50 ARTISTS 50 ARTWORKS
OBSESSIONS
OPENING NIGHT: 5 DEC 2015 FREE ADMISSIONS TO ALL FROM 5 DEC – 13 DEC 2015 1PM – 8PM DAILY
FOREWORD ……………………………………….................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
As 2015 draws to a close in the next few weeks, we look back and remember this year as one of our nation’s biggest milestones having reached its golden jubilee. In light of this, various individuals and organizations rose up to the occasion with initiatives, projects and events that fall in line with Singapore’s 50th birthday. SG50 is the combination of a grandiose celebratory gesture of a nation for its fiftieth birthday and the worst nightmare that came true for the cynical and egotistic creatives. SG50 is a mirage, an obsession in its entirety. From Yayoi Kusama's dots to Andy Warhol's prints, the idea of repetition or obsession has been entrenched in art history. The ability for one to keep focusing on a single theme, object or item can inspire a whole series of works or even a career. In 50 Obsessions, we invite 50 artists to produce alternative opinions on the idea of obsession. With the nation’s golden jubilee celebrations as inspiration, we want to present you with works in a variety of mediums that showcase this long existing cultural characteristic of Singapore. Year 2015 presents itself as an appropriate opportunity for us to draw on the obsession saga and it’s time to tell some fringed obsessions of the visual arts.
ADAM BROWN
01
ALEX MITCHELL
02
AMANDA LIM SUE XIA
03
ANDARI CITRA LARASATI
04
ANGEL CHEONG SU HUI
05
AYSHA NUR
06
CASSANDRA KOH
07
CELESTE TAN JIA MEI
08
CHAN JIA YU
09
CHEE WEI TECK
10
CHRISTABEL NGOI
11
CYNTHIA DELANEY SUWITO
12
DOREEN CHUA
13
EDMUND CHANG YONG JUN
14
ESTELLA NG
15
EUGENE KOH
16
FAN YIOU
17
FIONA SEOW
18
GILLIAN BEAL
19
GRACE ANDREA KEPAWITONO
20
GUY MARSHALL-BROWN
21
HARNG FOONG
22
JANICE TAN
23
KAREN MITCHELL CHIA
24
KAYLEIGH GOH
25
KENNY LEE
26
KOK HUI YI
27
LAI YU TONG
28
LEE CHUAN
29
LEOW WEI LI
30
MELISSA NGEIN
31
MOSES TAN
32
NICOLETTE TEO
33
NIGEL TAN
34
PAUL HURLEY
35
PAULINA GLIMAS
36
RACHEL POH
37
RAYMOND WU
38
SAGA UNNSTEINSDOTTIR
39
SANJANA JAIN
40
SHAZWANY AZIZ
41
SHIRLY KOH LI QING
42
STACY HUANG
43
STELLAH LIM
44
SUSANNA TAN
45
TEO BOON HOW
46
VICTOR EMMANUEL AMBROSE KIM
47
VICTORIA TAN
48
VINA HERMANTO
49
YOKO CHOI
50
ADAM BROWN • adamrobertbrown.com/ ………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................................................... Artwork Title: Garden Sprawl • Medium: Ink, paper, plexi-glass • Size: 50cm x 50cm each • Year: 2015
01
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................………… As the Garden City of the world, Singapore has experienced fifty seasons. Fifty seasons of planning.
