In Wau, Haron Mokhtar preserves local cultural heritage with components of Malay architecture. Haron meticulously captures the underlying principles of early building traditions and art form of the Wau, creating the tranquil ambience of a traditional kampung. A sense of openness is felt through the design of full height windows, which also provide ventilation. Dominated by local elements and practices, his works are imbued with the sense of personal connections to land and place. Haron Mokhtar made a big splash on his graduation year (BA Fine Art in Painting and Printmaking), UiTM from 1983 to 1987 when he won the Major Award in the Young Contemporary Artists competition with his Melayu Pop mix of traditional architecture and culture. In 1988, he added his Art Teacher’s Diploma. He had taught in schools in Selangor and Sarawak and since 1998, was a senior teacher on humanities at the SMK Ungku Aziz in Sabak Bernam. His other awards included Second Prize in Landscape Selangor competition (Shah Alam Art Gallery, 2002), Consolation Prize, Historical Incidents competition (National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, 2005), Second Prize, Merdeka competition in 2010. Notable solo exhibitions include Warisan held at Pelita Hati Gallery of Art, Kuala Lumpur in 2011 and Haron Mokhtar Yesteryears, Interpr8 Art Space, KL in 2015. His 8th solo exhibition titled Haron Mokhtar: Kapsul Masa 1988-2018 (Siri Perakam Waktu) was held at Galeri Shah Alam in 2018.