’ which reveals the
names of forgotten women, the artist developed performances at venues like the Centre Pompidou or MAM, as well as sculptures, including a
recent state commission from the city of Châtenay-Malabry. In 2024/25, she is invited as Executive Fellow by Harvard University (Boston,
USA) to further her research on memory in partnership with one of the world’s most advanced AI dataLabs, the D^3 Institute.
For more information : www.zoevayssieres.art