In Memory of Emil

Recently while on facebook, a friend tag me in a photo with a boarding mate of mine, Emil Goh from 1981-4 at St. Patricks House in Singapore. If you wondering which is Emil and who is Donald (since I had a lot more hair then), I am on the right and Emil in white on the left.

Another boarding mate of mine, Edward had commented "In memory of Emil Goh!!!" So I ask what had happened to him. I found out he had a cardiac arrest and passed away in September 2009 in Seoul, Korea. He was one year my senior. I have not met him since boarding school years but what I could remember he was a good kind friend and senior. Not the type to bully or intimidate anyone so a lot of the younger boarders befriended him.

So I did some googling to find out more about the Emil I missed out on and I found out the following from http://www.art-it.asia/u/admin_news/DRaM1yG9teSrl5gq6snI?lang=en

Chinese Malaysian artist Emil Goh died suddenly on 7 September at his apartment in Seoul. He was 43. Media sources are reporting the cause as a heart attack. As an artist, Goh was known mainly for his photo and video works documenting everyday life from a unique perspective. He was also for his activities as a designer, curator, and writer.

He also has a blog http://emilgoh.blogspot.com/ in memory of him and where I got most of my info on him including his biography.

He worked as an artist and dealt with photography, fine arts and video and had numerous exhibitions that span from Australia, Malaysia, Korea, London and Europe. This is the part of his life I didn't know about.

But the traits that I knew were evident in the writings from friends and colleagues alike. One person even wrote a song in memory of him (in his blog commemorating him).

Well Emil, all I got to say is thanks for your friendship and kindness and God Bless. It's strange missing someone only after twenty odd years. ...But I do.

EMIL' s BIO

Emil Goh was born in Johor Bahru in 1966 and spent his childhood growing up in various cities around Malaysia, including three years studying in Singapore. He moved to Australia in 1985 where he studied Photography & Sculpture at Sydney College of the Arts. Later he obtained his Masters from Goldsmiths College, London. Goh has been artist-in-residence at agnes b. London; the Hayward Gallery, London; Hong Kong University and SSamziepsace, Seoul. He has exhibited widely in Australia and internationally including: Busan Biennale, Busan, 2004; Slow Rushes, Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius, 2004; Mix-Ed, Sherman Galleries, 2004; Location Location, Australian Centre for Photography, Sydney, 2003, Fruits, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, 2003; Housewarming, Parasite Artspace, Hong Kong, 2003; REMAP, Laforet Museum, Kokura, Japan, 2002; Buddha: Past, Present, Future , Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 2002; Emil Goh 1996-2002 , Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia, Adelaide, 2002; New Releases , Gallery 4A, Sydney, 2001; Sydney!Vienna! Akadamie fur Bildenden Kunst, Vienna, 2000) and Arus/Flow National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, 2000.