OBSESSIONS
Fifty season of growing. Fifty seasons of harvesting. What will the next 50 seasons require for a thriving garden? Co-creativity. My artwork is a conversation between the Merlion, our country’s national mascot, and my imagination, one of the 5-6 million vegetables in the “garden.” I like to explore the meaningfulness of the Merlion entity. I like exploring how my identity merges with the 50/50 anamorphic symbol. I imagine the conversation goes something like this: Vegetable: Hi, Merlion. I like how your fish tail can stand for Singapore’s fishing village history. Merlion: Why, thank you. Vegetable: With a head and shoulders of a lion, you partially embody the king of the jungle with traits of strength, a loud, fearsome roar. Impressive. Conventional, and great hair (mane). Merlion: Also, consider my claws and teeth are sharp. Vegetable: Have you ever considered an identity re-mix? Maybe 50 percent pomfret, 50 percent tiger? Our conversation continues as I, a recent planted entity merge into the garden with a larger identity than myself. Co-creative.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................………… Born 1971, Montebello, California, United States of America. Liked playground equipment from an early age. Went on summer vacations family. This often included fishing for rainbow trout in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Sometimes the fish were released. Sometimes the trout became dinner. Attended church on Sundays. Drew battleships, tanks and creatures during church services. Also asked many question about the lessons therein. Attended Boy Scouts meetings on Tuesday nights through the ages of 11 to 18. Was a Mormon missionary in southeast England for two years. Associate of Arts in Art degree, East Los Angeles College 1997. Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration degree, Art Center College of Design, 2000. Was an instructor in the Montebello Unified School District. Employed as a water technology operator at California Water Service Company, 2007. Moved from Los Angeles to Singapore in 2014. 50 Obsessions 2015
02
ALEX MICHELL • narrativeandplay.org/~alex ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Surrender • Size: 50 cards, 52cm x 74cm each Medium: Typewritten text on card stock • Year: 2015
AMANDA LIM SUE XIA • amandalsuex.squarespace.com ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................................... Artwork Title: Scales • Size: Variable • Medium: Wood • Year: 2015
03
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................………… I’ve always been interested in the mutability of stories, and the way that a different telling of the same story can potentially change the meaning of the story. Putting one word beside another alters the meaning of both words. This is even more evident when you are shuffling, not words, but sentences, paragraphs, or entire chapters. If the author no longer fixes the elements of story in place, if the author relents and surrenders her obsession with editing and reordering, what happens to the meaning of the story? And to the responsibility of the author? Is it passed over to the reader, to become a new obsession, an obsession with sense making and interpretation? This work consists of 50 cards, each containing a 50-word story fragment. The cards can be shuffled and dealt to create new stories. The exhibition guests are invited to shuffle and deal their own story. This shuffling and recombining reflects the influence of context and interpretation on our understanding of stories, and of the world around us.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................…………
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................………… Amanda’s artworks reflect particularly on the subject of anxieties relating to interpersonal relationships. Lim draws inspiration from stories she come across and her interest in myths and fables led her to pull these two contents together, thus forming her own interpretation from the fable. The sights of textures intrigue her. There was a period of time she create works that revolve around repetition, including an installation decorated with inflated rubber gloves. Tree barks, road tars, bubble wraps, bricks, are much satisfying than a completely smooth surface. Which is probably why she has the penchant of forming marks on the smooth surfaces. The marks are repetitive. Scales consists of 50 different wood pieces with repetitive marks carved on them by a single carving tool.
Alex Mitchell teaches interactive media design at the National University of Singapore. His research investigates various aspects of computer-based art and entertainment, particularly interactive stories. His creative work has been
Artist Biography
shown at Graphite 2004 (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore); the Creative Curating Lab (Singapore Art
………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................…………
Show 2005); the Displacements exhibition (13 Wilkie Terrace, 2013); Passports: Through the Red Dot Into Other Worlds
Amanda Lim is born in Singapore in 1993. Lim started her training in Fine Art, specializing in Western painting at the
(Lorong 24A Shophouse Series, 2013); Seni Mini (Mi Casa Su Casa, 2014); Print Lab (Grey Projects, 2014); and Interstitium
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore, where she focused in the genre of portrait painting. Lim went on to further
(Lorong 24A Shophouse Series, 2015). His fiction has been published in Dark Tales, Balik Kampung 2, and in several
her studies in BA (Hons) Fine Art, where she began to delve into other forms of expression such as etching and
issues of the Twenty-Four Flavours series, a collection of flash fiction published by Math Paper Press. He gets inspiration
installation. Lim was commissioned by the National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) to paint portraits of their past
for writing from the conversations he has while walking with his dog.
