About
HARTA, in Bahasa Malaysia, means wealth. But it is not about the wealth of land and water, nor forest and mines, nor flock and herd.
HARTA believes the true wealth of Malaysia lies in the collective cultural identity of its people, both past and present. Culture distinguishes a country. It nurtures a sense of belonging in the minds and hearts of its people. It helps people share a commonality. And by doing so, it enriches the soul of the country.
HARTA stands for HABIB, Malaysia’s premier jeweller, taking Action for the Revival of our Traditions and our Arts. Located in a 8,030 sq ft space in Ampang Point, it is a unique space that brings together Malaysia’s past and present through a Heritage Jewellery Museum and a contemporary Art Gallery, as well as a café, so that we may better understand, enjoy and appreciate our rich and diverse culture.
The HARTA Heritage Jewellery Museum
The HARTA Museum was established with the specific purpose of reviving public interest and pride in the incredibly rich jewellery heritage of Malaysia’s past.
The HARTA Museum’s primary collection focuses on the bejeweled traditions of our original multi-ethnic ‘Peranakan’ heritage. While there is considerable literature on the history and culture of Malaysia, very little of it focuses on the jewellery traditions of Malaysia’s original multi-ethnic groups – the Peranakan Chinese, the Peranakan Jawi and the Peranakan Chitty.
These historical objets d’art, which have been collected over the past 65 years and comprise many unique pieces of Peranakan jewellery design, provide a glimpse into our fascinating multi-cultural identity. On the eve of Merdeka, as a multi-racial country, it is important to understand where we have come from to find our way forward.
It is HABIB’s ambition, as Malaysia’s premier jeweller, that the many splendid examples of traditional jewellery now displayed at the HARTA Museum, will continue to grow and inspire Malaysians to take greater pride in our artistic heritage.
The HARTA Gallery
Just as The HARTA Museum looks to our past, the HARTA Gallery looks to the present by engaging with Malaysia’s artists for new perspectives about identity. A public art gallery, privately funded by HABIB, it is committed to nurturing a better understanding and appreciation of modern and contemporary Malaysian art and making it accessible to all.
The HARTA Gallery showcases the works of emerging as well as leading Malaysian artists. It explores and examines stories, issues and experiences of Malaysia’s artists to encourage a dialogue on how ethnic identity contributes to our evolving cultural identity.
Through exhibitions, collaborations, projects and programmes, the HARTA Gallery hopes to present the diverse possibilities of artistic expression to young minds, to encourage fresh thought and to stimulate innovation.