For our second annual summer show, Shoes Off is pleased to present Kawan! Kawan! a group exhibition featuring artists Zarifah Ahmad Zamri, Yadanar Aung, Ainara Basco, Sona Kharel, Audrey Lukban, Monochaotic, Arty Nicharee, Huda Osni, Aarti Pillai, Fajrina Razak, Liszu Tan and Julian Udine.
Through a multidisciplinary dialogue of sculpture, moving image, painting, jewellery and photography, we explore cultural identity, history and memory within the experience of the Southeast Asian diaspora.
Our exhibition delves into diasporic culture and its ever-changing concept of “home”. In Malay, “kawan” means “friend”, an ethos of fellowship and care. Surfacing the usually buried connections that underlie collective work, Kawan! Kawan! foregrounds companionship as a thread that underpins collaboration. With trust, presence and intimate dialogues at its foundation, this exhibition emerges as an extension of our collective creative practices to empower migrant communities through art. Creating with others who understand what it means to show up slowly and intentionally, Kawan! Kawan! is a metaphor for the inner growth that occurs when journeying with a community.
Through diverse public programming, we invite creatives and local audiences to an experimental platform where Southeast Asian identities and hospitality can be practiced and explored; where global communities can gather and connect.
Shoes Off is built through a network of alumni from the Royal College of Art, Goldsmiths, University of London, and the University of the Arts London. With kinship at the heart of our exhibition, Kawan! Kawan! celebrates the journey our collective has taken in building a dedicated space for Southeast Asian contemporary art. Know that when you arrive, there is always a seat saved for you.
For further details about our upcoming public programme and artworks please visit our Instagram @weareshoesoff or email weareshoesoff@gmail.com.