presidents. She received the Tan Chay Bing Merit Award in 2014. Lim is currently a part-time art teacher at ArtVillage.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
04
ANDARI CITRA LARASATI ...…………………..…………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Memory • Size: 14.8cm x 21cm each, 740cm x 105cm in total Medium: Graphite, Pencil Color on Paper • Year: 2015
ANGEL CHEONG SU HUI
• facebook.com/Revival.Blessings?fref=ts ………………………………………………………………………………………………………................................................... Artwork Title: Backstories • Size: 42.0cm x 59.4cm each • Medium: Digital inkjet prints in a series of 4 • Year: 2015
05
Artist Statement
Artist Statement
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
This work is a part of my series ‘Fragility of The Mind’ which talks about an individual’s state of mind who searched
“The more you leave out, the more you highlight what you leave in.” - Henry Green
for balance in his life. The first step is to realise one lives in neither the past nor the future, but the present. Hence one
Many times we see only the front of shop houses and do not really notice the spaces behind them – the forgotten
needs to look at his life more objectively by not becoming attached to the past, but also not to live ahead of the
spaces. These spaces, I feel are more honest and raw. Moreover, it tells a lot of stories and the intimacy between
present time.
human and object. These spaces are curated by everyday people instinctively which shows a personal and private
‘Memory’ is a like a box which can be ‘opened’, ‘closed’, ‘searched’ or even surprised us sometimes just like a box.
side to this seemingly public space. It is very interesting to see how people shape the environment that they live in
In this work I imagined the positioning and structure of memory in different variations from layers to the movement of
and their ‘backstories’. Although it might not be the most presentable space, it is real and that is beautiful.
cubical shapes in each separate paper. I used visual imageries such as squares and cubical shapes to represent an
This could also be linked to how as human beings we tend to want to show ourselves in the most ‘presentable’
organised, structured and layered form of memory, from the most recent one to the oldest one.
manner and fail to see that sometimes being vulnerable and real is the true beauty of all.
Artist Biography
Artist Biography
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
Andari Citra Larasati is born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. She currently pursues her BA in Fine Arts at LASALLE
Angel Cheong Su Hui (b.1993, Singapore) is an artist studying in Nanyang Technological University, majoring in
College of the Arts. Common mediums found in her work are pencil, pen, ink, oil, acrylic and watercolor paint.
interactive media. She is intrigued by human intimacy and relationships and explores this through photography.
Occasionally she also experimented with photography, sound and animation in some of her works.
Photography has always been her interest since young and she has been taking pictures since she was 13. Saul Leiter
A central theme to her work revolve around escapism, where she tries to create a fantastical world that the audience
is one of her favourite photographers. Human emotions and the appreciation of the world inspires her work. She is also
can enjoy thus freeing them from the mundane everyday life. Her inspirations range from illustrative works found in
a very curious and open minded person, always willing to learn something new. She has also taken part in The Noise
comic books to fashion, music videos, movies and books.
Apprenticeship Programme 2015 which was shown at DECK.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
06
AYSHA NUR • nuraysh8.wix.com/ayshanur ...…..…………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Beyond The Naked Eye...#1 • Medium: Collage on Foam Board • Size: 42.0 x 59.4cm • Year: 2015 Artwork Title: Beyond The Naked Eye...#2 • Medium: Collage on Foam Board • Size: 42.0 x 59.4cm • Year: 2015
CASSANDRA KOH
• cassandrakoh.weebly.com ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................................... Artwork Title: Invasion • Size: Variable • Medium: Acrylic, Goauche, Pen And Graphite • Year: 2015
07
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… The idea of 50 lies in not creating the number 50 or showing the number 50. 50 will be an obsession in the amount of traces and marks that are cut outs, that will be combined and composed to form an original design. The work portrays the abundance and also limitations of having the obsession over the number 50. As natural landscapes changes over
Artist Statement
time, its remains that are left behind disappeared by time. These remains, which comes in 50 different pieces, are
………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................…………
gathered to rebuild a new landscape.
