Inspired by real-life encounters in Ampang, Malaysia, Noor Mahnun Anum’s monkey-themed paintings reflect intimate moments with leaf monkeys that frequently visited her apartment balcony. These gentle, curious visitors became a charming part of her everyday life, grounding the works in personal experience. The title and subject matter reference both the monkeys and their natural habitat, with botanically accurate depictions of local flora like Simpoh Air. Adding a symbolic layer, the artist’s nickname “Anum” subtly echoes “Hanuman,” the Hindu monkey god, linking her identity to the themes of the work and deepening its cultural and mythological resonance.

The Leaf Monkey series is both a personal and observational exploration of Noor Mahnun Anum’s lived environment, blending memory, cultural symbolism, and ecological awareness. Rooted in her real-life interactions with leaf monkeys near her Ampang home, the works reflect a domestic closeness to nature and a sensitivity to light, shadow, and organic forms—particularly evident in Leaf Monkey II, which captures the dappled light of the forest. Beyond autobiography, the series invites reflection on themes of coexistence and the fluid boundaries between the wild and domestic. Through these paintings, Anum engages with ecological intimacy while using the medium as a quiet but powerful tool of observation and record.