Terence Koh
Pechino, 1977
Terence Koh, born in 1977 in Beijing and raised in Toronto, presents himself on his website, asianpunkboy.com, often dressed as a rabbit, reminiscent of Donald's imaginary friend from the cult film Donnie Darko. Recognized by Out Magazine as one of the “100 People of the Year” in 2008, Koh is a Canadian artist who lives and works in New York, Beijing, Berlin, and occasionally Toronto. Some view him as a legitimate heir to the legendary triad of Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, and James Lee Byars. Koh is a multifaceted artist—poet, pornographer, filmmaker, and DJ—who blends gay culture with punk aesthetics.
His work encompasses performance, photography, and more traditional media like sculpture, exploring themes of life and death. He was particularly fascinated by Asian funerals, where he could wear all black for fourteen days before switching to all white on the day of cremation. This influence is evident in pieces like My Path to Heaven (2007), a wax sculpture that is entirely black, and Boy by the Roman Sea, a white marble sculpture displayed in the studio of lawyer Giuseppe Iannaccone, which participated in the 2010 Carrara Biennale. This work portrays Koh's own minute body curled in a nearly fetal position, eyes closed, exuding a profound sense of solitude.
In addition, Koh's 2007 bronze sculpture titled To be titled is suspended from a nearly invisible metal wire, hanging upside down at the entrance of the studio. It features casts of two heads fused together, allowing viewers to see through the cavities of their mouths. This piece is a clear reference to works by Robert Gober and Bruce Nauman. While it seemingly represents a man's face, it conceals another sculpture within—a torso housing the heart and soul of each individual.
Koh’s artistic inquiry invites contemplation: does he aim to represent Western philosophy, Eastern thought, or perhaps his own life philosophy? His exploration of identity, existence, and the fragility of life resonates deeply with viewers, blurring the lines between the personal and the universal.