Cassandra’s work aims to explore the ambivalence in the way one identifies with Singapore as a globalized,
As explained in the proposed artwork idea, my exploration of the surface of rock textures to create imaginary
ever-changing nation. Is Singapore losing one’s national identity or reinventing one’s national identity with
landscapes, I digitally composed some studies in black and white (to represent historical traces and also gear my
globalization? Through the amalgamation of familiar and distorted myths of Singapore, Cassandra’s work questions
focus to the texture more than colour) using cut outs collage of interesting intricate parts of rocks where I could bring
the complexity of Singapore’s identity and the relationship between people and Singapore that is continuously in a
the element to further development in terms of composition. The main approach to is to use 50 kinds of the various
state of flux. Her work is a form of satire that hints at utopian ideals of Singapore and critiques Singapore’s lack of
traces and marks seen on the studies to create a repetitive, but abstract design. They include duplicated designs,
‘local’ or ‘authentic’ identity due to the superficiality of Singapore’s westernization and hegemony. Her work proposes
mixed shape designs, and one design image, all of them composed by fifty elements.
an alternate reality or speculative fiction, which encapsulates the imagined conflation of past, present and future, which alludes to the power of transforming one’s history and identity of Singapore.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
Artist Biography
I am Aysha Nur, an artist-printmaker graduated from LASALLE College of The Arts, and currently residing in South Korea.
………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................…………
My works are influenced by elements of nature, imaginations, dreams, and also printed designs from textiles in fashion.
Cassandra Koh Ling Wei (b. 1992) is a multidisciplinary artist who holds a degree in Fine Arts – Painting (with honors)
I use these elements to explore my other curiosities and sudden ideas that inspires me wherever I go. I work on
from LASALLE College of the Arts. Her art practice deals with the complexities of the Singaporean youth culture,
concepts to do with imagined space, from the results of lucid dreams and have been finding ways to portray this
particularly the so-called 'strawberry generation’. Cassandra has been commissioned by National Arts Council (NAC)
concept and one of them was a series of artworks through a range of researched theories related to representational
and Taman Jurong Community Arts and Culture (TJCACC) to produce a community based work titled Remembering
spaces. I also work on an obsession I have over natural landscapes, mainly rocks, and I have worked on various
Singapore as part of SG50 and Our Gallery at Taman Jurong. She also co-created a community artwork called
concepts to showcase its movement and changes, and meanings through an outcome of photography and etching
A Matter of Life and Food at Siglap South Community Centre. Cassandra is the recipient of the Winston Oh’s Travel
prints. Currently I am elaborating on rocks again and directing its idea into a series of designs.
Award (2014). She is also an art educator at various private art studios.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
08
CELESTE TAN JIA MEI ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: 50 Ways of Using Silicone • Size: Variables • Medium: Mixed media with silicone• Year: 2015
CHAN JIA YU • chanjiayu.weebly.com ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................................... Artwork Title: 50 • Size: 50cm x 50cm • Medium: Readymade Polystyrene Sculpture, Wood • Year: 2015
09
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................………… Artist Statement …………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................……...........................…… 50 Ways of Using Silicone questions the possibility of experiencing art without knowledge, and appreciating it through its material. This work changes the understanding we have of a material by reflecting on its original material context, and challenging its possibilities through its properties. Each singular object contains its own form of aesthetic, empathized by their separate individual pedestals. This in succession creates a unique bond between the series of work, where the identity the series is realized when the 50 ‘singular’ pieces of work are established as an entire collective.
