Kawan! Kawan!

PV: Thursday, 6th August 2026, 6 – 9pm
Open: 7th August – 5th September2026, Thursday – Sunday, 12 – 6pm

Hypha Studios is pleased to present Shoes Off’s second annual summer show, Kawan! Kawan!, a group exhibition featuring artists Zarifah Ahmad Zamri, Yadanar Aung, Ainara Basco, Sona Kharel, Audrey Lukban, Monochaotic, Arty Nicharee, Huda Osni, Aarti Pillai, Liszu Tan and Julian Udine.

Through a multidisciplinary dialogue of sculpture, moving image, painting, jewellery and photography, Kawan! Kawan! explores cultural identity, history and memory within the experience of the Southeast Asian diaspora.

This exhibition delves into diasporic culture and its ever-changing concept of “home”. In Malay, “kawan” means “friend”, an ethos of fellowship and care. Surfacing the usually buried connections that underlie collective work, Kawan! Kawan! foregrounds companionship as a thread that underpins collaboration. With trust, presence and intimate dialogues at its foundation, this exhibition emerges as an extension of our collective creative practices to empower migrant communities through art. Creating with others who understand what it means to show up slowly and intentionally, Kawan! Kawan! is a metaphor for the inner growth that occurs when journeying with a community.

Through diverse public programming, Kawan! Kawan! invites creatives and local audiences to an experimental platform where Southeast Asian identities and hospitality can be practiced and explored; where global communities can gather and connect.

Shoes Off is built through a network of alumni from the Royal College of Art, Goldsmiths, University of London, and the University of the Arts London. With kinship at the heart of our exhibition, Kawan! Kawan! celebrates the journey our collective has taken in building a dedicated space for Southeast Asian contemporary art. Know that when you arrive, there is always a seat saved for you.

Curatorial Team:
Francesca Inciong, Vasita Jirathiyut (Pleng), and Charmaine Wah.

Production Team:
Zarifah Ahmad Zamri, Lesley Cheung, Arty Nicharee, Alexis Parinas and Anggi Pande.