He would sit at the back, holding his father tightly, and sometimes fall asleep – only to be awakened by the sounds, smells and sight of the wet market he and his father went to every week.

Watching and listening to the adults haggle, mothers picking the freshest fish, and sellers talking bluntly to their customers are still vivid memories for the now 50-year-old.

The UiTM graduate and graphic designer believes wet markets are the heart of local culture, capturing the true spirit of Malaysians.

“It may sound like they’re being rude but they’re actually not. Everyone talks to everyone like we’re part of the same family at the wet market,” Ryzalman recalled with a smile.

With this in mind, walk into AweGallery in Taman Paramount here and you might think, for a very brief moment, that you too have sauntered into a wet market in the middle of the city.

“Berapa Sekilo? – Rhythm of the Wet Market” is Ryzalman’s first solo exhibition, featuring 30 artworks inspired by the local “pasar basah” scenes many of us grew up with.

“Wherever you go in the market, everyone asks that same question: ‘Berapa sekilo?’ It’s almost a form of greeting, a question that connects people,” the father of three mused.

Many of his watercolour and acrylic paintings depict fish, prawns,and squid from the market, complete with handwritten price tags. Ryzalman drew inspiration from his weekly visits to Kuala Selangor’s Pasar Basah Pasir Penambang.

“I just love to cook and shop for ingredients at markets – walking around, picking out the seafood, listening to the sound of the fishmongers and the customers,” he added.

For him, “Hati Terpaut” best captures the experience. The piece offers a bird’s-eye view of hands reaching for fish on crushed ice, reflecting how economic status can shape people’s choices.

“You will see some hands wearing gold bracelets while others wear rubber bands. The hands with the bracelets reach out to the more expensive fishes, while the rest reach out to the more affordable ones.”

Ryzalman has further plans to revisit his childhood memories for upcoming art shows, including more bicycle rides with his late father and shopping with his mother.

“We used to have fishmongers driving to our neighbourhood with fishes in buckets of ice in the car boot,” he recalled. “They would shout, ‘Ikan! Ikan!’, and everyone in the kampung would gather around the old car to get their fish.

“It was so communal. I don’t know if people still do that.”

Then there was the time he followed his mother to the wet market when he was a teen. “As we passed by a fishmonger, my mum recalled how my father liked a particular fish. There was so much love in the way she said it,” he shared.

“So, I think the wet market is a place for us to remember fond memories … memories of love.”

‘Berapa Sekilo? – Rhythm of the Wet Market’ (until June 4)

AweGallery
21 Jalan 20/13,
Taman Paramount,
Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Follow Ryzalman on Instagram and learn more about AweGallery here.