Medan Pasar Realty and Muara Arts appoint Chris Lee, from National Gallery Singapore, as Chief Executive Officer

Medan Pasar Realty and Muara Arts today announced the appointment of Chris Lee as Chief Executive Officer of both organisations, with his expected start date on 16 December 2026.

His appointment marks a milestone in the vision to revitalise Medan Pasar, the historic birthplace of Kuala Lumpur, into an arts, cultural and creative industry destination anchored by Muara Arts Gallery and the upcoming Muara Arts Theatre. Chris will oversee the strategic development, operations and long-term sustainability of both organisations.

Chris will join from National Gallery Singapore, where he spent ten years in senior leadership, playing an instrumental role in building audiences through a clear focus on creating a welcoming, accessible and inspiring museum experience. During that time, on-site visitorship tripled to more than two million and online visitorship grew sixfold, supported by physical and digital transformation initiatives such as Smart Museum, GalleryAnywhere and The People’s Gallery. New experiences and commercial offerings, including a recent large-scale refresh of F&B experiences, enabled business revenue to more than double over the last five years. Before entering the arts, he held senior regional and global roles at Procter & Gamble, Philips, Sony Ericsson, HP and EMC.

“We are delighted to welcome Chris at such an important stage of our journey. His experience in building audiences and sustainable cultural institutions will be invaluable as we transform Medan Pasar into a thriving cultural destination,” said Shanthi Kandiah and Brahmal Vasudevan, Founders of Muara Arts and Medan Pasar Realty.

“Growing up in Kuala Lumpur, Medan Pasar was the heartbeat of the city for me. Some of my fondest childhood memories were made here, from shopping at the markets with my mother to enjoying Friday lunches at Sin Seng Nam with my father,” said Lee. 

“When I met Shanthi and Brahmal and learnt about their remarkable journey to revitalise Medan Pasar, it felt like a serendipitous homecoming. The opportunity to be part of something so meaningful in shaping the next chapter of this historic precinct, with Muara Arts at its heart, was simply too compelling to pass up. I look forward to building a lasting cultural legacy for Kuala Lumpur.”

Chris’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment, following the opening of Muara Arts Gallery on 1 November 2026, a significant milestone in the revitalisation of Medan Pasar. As the cultural anchor of the precinct, the not-for-profit gallery marks an important step towards establishing the historic precinct as a vibrant arts and cultural destination in Kuala Lumpur.