Artist Biography …………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................……...........................…… Celeste is a multidisciplinary Singaporean artist who took interest in art at a young age. In 2012, she joined LASALLE College of the Arts, after which she has pursued her passion in arts within NAFA. Celeste's current work questions if art
Chan Jia Yu (b.1994) is currently a BA(Hons) Fine Arts student from LASALLE College of the Arts. Her practice explores the concept of fragments as a whole. Through the presentation of everyday objects in fragments, collective memory becomes a very prominent aspect as well. For 50obsessions, my work is triggered by my observation of the countless convenient references made to SG50 this year to commemorate Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, some almost ridiculous. This work features two readymade polystyrene (Styrofoam) forms, a ‘5’ and ’0’. The choice of the material is reflecting the aftermath of the whole SG50 hype – resources invested being removed from the surface, but the actual course of getting rid is as slow as polystyrene’s process to biodegrade.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................………… Award 2015: Art Stage Singapore, Student Art Competition (First Prize, Category B)
can be experienced purely through aesthetic value. Her work focuses on materials, as she creates work that centre around industrial materials. She explores the properties of such materials, and challenges it's possibilities by pulling the
Group Exhibition
material out of it's original context. Through her understanding of such findings, Celeste is able to create unique work
2015: Art Stage Singapore, Singapore
that allows us to question what we understand about the importance of material's aesthetics.
2014: NOISE Singapore Festival Exhibition, Singapore
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
10
CHEE WEI TECK • facebook.com/cheeweiteck ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title of Series: 167 • Size: A0 size (841mm x 1189mm) • Medium: Photography / Digital Print • Year: 2015
CHRISTABEL NGOI • jeanrou1118@outlook.com • cargocollective.com/christabelngoi/Christabel-Ngoi ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..........................................................
11
Artwork Title: Horizon • Size: Variable dimensions Medium: 10 digital prints, video screened on an old TV set • Year: 2015
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................………… We often realise our ‘becoming’ after we have ‘become’. We need to look to the past to understand ourselves better.
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
Memory triggers are the closest things to a time machine that we have to revisit our pasts. I like to go back to locations
Travelling back and forth the journey between Malaysia and Singapore, one which captivated me was the hand of
that hold personal memories. The journey is part of the process.
the people conquering the sea with land. Panning across the horizon, the quote by artist and art historian Allan Sekula
On 9th August 2015, I made a journey from my home to my late paternal grandmother’s neighbourhood. I took bus 167 from Sembawang interchange to Bukit Merah interchange and back again. I snapped a photo whenever the bus pulled up at a bus stop or the traffic lights. The stops where people boarded or got off the bus meant something to them. Likewise, traffic lights and junctions are there for a reason. These points may not be my destination but they are
echoes “to harvest the sea or to rule the waves?” The land which extends further away from itself, approaching nearer to the neighbouring country never fail to fill the desires of my eyes and ears to be submerged in the ever real tension in-between. How does one picture a maritime border in a series of land-shifting movement? To see the ‘horizon’, as described by Foucault as “a pictorial, but also a strategic notion” in his article “Questions on Geography”.
part of my journey. I recorded the GPS coordinates for the photographs taken on this journey for archival purposes. These photographs
Artist Biography
were grouped into sets of nine in sequential order. Each set was then condensed into a single image to show the flow
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
of time.
Christabel Ngoi Jean Rou (b. 1993), a Malaysian art practitioner currently based in Singapore. She works
These images are part of a larger series exploring the concept of time.
multi-disciplinary, most recently using moving images, photographic documentation and text in her installations. Her current research engages from the territorial to the social border, capturing the flux of movement, negotiation
Artist Biography
between land and sea, and migration studies. She recently collaborated with a general worker in Singapore,
………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………….......................…………
addressing issues of representation and the flaws of the ethnographic approach in politicised aesthetics. She eagerly
When he is not busy plotting world domination, Chee Wei Teck roams the ever-changing cityscape with his camera. He finds that we often do not realise that ‘changes’ are constantly taking place around us and we only become
seeks to push the boundaries of border beyond the geographical demarcation of lines and the classification of foreigner, stranger, and alien.
aware of them after the transitions have happened. He uses time-lapse photography to capture the transitory nature
She took her Diploma in Fine Art in Malaysian Institute of Art (M.I.A), Kuala Lumpur, and is currently pursuing her
of things occurring around us.
