Ernest Goh | ‘Bleached Bones: Last Words of the Dead Spoken by a Dying Sea’
Blueprint Art Space, Singapore

Bleached Bones is a visual catalogue of photographic prints by artist and photographer Ernest Goh. In this exhibition curated by Shireen Marican, bleached corals capture timeless, poignant last words of the departed.
Bleaching is a phenomenon when corals turn completely white after algae in their tissues are expelled when their waters are too warm — nature’s lasting reminder that climatic changes continue to influence ecological systems.
Ernest’s explorations across the shores of Nikoi Island in Indonesia led to a discovery of the unique formations of these bleached corals. In these, he finds a visual parallel to the alphabet system which he draws upon to contemplate lessons of life and living from death poems and last words.
When
11 January - 10 February 2025*
*closed 28 January – 2 February for Chinese New Year
Time
Daily: 11 am – 7 pm
Venue
Blueprint Art Space, 1 Commonwealth Lane, #04-28, Singapore 149544
Programmes
Fireside Chat: ‘Sensing in Practice’: Sat 25 January, 3 pm – 4.30 pm
Entry: S$6 / person (includes light refreshments).
Limited to 25 people. Registration closed.
Join us for an afternoon of exchange between artists Ernest Goh, Victoria Hertel and Wong Zihao (bios below) on how they draw upon ‘senses’ in their respective practice, create sensory-making experiences to inspire imagination and wonderment, and share what balance between practice and purpose means to them personally. Bring your curiosity and your favourite mug to join us in this lively conversation facilitated by curator Shireen Marican.
Artist Workshop: 'An Inflection Point?': Sat 8 February,
2.30 pm - 4.30 pm
Entry: S$15 / person (includes light refreshments).
Limited to 8 people. Registration closed.
“As an artist and art therapist, I have a deep appreciation for Ernest’s Bleached Bones, currently exhibited at Blueprint Art Space. The space, paired with the work, offers a quiet, reflective atmosphere for all who enter. Together, they create a moment of pause, inviting visitors to reflect on a point of transition.” - Aletheia Lynne Tan
Explore life’s profound cycles - endings and beginnings, death and renewal - with Aletheia Lynne Tan (bio below) and Ernest Goh in this tactile workshop engaging with coral fragments, the works in Bleached Bones and sand writings. Participants are invited to reflect on the deeper layers of life through a guided contemplation and creating a visual memento that symbolises their relationship with the natural environment and mortality. This afternoon offers a blend of sensory experience and deep reflection suitable for the curious or the seasoned explorer of the cycles of life. Enjoy tea, refreshments and meaningful connections to start your wholesome weekend with us at Bleached Bones!
Artist-in-Attendance: Sat 11 January & Sat 18 January, 3 pm – 5 pm
Presented by
Part Of


Curated by
Shireen Marican
About the Artist (www.ernestgoh.com)
Artist and photographer Ernest Goh's (b. 1979) practice has been spent looking at the environment and its creatures, trying to understand the complex yet awe-inspiring interconnectivity between our planet and its inhabitants. Ernest Goh founded Ayer Ayer (www.ayerayer.com) - an ecologically-engaged initiative that reaches out to communities through visual and participatory artworks to further environmental protection and awareness. He is also the artistic director of Ubah Rumah, an artist residency and research outpost on Nikoi Island, Indonesia. Ayer Ayer's focus on ocean plastic in the regional waterways of South-East Asia has led to the creation of public art, digital gamification and social intervention projects.
The artist also created The Animal Book Co., a photography-based project that explores unique natural histories. Ernest’s animal portraits have been published in The Fish Book (2011), COCKS (2013, republished as Chickens in the US in 2015), and The Gift Book (2014). Ernest's work has been commissioned by and installed at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, Singapore, collected by the Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow, and also resides in public and private collections.
Formerly a photojournalist, Ernest has documented South-East Asia extensively including the Burmese refugee crisis on the Thai-Burmese border and the aftermath and recovery of the 2004 Tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia. He has photographed for Time Magazine Asia, Newsweek, Der Spiegel, Monocle and the Smithsonian.
Ernest is an awardee of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (Singapore) SG Eco Fund, and the National Environment Agency EcoFriend Award (2024). He also received the Discernment Award at the Icon de Martell Cordon Bleu Awards, Singapore (2012), the Sony World Photography Award (2013), the Incentivising Innovation Fund by the Institute of Contemporary Arts London, the Nesta UK for its Cultural Leadership Program (2009) and the Philips Design Award (1999).
About the Curator
Shireen Marican is a systems strategist, curator and educator motivated to advance the engagement of culture with people, institutions and organisations for a just and equitable environment and society. Shireen has extensive experience working across multidisciplinary contexts with and other cultural practitioners to co-create practice, programmes and strategy that engages with communities and culture more broadly to advance thinking around critical and social challenges in deeply intuitive and informed ways.
Fireside Chat
Victoria Hertel Velasco is a Singapore-based, German-Venezuelan artist working in sensory installation and techno-organic prototyping. Her practice combines perception technology and natural phenomena to create sensorial experiences that emphasise the interconnectedness of material networks as a way of reconciling human behaviour with environmental over-extension. Hertel Velasco received her BFA from the University of Barcelona and her MA in Fine Arts from LASALLE Singapore, in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London. Her work has been featured in solo, duo, and group exhibitions, as well as in research residencies, across Europe and Asia, including Germany, Spain, Norway, Singapore, China, and Malaysia.
Wong Zi Hao is an artist, designer, researcher, and educator. He directs Superlative Futures, an art+design research agency that experiments with design in transdisciplinary ways to probe how cities and communities can better relate to neglected margins and the broken environment. In 2023, he received his PhD in Architecture at the National University of Singapore and has since developed his doctoral design-led research into his current artistic practice, probing neglect in the interstitial (and creatively fertile) margins of landscape and architecture, art and design. His work explores how critical care might look for these margins when neglect is speculatively undone.
Artist Workshop
Aletheia Lynne Tan is an artist and art therapist dedicated to using art as a form of healing, self-expression, and empowerment. With a focus on supporting individuals from diverse backgrounds, she has contributed to impactful projects that blend creative practices with emotional and cognitive development.
At The Turning Point, a rehabilitation organisation, Aletheia piloted an art therapy programme designed to support formerly incarcerated women recovering from substance use. Her work provided participants with a safe and supportive space to process their experiences and rebuild their lives. Similarly, at Active Global Home & Community Care, she launched an art therapy initiative for older adults, facilitating sessions that promoted emotional expression, cognitive stimulation, and community connection.
Aletheia has a Master of Arts in Art Therapy from LASALLE College of the Arts, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the National Institute of Education and a Bachelor of Arts from the National University of Singapore. Her interdisciplinary expertise allows her to seamlessly bridge the fields of education, art, and therapy.
Before fully transitioning into art therapy, Aletheia had a successful career in arts education. From 2013 to 2018, she worked as a Visual Art Instructor, conducting workshops and programmes in over 18 schools. Her innovative approach led to the creation of “Visual Arts Meets Music!”, a unique school programme she co-developed. Approved by the National Arts Council in 2016, this programme continues to inspire students by blending creative disciplines to foster holistic learning.
Through her work, Aletheia demonstrates a deep commitment to empowering individuals by nurturing creativity, fostering emotional well-being, and supporting personal growth. Her contributions to both education and therapy highlight her unwavering belief in the transformative power of art as a universal language of healing and connection.