Art Basel Hong Kong 2023

Richard Koh Fine Art (RKFA) is pleased to announce its participation in Art Basel Hong Kong 2023 with a group presentation featuring Joshua Kane Gomes (b. 1993), Justin Lim (b. 1983), and Yeoh Choo Kuan (b. 1988). The presentation will showcase new acrylic paintings and mixed-media sculptures by the artists.

The goal of this presentation is to introduce the international audience to three of Malaysia’s most innovative artists, painters Yeoh Choo Kuan and Justin Lim and object maker Joshua Kane Gomes. Each artist brings their own unique style and voice, coming together to offer a glimpse into a possible turning point in Malaysian contemporary art that focuses on personal introspection and mindfulness towards mental states.

Gomes’ series of sculptures explore unhealthy dependencies within relationships, particularly the evolution from distance infatuation to all-consuming delusions of intimacy. The themes are examined from a voyeuristic viewpoint in relation to the mythos of the Wendigo, a cannibalistic spirit doomed to an existence of constant starvation driven by its hunger. While the subject matter is dark, the sculptures downplay their ghoulish inspiration, hiding behind pastel shades and innocuous expressions, melding grim desires with dreamlike delirium.

Lim’s new series of paintings reflect on the time people spent in lockdown during the past two years. This strange time led him to look inward, to become more aware that one is never truly in control of one’s life and that the world is constantly changing. The series continues from his last exhibition, “Sanctuary,” and depicts still life and imaginary interior scenes that are completely collaged.

In his body of work, “Burn The Desert,” Yeoh draws from personal experiences to express his admiration and appreciation for frontline fighters and heroes in his life. This series extends from Yeoh’s iconic “Streaming Mountain” series, specifically from his 2019-2020 period, and highlights his dripping style. The paintings underscore Yeoh’s overall artistic practice, where art serves as a conduit of interaction between himself and his surroundings.

Overall, the presentation serves as a reminder of the complexities of contemporary life as the world navigates uncharted waters. Despite the appearance of playful confidence, there is a desire and struggle for acceptance.

Joshua Kane Gomes (b.1993, Malaysia) documents his mental states through sculpture and installation. The introspective nature of Joshua’s practice focuses on captured moments of vulnerability with sprinklings of levity as he explores the line between rational and sentimental sensibilities within our interpersonal relationships, leveraging the art-making process into a platform for conversations often held behind closed doors. Joshua is the recipient of the 2023 Khazanah Nasional Associate Artist Residency Programme, involving a 12-week residency at Acme Studios, London, England.

Justin Lim (b.1983, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) completed his postgraduate studies in 2006 with the Master of Art (Fine Art) programme by The Open University UK conducted at Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore after obtaining a BA(Hons) Fine Art majoring in painting. He has exhibited widely in Southeast Asia in various solo & group exhibitions.

Yeoh Choo Kuan‘s (b.1988, Malaysia) ‘s practice articulates the tension between a spiritual élan and the magnetism of desire, violence and the flesh. The natural landscape and the overload of information are extremes of a spectrum he embraces and represents in all its contradictions. With abstract painting as a strong foundation, he has transcended into the conceptual realm of installation in the latest years. His explorations of different artistic domains meet a sheer enjoyment of textures, mark-making, and disintegration of the pictorial matter. He currently lives and works in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.