KUALA LUMPUR, May 16 — With the title Feeling Feelings Makes Me, Me, Nadirah Zakariya hopes to open hearts with her latest art exhibition.

Featuring close to 40 pieces that range from framed photography prints, lightboxes to a video piece, Feeling Feelings Makes Me, Me (FFMMM) marks Nadirah’s biggest show to date, albeit it being her third solo showing.

Her first one, titled Daughters Ago was exhibited in 2011 in New York City where she received her Bachelor in Fine Arts from Fashion Institute of Technology NYC. Her second exhibition, Girlhood, was held in 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, where she is currently based, to rave reviews.

Born in 1984 and raised in Malaysia, Japan and all over the United States, Nadirah draws inspiration for her work mostly through her non-specific upbringing.

Nadirah has carved a name for herself not just as a photographer, but in other areas of the arts, mainly video and film production.

"It is through photography that I process my feelings. That has always been the main medium. It allows me to feel what I need to feel, and so the output, although intuitive and organic, is reflective of the process of me trying to figure out or work through what I’m feeling," she mused.

The majority of Nadirah's work is an ongoing journey of self-discovery and learning to embrace herself for who she truly is, flaws and all.

For instance, Nadirah has been open about her day-to-day struggle of having to reconcile with her vitiligo, a skin condition that causes skin to lose colour or pigmentation.

Depending on severity, it may result in spots and white patches and she actively chooses to explore it through her craft.

Her openness has also helped many others with the same condition to see beauty amidst the disorder, thus providing the much-needed confidence to pursue their life ambitions.

Though presently rooted in KL, Nadirah’s self-proclaimed status as a citizen of the world does not deter her desire to take FFMMM to other places.

"Given the opportunity, I would love to take this exhibition outside KL and work with different spaces all over the world, but my main focus now is to launch this show in my home city first, the city that makes me, me. And then we shall see where it will take us," Nadirah enthused.

This exhibition is open to the public from now till May 28 at temu house art space in Petaling Jaya.