Penang is a durian kingdom. A rich, storied connection with the fruit has made the island one of the centers of durian cultivation in Malaysia, if not the world. At the heart of this durian empire is a family-run conglomerate, Durian King. FAMEME, heir to this empire, has led a fabulously colourful, nomadic life abroad as an entrepreneur and entertainer. He finally returned to the land of his birth in 2017, rejoining the family business. “The Return of Raja Durian” marks FAMEME’s homecoming, and an introduction to a figure otherwise little-known in Penang. The exhibition presents a collection of objects and documents that reveals the vicissitudes of his personal history, and his creative transformation of his family’s durian business. Artist and filmmaker Yu Cheng-Ta has produced a new documentary about FAMEME’s life, screening for the first time in this exhibition. The film offers an intimate look at his personal history, told through the gaze of a Taiwanese director. It delves behind his signature oversized sunglasses to trace the history of the Chinese immigrant community in Penang, and details FAMEME’s relationships with his family and struggles with self-identity, as he carves out his own durian empire.
The Man Behind the Shades, with Yu Cheng-Ta
Taiwanese artist and filmmaker Yu Cheng-Ta first met FAMEME in New York during the launch of the Museum of Durian in 2019. Yu was amazed by the Malaysian durian tycoon’s campy, thorny character, and decided to make a documentary about his life. In the talk, Yu shares about his experience working closely with FAMEME, and tells the tale of his struggles with his wealthy family, and his efforts, in the past few years, to carve out a durian empire of his own.