Bachelor of Fine Art in LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
12
CYNTHIA DELANEY SUWITO ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: In Hope to Get One Back • Size: 3-piece, 21cm x 29.7cm each Medium: Inkjet print on 80gsm cartridge paper • Year: 2015
DOREEN CHUA • doreenclc@gmail.com ………………………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................ Artwork Title: Duties • Size: 91cm x 91cm • Medium: Oil on Canvas • Year: 2015
13
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Things printed or written on paper can make what was worthless to very valuable. The process of creating value on a piece of paper requires control, control to make sure only certain people can recreate the value under certain conditions and it cannot be easily replicated. Paper money is the most common of this kind of paper that contains everyday usable value, the serial number of each page indicate there is no duplicate and control the circulation amount. It is used a circulating exchange value. In this work I recorded down all the serial number of 50 Singapore Dollar notes I have ever gotten since February 2015, in hope that the circulation an journey that the note went through
Artist Statement
can somehow return back to me.
……………………………………….........................................................………………………………………………………………………
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
I am exploring the element of lines in oil painting as an expression in my observations of the complicated web of human relationships. The methodology of figurative abstractions is perhaps the perfect medium to depict the internal struggles of an individual, weighing decision makings to conform for the ideal good of society against self values. The
Born in 1993, Indonesia, Cynthia Delaney Suwito is currently studying BA(Hons) Fine Arts in LASALLE College of the Arts,
multiple roles an individual take on in life, juggling with social expectations and responsibilies to others, often finds one
Singapore.
neglecting to be responsible to the self. Figures in motion, figures in action, at times with vitalities and aggressiveness,
She deals with concepts coming from her daily live and urban situations. Using everyday objects such as instant
other times with fluidity and measured steps. Layers upon layers of figures in disorganized entanglements and struggles
noodles, a4 cartridge paper and clocks as a media to create different forms of artwork, mostly installations. She
are my current research direction.
explores the notion of time and boundaries in the urban life, how the way people look at them have changed from the past by looking at how people uses certain objects to live their life.
Artist Biography
Her works have been exhibited in various places in Singapore. Such as the “Orang Suku Laut: Trading Sea for Land
…………………………………………………………………….....................……………………………......................………………………
(2015)” at National Museum Singapore, ”Lost Conversation (2015)” at Brother Joseph McNally Gallery at Institute of
Doreen finds herself moving forward in her creative pursuit from Applied Arts to Fine Arts in recent years. Currently
Contemporary Art Singapore and ”Little India Art Walk (2015)” as part of Singapore Art week at Kerbau Road,
a final year BA (Hons) student in LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore, Doreen is is participating in 50 Obsessions as
Singapore
her maiden Fine Arts exhibition to her portfolio.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
14
EDMUND CHANG YONG JUN ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Of indignant lovers, bad sex and financial issues • Size: Variable Medium: Installation with 50 oranges and bananas • Year: 2015
ESTELLA NG • Instagram@stllng ………………………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................ Artwork Title #1: 23 September • Medium: mixed media on canvas • Size: 8cm x 8cm • Year: 2015 Artwork Title #2: 29 September • Medium: mixed media on canvas • Size: 8cm x 8cm • Year: 2015
15
2.
1.
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… My work deals with the physicality of matter. That which is first perceived through my sense of sight and touch — Artist Statement
I attempt to capture in these series of 50 paintings. As a very tactile person, I am always feeling things- both literally,
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
with my spindly fingers, and emotionally. This deep internal engagement, of instinctively following my gut, governs
Edmund Chang Of indignant lovers, bad sex and financial issues is a humorous tongue in cheek installation that
both life and art-making decisions. Also, I simply enjoy messing around with paint. This series functions as a visual diary
focuses on presenting human deepest obsessions – love, sex & money subtly. The installation mimics the setting of
of sorts. Recording the first impulse that comes to me at the end of each day...the joy and spontaneity of exploring
an ordinary grocery store with crates filled with fruits – bananas and oranges. The crates of fruits are placed along
the surface.
with signs with sexual innuendos and scrawling that symbolized love, sex and money. Despite those signs, visitors are
For me an 'obsession' is seeing something through for days on end, just sticking on and then to look back and trace
actually encourage to pick and choose the fruits pick and choose the fruits displayed for their own consumptions
growth. It's about process and all the little subconscious decisions made in the middle.
or keeping.
