Opening on 20 August, Richard Koh Fine Art presents Locating Malaysian Contemporary Art: The Echo Boomers, a group exhibition featuring the works of Malaysian artists Faizal Yunus, Izat Arif, Joshua Kane Gomes, Lee Mok Yee, Mark Tan and Sarah Radzi.

The exhibition comprises 14 new works presented in a variety of formats and mediums including mixed-media canvas paintings, assemblage sculptures and meditative inflections on paper.

Joshua Kane Gomes – You Had Me at Hello

As the name suggests, the exhibition puts artists born in the Echo Boomer generation under the spotlight. Also known as Gen Y or Millennials, these individuals were born between 1981 and 1996  and experienced a seismic shift in technological paradigms with the explosion of the internet and social media, as well as acts like extreme terrorism and recession.

It is the ability to access information and knowledge that greatly shaped how each of these artists engage and produce work. This way of thinking contrasts with the preceding generation which was influenced by post World War II optimism and nation-building, and thus incorporate more socio-political elements into their work.

Sarah Radzi – Before the Kick and Memo #1

This artwork on display provides hints of this cultural shift and indicates that the urgency and frequency of socio-political commentary in Malaysian art is dissipating.

While the work of Arif and Mok Yee contemplate the social requirements of their artistic careers, Yunus and Tan explore the reciprocal relationship of nature and man, using memory as a form of observation. Joshua Kane Gomes’ and Sarah Radzi’s works question the efficiency of human dynamics and navigate unhealthy dependencies within relationships.

Richard Koh Fine Art
Where 34-1, Jalan Telawi 2, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur
When 10am-7pm (Tues-Sat); Exhibition runs until 12 September
Tel 03 2095 3300
rkfineart.com