esea contemporary is pleased to present ‘Smooth Sailing, 一路順風’, 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 marks a significant moment in Kueh’s practice, introducing new materials and processes while deepening his ongoing exploration of cross-cultural histories, diasporic identity, and collective memory.
Developed during his residency with esea contemporary, ‘Smooth Sailing, 一路順風’ explores the realities and afterlives of migration in search of a better future. The exhibition’s title draws from the Chinese phrase 一路順風 (yī lù shùn fēng), which literally means ‘may the wind be smooth along your entire journey.’ It is often used as a parting blessing, conveying hopes for safety, ease, and favourable conditions ahead – particularly for those embarking on uncertain paths. Kueh reflects on this phrase through both personal and historical lenses: his own experiences as a diasporic Chinese Malaysian from Borneo who migrated to Europe, and broader histories of the textile industry, labour movements, and displacement. Anchored in textile and sculptural language, the exhibition considers how cultural memory and moral frameworks endure – or unravel – across shifting geographies.
In the main gallery, visitors will encounter ‘Smooth Sailing, 一路順風’ – a major new immersive installation that anchors the exhibition. This sculptural tableau features a weathered ship sail, engraved mast, and a kinetic embroidery machine, brought together to create a poignant scene of fragility, endurance, and cultural inheritance. Drawing on research conducted at the People’s History Museum and the internationally renowned textile collection of The Whitworth, the installation creates a space that evokes endurance and migration – where stories of labour, displacement, and cultural ritual are held in delicate tension.
The exhibition also features a new iteration of 'Three Contemporary Prosperities', which reimagines the traditional Chinese deities Fú 福, Lù 祿, Shòu 壽 – celestial embodiments of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity – as hyper-contemporary figures: The Brilliant Billionaire, The Perfect Celebrity, and The Immortal Elder. Presented in the Communal Project Space, this woven work is updated each time it is shown, reflecting on how ideals of a ‘good life’ are shaped by shifting societal desires. As these avatars evolve – a millionaire becomes a billionaire, an influencer becomes a celebrity – the work prompts viewers to consider how contemporary society interprets and chases these age-old aspirations in an age of digital spectacle and economic precarity.
A public programme will accompany the exhibition, including an artist talk presented in partnership with Asia Triennial Manchester 6 and organised by Manchester Metropolitan University. Taking place during the opening week in early November 2025, the event will bring together artistic and curatorial voices to explore themes of migration, memory, and materiality.
‘Marcos Kueh: Smooth Sailing, 一路順風’ is generously supported by the Mondriaan Fund, Henry Moore Foundation, Galerie Ron Mandos, Manchester Metropolitan University, Arts Council England, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Marcos Kueh is an artist from Sarawak, Borneo Malaysia, currently living and working in the Netherlands. His practice centres on textiles as a medium for storytelling, drawing from Borneo’s ancestral weaving traditions to explore themes of identity, labour, and globalisation.
Growing up in a post-colonial developing country, Kueh has long been engaged with questions of identity and how Malaysia is perceived – whether through colonial depictions in museums or stylised narratives in tourism advertising. His work seeks to reconcile these representations with his lived experience growing up in Borneo, navigating the pressures of modernity and globalisation. He uses weaving to encode contemporary legends from everyday life, just as the ancestors of Borneo did with their dreams and stories before the arrival of written alphabets from the West.
Kueh holds a Bachelor’s in Graphic and Textile Design from the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, completed in 2022. That same year, he was awarded the Ron Mandos Young Blood Award, and in 2023 he was named Young Designer of the Year by the Dutch Design Awards. His works are held in the collections of Museum Voorlinden and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Recent exhibitions include Manifesta 15 in Barcelona; Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam; The Backroom, Kuala Lumpur; and the National Art Gallery Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
