‘Bread Crumbs’ at Richard Koh Fine Art

Joshua Kane Gomes and Sarah Radzi
By Vivyan Yeo

Installation shot of ‘Bread Crumbs’, 2021. Image courtesy of Richard Koh Fine Art.

In the well-known fairy tale ‘Hansel and Gretel’, collected by the Brothers Grimm, Hansel leaves a trail of breadcrumbs in an unfamiliar forest so that he and Gretel may find their way back home. Today, the words “bread crumbs'' have entered popular usage to describe connected pieces of information that we can follow back to the source. 

Using this phrase as its title, the latest show by Richard Koh Fine Art (RKFA) deals with themes of self-reflection through works by Malaysian artists Joshua Kane Gomes (b. 1993) and Sarah Radzi (b. 1995). Reading the curatorial essay by Euginia Tan (b. 1991), I understand ‘bread crumbs’ as memories that can be followed to find “home”, which is in this case, the innermost self or selves. These memories are not always crystal clear, as we inevitably alter them with our fears and desires. Sometimes, we may even choose to suppress them, although lived experiences will always impact our lives. With vulnerability, the artists tackle their pasts head-on through the idea of duplicate personas, which arise from lingering echoes in our lives.

Joshua Kane Gomes, ‘unfortunately,there’sroomfortwo’, 2021, steel, stainless steel mesh, rope and eyebolts, 102 x 62 x 71cm. Image courtesy of Richard Koh Fine Art and the artist.

Memories form the foundation of ‘Bread Crumbs’. In Gomes’s sculptures, we see lone figures clad entirely in hoodies. They reside in cages made of stainless steel mesh, often in the shape of a rocket or house. “The cages stem from childhood memories of crafting make-shift playsets out of cardboard,” explains Gomes. “I felt the familiar feeling of learning to transform the mundane into entertainment during the lockdowns, which led me down this particular rabbit hole of escapism.” The figures likewise embody a dual sense of ennui and playfulness. Despite the vibrant and cheery colours of their hoodies and pedestals, their enclosed environments, coupled with their mouthless and limbless bodies, express the state of helpless boredom. It is as if they exist in an in-between realm, constantly navigating the feeling of listlessness and the desire to be merry.

The figures also feature unusually long hoodie drawstrings. In Gomes words, “the drawstrings ending in a hangman’s knot is a recurring motif in my practice, where I’ve used chains, ropes and strings that end similarly in past works, referencing the possibility of self-made shackles in one’s life and the futility of fighting against predetermined outcomes.”

Sarah Radzi, ‘Fake it til You Fake it Some More’, 2021, acrylic, oil pastel and charcoal on canvas, 183 x 137cm; 30 x 30cm; 15 x 15cm. Image courtesy of Richard Koh Fine Art and the artist.

In contrast to Gomes’s sculptures, Radzi’s painted figures are unclothed, colourful, active and in the company of others. Instead of being confined, they inhabit expansive, imaginary landscapes such as green hills and large rooms. The genderless characters also include realistic features such as hair, thick lips and prominent noses. As the figures in her previous works are more stylised, this marks a transition in her artistic manner. When asked about this change, Radzi shared that the process behind these new works was like looking into a mirror. “I felt as if I was reliving and confronting specific moments in my past; I was giving them an identity and having a conversation with myself through painting.” The works then provide a window to the artist’s personal myth, where alternate possibilities come to the fore.

Sarah Radzi, ‘Of Perseverance and Misery’, 2021, acrylic, oil pastel and charcoal on canvas 152 x 183cm; 30 x 30cm. Image courtesy of Richard Koh Fine Art and the artist.

On the theme of self-reflection, both artists use cheeky and profound phrases to provide context for their works. In the case of Radzi’s paintings, the texts are both embedded in the large visual canvases and the form of separate post-it-like paintings. They read like journal entries, or thoughts we write when the mind is busy. “I tend to document my feelings, be it a short note on my phone or a written one in my journal,” reflects Radzi. “The texts are just as important as the images because they narrow down the stories I’m trying to convey and yet allow them to be open for interpretation.”

Indeed, when looking at the work ‘Of Perseverance and Misery’ (2021) by Radzi, I feel I am peeking into someone’s psyche. It depicts a figure dancing by herself, with white lines indicating active movement. Her face is unexpressive, while her shadow remains wide-eyed and alert, as if trying to attract the figure’s attention. The text in the accompanying painting reads, “And I danced and danced, around and around till I am numb – succumbed to the void til silence surrounds.” Seeing the relationship between text and image, I get the same feeling as when looking at Joshua’s hoodied characters. There is a desire to stay active, dance and be colourful. And yet, there comes a time when it is easier to remain quietly in the shadows. The pandemic has imbued the last year with a cloak of darkness. However, as the title highlights, that does not take away the value of perseverance, or the attempt to dance.

Joshua Kane Gomes, ‘howtobeatnon-existenttrafficjams’, 2021, steel, stainless steel mesh, rope and eyebolts, 68 x 98 x 85cm. Image courtesy of Richard Koh Fine Art and the artist.

Gomes, too, uses text to imbue his works with witty narratives. In ‘howtobeatnon-existenttrafficjams’ (2021), the figure sits snugly in a rocket-shaped wire mesh. This is an ironic situation: although seated in what looks like a mobile vehicle, the figure is evidently immobile; while he is trapped, he is also safe. The title then reminds us that the pandemic is simultaneously confining and comfortable. Without heading out to the streets, there would be no traffic jams to face. Gomes further demonstrates his interest in text through the choice of colour. He picked them out from a wall-paint catalogue based on their titles, which he thought would fit the theme of each sculpture. The pinkish colour found in the rocket-based work, for example, is called ‘Light Year’, and the blue tones in ‘unfortunately,there’sroomfortwo’ (2021) is titled ‘Lingering Blue’. Comical and poignant, his works encapsulate conflicting emotions that arise from the lack of social contact. 

Joshua Kane Gomes, ‘BLUESKIES’, 2021, neon, 28 x 36 x 5cm. Image courtesy of Richard Koh Fine Art.

Joshua Kane Gomes, ‘Washed I’, 2021, worn sports shoes, felting wool and buttons 20 x 37 x 33cm; and Joshua Kane Gomes, ‘Washed II’, 2021, worn sports shoes, felting wool and buttons 17 x 33 x 24cm. Image courtesy of Richard Koh Fine Art.

Wordplay also comes through in Gomes’s non-figurative works. ‘BLUESKIES’ (2021) encompasses glaring red neon lights that create afterimages of cyan tints upon prolonged viewing. It plays with our perceptions, moving us to re-examine the seemingly obvious. Similarly, ‘Washed I’ (2021) and ‘Washed II’ (2021) reference the slang of being “washed up” or being unsuccessful in basketball. With the pandemic forcing people to give up their lifestyles, whether in sports or otherwise, commonly used tools and apparel have become neglected. In the form of literal dust bunnies, these works speak of our necessary disengagement as a result of social distancing.

In ‘Bread Crumbs’, Gomes and Radzi successfully negotiate the fine line between optimism and disillusionment – universal feelings that have become common in the pandemic. Through endearing characters, they articulate complex and difficult emotions, and nudge us to empathise with one another in this globally shared experience.

‘Bread Crumbs’ runs at Richard Koh Fine Art from 14 to 29 January 2022.