Valentine Willie, Malaysian art gallerist, curator and collector, passed away on 9th June 2026.

Born in Sabah, he played a crucial role in shaping contemporary art and the careers of artists around the region. He launched galleries in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila and Yogyakarta.

Valentine was also known for his hospitality and his love of dogs. "He was always just trying to bring people together, and to show people how beautiful the world is," says filmmaker Nadira Ilana, one of his godchildren.

A law graduate of University College London, his love of art bloomed through early encounters with London's galleries and museums. Upon returning to Malaysia to practise law, his profession also took him around Southeast Asia, where he saw more of the region's artistic and cultural heritage.

He founded Valentine Willie Fine Art (VWFA) in Kuala Lumpur in 1996, in partnership with Asian art specialist Mee-Seen Loong. The gallery space opened the following year, in 1997, and became an important hub for connecting Malaysian and regional artists to the international art scene. He went on to launch VWFA Singapore, Manila Contemporary and Tembi Contemporary, later Jogja Contemporary. He also served as creative director of Ilham Gallery from 2015–2020.

"He had curiosity, appetite, eclecticism, and an instinctive faith that things could connect across borders, across categories and across scenes," writes Wang Zineng, art dealer and auctioneer, in Art & Market.

In April 2026, shortly before his passing, Valentine initiated the relaunch of the VWFA website as a digital archive and resource for regional art.

"For Valentine Willie, Southeast Asia, art, culture, history, hospitality, politics, ideology, compassion, and friendship were not separable categories of knowledge or experience. Everything was to be lived together and in full," reflects Beverly Yong, former managing partner of VWFA, in a memorial for ArtAsiaPacific.

Below, friends and peers share a selection of photos from Valentine's life.

Explore the archive at vwfa.net