Richard Koh

By his admission, Richard Koh has been around for a while. “And the older I get, the crazier things I do,” he laughs. His latest venture is a standalone art gallery on Jalan Maarof in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, which opened just as this magazine went to print. Along with its sibling, Richard Koh Fine Art in the Bangsar Village mall, this new space is the latest expression of a gallerist who has resolutely done things his own way – and successfully so.

His story began while still a child. With his Peranakan background, you could say that Koh grew up amidst beauty. The Peranakan, also known as the Baba-Nyonya, are descendants of the 15th and 16th-century Chinese immigrants to ancient Malaya, and renowned for their love of opulence and appreciation of beauty in all things. “The first thing that made a lasting impression on me was Nyonya ware,” he says, referring to the beautifully intricate ceramics that the Peranakan used as kitchenware, ceremonial and religious items, and even articles of leisure. He also remembers being fascinated by Sarawakian ikat textiles.

It’s not surprising then that, after graduating from university in the UK in the late 1980s, Koh stayed on in London to work in fashion. He returned to Malaysia in 1992, however, where he discovered a taste for interior design, which he parlayed into a thriving business. It was also around then that he started dealing in art. “Designing interiors basically paid for the art business,” he admits. It wasn’t until 2005 that he finally set up Richard Koh Fine Art, on Jalan Tempinis in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur Lumpur, before moving to the current space in Bangsar Village.

The gallery burnished its reputation for representing emerging local and regional artists, later expanding its focus to include works from China and India. While ensuring the art is always interesting, just as important is the artist that Koh works with. “To be honest, there are some artists who think too highly of themselves. It takes too much effort to work with them and I don’t want to waste my time.” He judges an artist by character as much as talent. “I prefer artists who are interested in pushing themselves, those who are always striving to better themselves,” Koh says. It is these artists that he tries to nurture, helping them in whatever way he can, a task far more complicated than it sounds. “You not only help sell their art; you also need to support them in producing art,” he explains. “You need to understand them and how to push them – some harder than others.”

Ten years later, Koh remains keenly enthusiastic about the business. “To be honest, it’s a passion. You wouldn’t believe some of the problems you have to put up with – from both artists and clients!” Koh says. “If you don’t have the passion for it, you might as well not bother.” That, fortunately, he has no shortage of. “I’ve always found art – all beautiful things, in general – fascinating. As I grow older, I find what I do more and more interesting. I think that’s why I keep pushing things, taking more and more risks. My accountant, however, is horrified!”