#8 Joshua Kane Gomes, 2023 Khazanah Arts Residency
50 opportunities for 50 years
“The Khazanah Arts Residency is the first residency I’ll participate in; it will be interesting to see the direction my practice takes during this 3-month period.”
Joshua Kane Gomes is a Malaysian artist exploring introspection and interpersonal relationships through sculptures and installations, often referencing folklore and mythos. Joshua was one of two artists selected from a shortlist of six to take part in the 2022/23 Khazanah Arts Residency - a 12-week programme designed for emerging Malaysian artists, based at an Acme building in London.
An initiative through the Khazanah Residency Programme, the residencies develop and prepare young artists for the next growth phase in their professional careers. Each residency includes a bursary, rent-free work/live studio space and access to mentoring and skills development.
Commenting on the programme, Dato' Amirul Feisal Wan Zahir, Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Berhad says:
“Khazanah Nasional Berhad (Khazanah) is proud to have partnered with Acme since 2017 in providing opportunities for emerging Malaysian artists to be exposed to the international art scene, and in turn, expand their experience, artworks, and connections globally. The partnership through Khazanah Arts Residency programme also provides our local artists the opportunity to experiment with new ideas, be more innovative and develop new art pieces. Khazanah has sponsored eight emerging artists for this residency since then, with many claiming that they have had “life-changing” experiences during their time in London.
Upon completion of their residency at Acme, these artists have returned to Malaysia and contributed towards nation-building. As a way of paying it forward, they’ve showcased their works in their own exhibitions, inspiring other local artists, in the process.
Khazanah’s continued support for this residency is also aligned with our focus of building capacities and vibrant communities under our strategic imperative of Advancing Malaysia. By developing and offering opportunities for new talents, preserving history, culture, arts and heritage, we are able to provide societal and economic values for the communities in advancing the country. We thank Acme in joining us in this endeavour and are excited for many more fruitful collaborations in the future.”
“In my opinion, opportunities like these are crucial for developing an artist’s practice, in a sense where it provides a cross-cultural platform for sharing information and expanding horizons, especially for emerging artists like myself.” Joshua Kane Gomes
For Joshua, spending an extended period of time in a new environment "gives you a much better chance to absorb and digest all the new information" and, above all, "puts artists in a fresh headspace. "
He points to the size of the studio space as being bigger than expected and is also impressed by the location: “we’re close by to all the gallery spots in the city, I’ve already got to see some amazing exhibitions.”
Joshua is planning to spend his time in London researching and experimenting with new methods of making and will take the opportunity to visit local artist studios and exhibitions.