RENOWNED art collector Richard Koh has resigned from the Visual Arts Development Board following the removal of four art pieces from Ahmad Fuad Osman’s ongoing exhibition at the National Art Gallery, said sources.

The Malaysian Insight understands that the owner of Richard Koh Fine Art had tendered his resignation after a board meeting on Thursday.

“He resigned because of this issue, (and) the resignation letter has been submitted,” a source said on the condition of anonymity.

Another source who is also a curator and art collector has confirmed the same.

However, Koh was not contactable as he is believed to be overseas.

But he has been quoted by The Star saying he find it to be very disturbing that mistakes are not admitted to and actions are not accounted for.

“It’s time for the art community to insist on having open discussions about censorship with the art gallery.

“This Ahmad Fuad Osman case has shown that the gallery board has a long way to go in meeting a minimum professional standard in governing a national art institution, especially in being transparent in detailing the reasons an artist is being censored.”

The board is an agency formed through a Parliamentary Act in 2011 to replace the National Art Act 2019, which it gives it more power.

The board is also mandated to manage the National Art Gallery and is responsible for the development of visual arts in Malaysia.

The Malaysian Insight is trying to reach National Art Gallery director-general Ameruddin Ahmad for comment.

He had previously declined to respond to media queries on the controversy surrounding Ahmad Fuad’s exhibition.

On Monday, Amerruddin confirmed the gallery took down four of Ahmad Fuad’s work.

He said the work was “a process and not a finished product”.

Amerruddin’s confirmation came a few hours after Ahmad Fuad wrote an open letter to the gallery calling it to be transparent in its decision to pull down the four pieces.

Ahmad Fuad protested against the action, claiming that neither he nor the curator was consulted on the gallery’s decision.

The gallery’s objection is to an artwork titled Imitating the Mountain, an oil painting showing a man lying naked against a backdrop of mountain ranges.

The other three artworks are Untitled (2012), Dreaming of Being Somebody Afraid of Being Nobody and Mak Bapak Borek, Anak Cucu Cicit Pun Rintik.

Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik earlier wrote a personal letter asking the gallery to reconsider reinstalling all the four art pieces.

He also asked the gallery to apologise to Ahmad Fuad over the incident.

The exhibition entitled Akhirnya Seni Pun Tidak Penting (At last art doesn’t matter) showcases Ahmad Fuad’s work from 1990 to 2019.

The exhibition started on October 28 and was expected to end on January 31. However, it was extended to February 29 on the request of the National Art Gallery.

In another development, it is learnt that the gallery will be reinstalling the four pieces again today, and will hold a programme jointly with the artist and curator on February 21. – February 16, 2020.