Ghost Stories: Lingering Dwellers

​Taking cue from Taiwan’s first gay-themed novel Crystal Boys (1983) written by author Pai Hsien-yung, Khairullah Rahim sets his research around gay cruising sites in Taipei. The sites include and not limited to the popular 228 Memorial which also provided the primary setting for Pai Hsien-yung's renowned novel, amongst several others. Keen observations and interactions with cruisers form a crucial component in his process where he mixes fact and fiction to reconvey narratives of this thriving activity. Similar to cruising, the artist employs the act of searching into his practice as he sets out to gather found objects such as urban fragments which may then be used as materials in his assemblages and paintings. These material pairings also provide possibilities of another language, one premised on touch and texture, to consider stray acts of intimacy often obscured from the public eye.