Bookends

Gallerist Richard Koh is one of the speakers on The Art Week Conversations panel, which offers talks on art markets.
Gallerist Richard Koh is one of the speakers on The Art Week Conversations panel, which offers talks on art markets. PHOTO: ALBERT TAN

Who: Richard Koh, 51, gallerist.

The owner of Richard Koh Fine Art, which has branches in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, is seen as one of the pioneers who introduced contemporary South-east Asian art in the region.

His gallery has a changing roster of up-and-coming South-east Asian artists.

This month, Koh, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, will be one of the speakers on The Art Week Conversations panel held by the T.H.E.O. Arts Professionals.

The event will offer three talks - on Jan 16, 23 and 25 - on the art markets in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.

Collector's Guide To Buying Great Art by Erling Kagge (2015, Gestalten, S$46.48)

Tickets are available at $25 for all three talks and $10 for one talk at theartweekconversations 2016.peatix.com.

What are you reading right now?

My latest read is A Poor Collector's Guide To Buying Great Art by Erling Kagge.

I wanted an easy read while I was at the airport waiting for the flight back to Kuala Lumpur, but ended up pleasantly surprised as it turned out to be a wonderful read about a collector's experience.

What books would you save from a burning house?

There are so many, but I will probably save my collection of Japanese manga by Osamu Tezuka. The books take me to another realm when I read them, and it's nice to have an escape.

Sometimes, you don't want to read the real-life serious stuff. The books are also picture- heavy so they are easy to read - a lazy man's read.

  • A Poor Collector's Guide To Buying Great Art by Erling Kagge (2015, Gestalten, S$46.48) is available at amazon.com.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on January 03, 2016, with the headline Bookends. Subscribe