Set to run from 25 October to 9 November, REKA Design Week 2025 will transform Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas into a massive 16-day creative campus, with exhibitions, talks, and pop-up events spanning art, design, and lifestyle.
Organized by the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID), REKA Design Week (RDW) 2025 will break the boundaries of conventional exhibitions by integrating creative energy into the city’s everyday fabric. The event connects artist studios, design houses, creative workshops, and community spaces, championing the idea that design belongs in the city’s daily routine.
CreativeHomex is proud to be the official media partner of REKA Design Week 2025 — get ready to embark on a design journey with us!
Satellite Events: Design Ventures Out of the Gallery
The Satellite Events segment is central to RDW’s vision, dispersing design initiatives across Kuala Lumpur’s diverse neighbourhoods. This includes music festivals, art exhibitions, city tours, and creative workshops, successfully bringing design out of the ‘white cube’ and into the streets and community spaces.
The festivities kick off on 26 October with Jazz Alley, transforming an urban laneway into a soulful jazz venue where designers, musicians, and locals can embrace the creative atmosphere under the night sky. Following this, the KLove Market (1–2 November) at KLoé Hotel will serve as an urban design market, featuring lifestyle brands, curated goods, and pop-up performances. Simultaneously, Peszta @ Zhong Shan in Kampung Attap will use music, art, and culture to reawaken the creative vitality of the old city quarter.
Spotlight on Art and Craftsmanship
A strong focus on artistry and human touch defines RDW’s diverse exhibitions:
Japanese artist Hitomi Negishi presents “365 Days of Clutches” at Snackfood, Centrio at Pantai Hillpark. The collection of hand-knitted pieces meticulously translates the designer’s daily thoughts and inspirations over 365 days into unique, wearable art.
The art team behind “For Good Mewracle” takes inspiration from the film Wicked to create an intricately handmade miniature installation, inviting the public into a world of magic and fantasy.
Japanese artist Lulu Kouno makes her Malaysian debut with Lulu Kouno Mural Painting, transforming the streets into spontaneous canvases that merge art with the urban landscape and a watercolour solo exhibition and live demonstration at Lulu Kouno @ Eslite (The Starhill, Bukit Bintang).
Other highlights include the whimsical illustrations of Hicchru Space at Oh Wednesday, a guided tour “How to Talk to Kids About Art” exploring the abstract world of Prof. Tajuddin Ismail, and the digitally immersive space REXPERIENCE at REXKL, a technology-driven highlight of the week. At The Back Room in the Zhong Shan Building, daily exhibitions (closed Tuesdays) offer an evolving window into Malaysia’s contemporary art scene.
Urban Exploration and Intellectual Exchange
RDW encourages physical engagement with the city:
City Tour (1 & 8 November), led by Julian Ooi, feature themes like “Heritage & Creative Petaling Street” and “Old Streets, New Dreams,” allowing participants to rediscover the soul of design within the old city’s narrow streets.
The concurrent talk series includes “#iamReka 5.0,” which explores the “The Energy of a Space: Invisible Layers in Design”, and “MentahMatter: Open Studio & Dialogue” focused on “We Are All Part of the Solution,” addressing how design can tackle social issues.
The concluding “#iamReka – REKA LAH” (1–2 November) will be a significant cross-industry event, presenting the diverse facets of Malaysian design, from manufacturing to fashion and automotive.
RDW Showcase: The Epicentre of Design Trends
The core exhibition, RDW Showcase, will be held from 6 to 9 November at Pavilion Damansara Heights and is free for public attendance. It serves as the design industry’s marketplace, revealing new trends in furniture, building materials, and lifestyle products.
Key exhibits include a partnership between Carfe × RWB Art Car and local street artist Jefr Studio, transforming a Porsche into a radical artistic vehicle. International participation features Tokyo’s h concept, biomaterials specialist Kaera, and German furniture house Walter Knoll. The PANO Artists initiative, curated by MOFI, Dulux, and OUTLET, challenges ten local creatives to use the PANO modular wall system as a canvas for public art.
Design Installations: A Sensory Experience
The Design Installations segment is a sensory feast, where ten groups of creators interpret the “sensory possibilities of space” through light, materiality, and interaction:
Esmonde Yap x Megalucent promise a captivating spatial experience through the interplay of light and parametric design.
REKA Converge x Stone Empire construct a three-meter-wide urban landscape using recycled stone offcuts, symbolizing collective creation and sustainable design.
Sarah Rahman x BE Decor present a soft, tactile, and audible installation made from sustainable yarns, inviting visitors to reconnect with the warmth of design through sound and touch.
Artisan Market
The Artisan Market (6–9 November), curated by OUTLET, will feature handcrafts, ceramics, textiles, and fragrance designers from Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
REKA Conference 2025: Across Borders: Design Voices
The annual summit, REKA Conference 2025, adopts the theme “Across Borders: Design Voices.” Organized by MIID, the conference will explore how design transcends geographical, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries while remaining rooted in identity and heritage. The forum will feature international and local design experts discussing topics from colour trends to material innovation and cultural integration.
Guide Map & Stamp Hunt
Visitors can collect the official Guide Map starting 25 October and participate in the Stamp Hunt, visiting designated creative hubs across the city—from Bangsar’s design shops to Bukit Bintang’s bookstores—to redeem a limited-edition Special Goodie Bag upon completion.
Written by: Lee Khe Ying
Images courtesy of: REKA Design Week
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【REKA Design Week 2025】
Date: 25 October – 9 November 2025
Location: Various venues across Kuala Lumpur and surrounding cities
Organised by: Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID)
Official website: www.rekadesignweek.com
