Germaine Koh facts for kids

Germaine Koh (born 1967) is a Canadian artist who creates amazing and thoughtful art. She was born in Malaysia and now lives in Vancouver. Germaine is known for her unique style, which often uses everyday objects and places to make you think about their meaning.

She works with different art styles like conceptual art, minimalism, and environmental art. Her art helps us see the importance of simple actions, familiar things, and common places around us.

Germaine Koh is also a curator, which means she helps put together art shows. She is a partner in an independent record label called Weewerk. She even used to be an assistant curator at the National Gallery of Canada. Her art has been shown in many famous places around the world, like the Baltic Centre in England, De Appel in Amsterdam, and the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal. Her work has also been seen in major art events called biennials in cities like Liverpool, Sydney, and Montréal.

Discovering Germaine Koh's Early Life

Germaine Koh was born in George Town, Malaysia. When she was two years old, her family moved to Canada. She grew up in a town called Armstrong, British Columbia.

Germaine studied art at the University of Ottawa. She earned her first degree in fine arts in 1989. Then, she got another degree in art theory and history in 1990. Later, she went to Hunter College in New York and earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1993.

Exploring Germaine Koh's Art Career

Germaine Koh's art often uses everyday objects and ideas. She wants to explore how people connect with each other as they move through the world. For example, one of her art pieces is called "Call."

"Call" features an old telephone placed in a public space. If someone picks up the phone, it randomly dials a number. This number belongs to a person who has agreed to chat with strangers at any time. It's a unique way to connect people!

There isn't one typical "Germaine Koh" artwork. She uses many different materials for her creations. However, each piece shares a special idea. Germaine herself once said, "I try to pay attention to the beauty of daily life. I focus on things that shape our everyday experience, often things we don't even notice."

Understanding Artistic Styles and Works

Germaine Koh, Knitwork, 1992, unraveled used garment reknit into growing object. This view: 1998 Biennale of Sydney

Germaine Koh's art includes styles like conceptual art, environmental art, and minimalism. One of her ongoing projects is called Knitwork (started in 1992). For this piece, she takes old clothes, unravels them, and then knits the yarn into one large, ever-growing object.

This artwork shows elements of environmental art. Germaine uses recycled materials, turning old, discarded items into a new piece of art. She also created a similar artwork called Lumber (1991-1994). For Lumber, she used flexible pieces of old wood, which she treated and then placed alongside buildings.

Many of Germaine's projects involve working with others or need people to join in. One example is an art gallery she co-created with Geoffrey Brown from 1993 to 1994, called "ad hoc gallery."

Another example is League, which started in 2012. This is a "participatory project," meaning people actively take part. Germaine describes League as "an open group of people who gather regularly to play sports and games invented by members of the community." She believes that games and sports help us solve problems and learn new things.

Germaine also combined using found items with active participation in a project called Sightings (1992–1998). For this, she printed images found in public places as postcards. These postcards were then shared, highlighting the idea of making art from common objects and everyday experiences. They also showed the unique beauty of ordinary places.

Other Creative Projects

Besides her art, Germaine Koh is a co-founder of Weewerk, a record label and artist-management company. She is also a talented athlete! Germaine played varsity volleyball and badminton at the University of Ottawa. She was even a captain for the Terminal City All-Stars, a roller derby team.

Her interest in how creativity and sports connect led her to create The Koh-Verchere Award for Athletic and Creative Excellence. This is an award for students at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. She also started Vancouver's League project. Germaine was part of the design team for a pump station in Richmond B.C., which won an award in 2018. In the same year, she became the first artist-in-residence in the City of Vancouver's engineering department.

Notable Solo Exhibitions

Germaine Koh has had many solo art shows where only her work is displayed. Here are some of them:

• Crowd Shyness, Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery, Vancouver, 2020
• Home Made Home, Evergreen Cultural Centre, 2018
• Lively Objects: Enchantment and Disruption, Museum of Vancouver, 2015
• FUSE, Vancouver Art Gallery, 2013
• Germaine Koh: Weather Systems, Kamloops Art Gallery, 2013
• The Haunting, Invaliden 1 Galerie, Berlin, 2010
• Fallow, Charles H Scott Gallery, Vancouver BC, 2009
• Overflow, Centre A, Vancouver BC, 2007
• Relay: an intervention into the fabric of the Baltic building, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, 2005
• Marks and Relay, Tate Biennial, Tate Liverpool, England, 2004
• Germaine Koh: Shell, Para/Site Art Space, Hong Kong, 2004
• Knitwork, The British Museum, London, UK, 2002

Important Group Exhibitions

Germaine Koh has also participated in many group art shows, where her work is shown alongside other artists.

• Soundings: An Exhibition in Five Parts, Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, 2020
• City of Vancouver Engineering Artist in Residence, 2018–2020
• Split Between the I and the Gaze, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, 2019
• Persistence, Vancouver Art Gallery, 2017
• (im)mobile exhibition, Haus für Kunst Uri, 2016
• Les matins infidèles: l'art du protocole, Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, 2013-2014
• Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, City of Toronto, 2013
• Sorting Daemons: Art, Surveillance Regimes & Social Control, Agnes Etherington Art Centre, 2010
• How Soon Is Now, Vancouver Art Gallery, 2009
• All Together Now: Recent Toronto Art, Art Gallery of Ontario, 2008-2009
• 2004 Sobey Art Award Exhibition, Mackenzie Art Gallery, 2006
• Temporary Import / Vorübergehende Einfuhr, Art Forum Berlin, 2005
• L'envers des apparences, Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, 2005
• 2004 Sobey Art Award, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, 2004

Germaine Koh's Personal Life

Germaine Koh has worked for non-profit organizations for 25 years. She has been a coach for roller derby teams since 2010. In 2015, she helped start a new competitive team called the Terminal City B-Sides.

From 2017 to 2018, Germaine was the leader (Chef de Mission) for Team Canada Roller Derby. In this role, she helped guide the team's plans and organization.

Germaine has a background in many sports. She played for the varsity badminton team at the University of Ottawa for five years. She also played roller derby for five years under the name "PLAYER 1." Later, she became the captain of the Terminal City All-Stars.

Legacy and Influence

Germaine Koh and Geoffrey Brown's "ad hoc gallery" project was highly praised. Gunter Nolte, an art department head, said they made a huge contribution to the community art scene. He noted their strong commitment, even funding the gallery from their own jobs.

As the first artist-in-residence for the City of Vancouver's engineering department, Germaine helps bring the community together. She works with people to decide what they want to see happen with buildings, pipes, and public spaces. One cool example is the "sewer time capsule" created in 2019.

Community members painted on a pipe that would be used for sewer upgrades. This pipe will be in use for the next hundred years! Germaine said, "The community can always feel like they had a little part to play in the infrastructure that lies below their street." This project helps people feel connected to the city's hidden systems.

Awards and Recognitions

Germaine Koh has received important awards for her art.

• In 2004, she was a finalist for the Sobey Art Award. This is one of Canada's most important art prizes.
• In 2010, she won a VIVA Award. This award recognized her amazing achievements as an artist in British Columbia.
• In 2023, she received the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts for Artistic Achievement. This is a very high honor for artists in Canada.