('Clock', Gan Siong King, 2008, The Annexe Gallery)
I made a discovery today that made me giggle like a convent schoolgirl, and made my heart swell like the mouth of a blowfish. anyone who has traced their own family tree, only to learn that their great-great-great grandfather was the brother of the uncle of the empress's sister-in-law; or that their great-great-grandmother was a cowgirl who shot nine convicts, before robbing them, before seducing them into sleeping with her... (btw you should imagine Angelina Jolie if you're playing this scene in your mind)
Anyway, the kind discovery that makes you point to your monitor, jumping off your seat, and exclaiming, 'oh my gosh! i didn't know you were ________________! hey everybody,that's my _______________ there! uh huh, you know, they say awesomeness runs in the family!' (smirk smirk)
No... i did not find out that i am related to Takeshi Kaneshiro. Boo. (Wait...actually, maybe not Boo. that means i still have a chance and it won't be incestuous...kidding...half )
But i did find out, that my '大哥'...my oldest 堂哥 （paternal cousin brother) has done some awesome things in the Malaysian arts scene. now, i do know that he is an artist, photographer, videographer, etc...and he has had several exhibitions at The Annexe...but little did i know that he is also the costume designer of Yasmin Ahmad and Pete Teo's Rain Dogs, production designer of Tsai Ming Liang's I Don't Want to Sleep Alone and Ho Yu Hang's At the End of Daybreak ...and he was on set of Ang Lee's Lust, Caution! I foolishly remember that Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner when he said he was being the cameraman for a film that Lee Hom was acting in...and we were clueless at that time, what he was talking about.
Ah King Ko ko, as we all call him, is one mysterious person in the Gan family, no one knows exactly what he does, and he shows up at reunion dinners once in a blue moon. i dont even quite recall how he looks like, apart from being quite good looking as most men in my dad's side are... maybe you're thinking, cheh, i thought your brother was Bruce Lee... and it's probably no big deal...i guess, a big part of me is proud that someone in my family, not only cares about what I care for deeply, but is one of the crusaders, fighting for Malaysian's local art scene, and mind you, Chinese Malaysian arts scene. It takes a lot of passion, a lot of wordly sacrifices to stand up for what this industry needs, and that's what inspiring.
Kinspiration, it's a little bit more than an inspiration. It's a different kind of inspiration that allows you to