In various cultures around Asia, the red thread symbolises the intertwining of fates and lives. Two people bounded by this invisible, unbreakable cord are believed to be destined lovers, regardless of time, place, and circumstance. Drawing inspiration from this myth, Waiting for by Moses Tan presents intimate portrayals of two hands belonging to a queer couple, each circled by a slender red string around the wrist. Though their portraits sit shoulder to shoulder, the thread that connects them conversely travels the whole perimeter of the room - creeping almost imperceptibly along walls and amassing distance as they meander around objects in their path. Against the backdrop of Singapore’s heteronormative public culture, the red thread acquires a second significance as cuts across the meticulously-drawn hands, marking wounds. Touched by the autobiographical, the work is a quiet meditation on one’s place and fortunes, an elegant reproach to an environment all too fond of testing the heart’s endurance.

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Text by Teng Yen Hui

Part of not the norm: on conjugal bliss and misses

Curated by Teng Yen Hui and Richard Lim