About Us

The UK’s only non-profit institution specialising in presenting and platforming artists and art practices that are informed by East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) heritages.

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What's On

Exhibitions
Marcos Kueh: Smooth Sailing, 一路順風
Current
Upcoming
Past
Exhibition
Marcos Kueh: Smooth Sailing, 一路順風
from
11
October
2025
until
11
January
2026
'Smooth Sailing, 一路順風’ is the first institutional solo exhibition by Marcos Kueh—an emerging artist whose richly layered textile works has been increasingly recognised on the international stage. This exhibition introduces new materials and processes while deepening his ongoing exploration of cross-cultural histories, diasporic identity, and collective memory.

What's On

Events
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What's On

Residencies
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What's On

Projects
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Congee Pick n Mix
esea ArtClub
Congee Pick n Mix
from
24
September
2025
until
24
September
2025
11:00 - 13:00
2025-09-24
Join us for Congee Pick n Mix, in collaboration with Little Yellow Rice Co. — a communal, story-rich event celebrating the shared yet diverse traditions of congee across East and Southeast Asia.
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Voicing the Archive
Project
Voicing the Archive
from
15
January
2025
until
25
May
2025
2025-01-15
Originally commissioned as a series of audio-visual works, 'Voicing the Archive' reimagines the histories of early Chinese migration to Britain—a narrative often marginalised in official records and excluded from dominant historical discourse.
Voicing the Archive
Project
Voicing the Archive
from
15
January
2025
until
25
May
2025
2025-01-15
Originally commissioned as a series of audio-visual works, 'Voicing the Archive' reimagines the histories of early Chinese migration to Britain—a narrative often marginalised in official records and excluded from dominant historical discourse.
Exhibition Preview 'Marcos Kueh: Smooth Sailing, 一路順風'
Event
Exhibition Preview 'Marcos Kueh: Smooth Sailing, 一路順風'
from
until
10
October
2025
18:00 - 20:00
2025-10-10
Join us for the exhibition preview of 'Smooth Sailing, 一路順風', the debut institutional solo exhibition from emerging artist Marcos Kueh. Anchored in richly layered textiles and a new sculptural language, Kueh’s evolving practice offers a poetic reflection on migration, resilience, and cultural memory.
esea Talks: 'Art in Hong Kong: Portrait of a City in Flux' by Enid Tsui
Event
esea Talks: 'Art in Hong Kong: Portrait of a City in Flux' by Enid Tsui
from
until
18
September
2025
18:00 - 19:30
2025-09-18
Join us as part of the esea Talks series for Enid Tsui’s book talk, exploring the shifting landscape of Hong Kong’s contemporary art scene.
Director's Letter

Dear esea contemporary community,

In poetry, we seek refuge; in art, we discover possibility. These words often return to me as I reflect on the city we call home—Manchester, a place where histories of movement, labour, and resistance are woven into its very fabric.

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