NELSON HOR EE HERNG

After studying Nihonga (Japanese painting) at Tama Art University, Hor has developed a poetic and delicate visual language while freely moving across diverse materials, such as mineral pigments, ceramics, photography and installation. His practice engages deeply with fundamental issues in our current society, including LGBTQ communities and mental illness.

“As a gay person who was raised in Malaysia where Islamic values are strongly embedded, beauty became a substitute for my religion.”

As this statement suggests, the exhibition explores how “beauty” can serve as a spiritual anchor for LGBTQ individuals growing up in oppressive religious settings. It is an attempt to take a glimpse into the internal world and queer aesthetics from the artist’s unique perspective.

Alongside Hor’s new paintings, sculptural works and installations, the exhibition features furniture by designers such as Isamu Noguchi, Tadaomi Mizunoe and Sori Yanagi, who introduced a new sense of aesthetics to postwar Japan. By integrating these simple yet highly functional design objects that accompany our everyday life, Hor’s works transform the gallery space into a queer sanctuary. Here, beauty emerges not as a luxury but as a vital tool for spiritual survival for queer people navigating harsh realities.

The artist’s gaze resonates beyond questions of sexuality or background, reaching the hearts of all who live through the cruelties of the contemporary world.

During the exhibition, √K Contemporary will also host a gallery talk with Junya Utsumi, curator at the Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation, as well as a Drag Queen performance by Andromeda and Nixie Humidity.