Top 20 fun things to enjoy in Kota Kinabalu! (No. 11 – Visit Sabah Art Gallery)

Today I’m enjoying more local culture visiting Sabah Art Gallery that’s home to paintings and other artistic pieces created by local Sabahan artists.

Opened in 2013, the striking design of the Sabah Art Gallery

Background

Established in 1984, the Sabah Art Gallery originally shared facilities with the Sabah Museum. The futuristic building in which the collection now resides was the vision of the Sabah Art Gallery founder, the late Datuk Mohd. Yaman Hj. Ahmad Mus. Known as Pusat Konservasi Balai Seni Lukis Sabah (Sabah Art Gallery Conservation Centre) the building was constructed 2010-2012 and officially opened in 2013.

The building is unusual and striking: octagonal in design, the building has four stories that taper outwards at an angle of 30 degrees that must have been a challenge both to architecturally design and build. The building is also the first ‘green’ building in Sabah and contains solar panels, ‘passive design’ (design that takes advantage of the local climate that reduces the need for heating / cooling), rainwater harvesting and sensor lights.

PAMERAN KARYA WANITA SABAH KE-12, 2019

At the time of my visit an ‘Exhibition of Sabah Women’s Work’ was just coming to an end - accordingly all artwork shown is work completed by Sabahan ladies.

Getting to Sabah Art Gallery

Located at ‘Mile 2, Jalan Penampang’ it’s a short 15 minute taxi / ‘Grab’ ride from Kota Kinabalu City Centre.

‘SUNDAY MORNING MARKET AT GAYA STREET, KOTA KINABALU’ - Norlinah Bidin @ Anne Bidin

What to See at Sabah Art Gallery

Must start with the building itself, it’s modern and striking and as you enter the foyer, the visitor is taken by the design and open space to the ceiling. Floor 1 is effectively a basement and can be accessed by gallery staff only, visitors externally climb a flight of steps to the main entrance and foyer which is on Floor 2 whilst stairs or a lift take the visitor to exhibits on Floor 3 (Public Gallery) & Floor 4 (Yaman Gallery).

The gallery itself is calm, spacious, airy with excellent light and showcases the local art really well. Why not take a look at the slide-show below to see some of the great local pieces on display, some of which are for sale.

When to Visit

The gallery is open every day 9am – 5pm except public holidays. Entrance RM3 Malaysians / RM10 non-Malaysians.

Top Tip:

The Sabah Art Gallery is only 1.5km / 5 minute car journey from Sabah Museum – why not combine a visit to both?

About Martin

Martin is a British expat living in Kota Kinabalu who arranges tailored tours within Sabah primarily for British and Western tourists on behalf of Blue Kinabalu Travel Agency.