I like the process of stepping back to examine the pieces... the outcome always surprises me. They serve as reminders
While not obliged to pay for any for the fruits that visitors take along with them, the installation includes a box for
of how I was feeling that one day. By placing fluid gestures against crisp lines, straddling Sumi ink with fluorescent
visitors to drop any money in on their own accord as it symbolizes how artists are becoming more obsessed with
pink…there’s always a play with hard elements versus soft. Making use of shape and rhythm to make visceral pieces,
money in a modern society. Through his installation, the artist hopes to brush off humans needs to obscure their
keeping within a consistent colour scheme. Aside from day-to-day experiences, I am also inspired by music and my
obsessions for fear of being criticized in a conservative society.
crazy dreams.
Artist Biography
Artist Biography
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
Being forced to attend art classes in NAFA at aged 10, Edmund Chang slowly developed his passion in art, shining
Estella graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting. In her second
and excelling in it. He even took it as an O level subject, achieving distinction for it. Penny for a thought// none of
year of college she mounted her first solo exhibition in Philadelphia, USA. Her work tends to be upbeat, with a strong
the richer marks his first exhibition at The Substation.
tactile quality- demonstrating the joy and spontaneity of exploring the surface. She is primarily a Painter but upon
A young dreamer with a drive to crave a name in the local art scene, Edmund actively seeks for opportunities
being back in Singapore dabbles in all kinds of things — she enjoys when there’s a specific place and audience for
to further himself as an artist. He hopes to secure a scholarship to study a degree in visual communications in the
the art. Besides working on serious gallery-art she works on design projects such as murals, art for F&B establishments
United Kingdom.
and events, and teaches on the side.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
16
EUGENE KOH • eugenekohyouqin.wix.com/beinghuman ............………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................………
FAN YIOU • behance.net/yiou ………………………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................
Artwork Title: In Pursuit of Dreams • Medium: Wood, Steel, Found Object • Size: Variable Dimensions • Year: 2014
Artwork Title: JUST • Size: 3 Series, Variable Sizes • Medium: Photography and Watercolors Drawings • Year: 2015
17
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Aligning itself with the theme of this exhibition, this work represents the process of making, trial and errors that artists have to go through. The individual pieces constitute to the final piece of work, which I feel is very important and often overlooked, to which how is this work conceived. The idea of recreating these old pieces of weaponry sits on the concept of reviving or revisiting the old world process of individualized productions, or pre-mass production. The level of craftsmanship and finesse in producing a piece of equipment, tool or instrument, is extinct. By trying to recreate one in the city, improvisations such as to use alternative materials when the original material cannot be procured, or by using modern implements or object with a very
Artist Statement
different domestic function from its function on the work itself. The place where this work is conceived also plays a
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
large part in its conception. With strict laws and often much bureaucratic obstacles often stands in the way of artistic
Yiou (b.1991) revolves her works around themes related to female sexuality. She is inspired by the confessional form
growth locally.
of art making and has based most of her works on real-life incidents that has impacted her directly and indirectly. Her choices of medium is based largely on the subject matter of the artworks and can range from mixed media
Artist Biography
installations to watercolour paintings, her most recent piece is a series of intimate photographs which expresses her
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
take on objectification of women in the society.
Focused on making biomechanical forms out of wood and stainless steel, concepts revolving around the play and the manipulation of power and the effect of art within modern societies. He received NAFA Entry Scholarship (Degree)
Artist Bio
in 2014, and have completed his Bachelor’s Degree. He had multiple group exhibitions in his time at NAFA and
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
participated in the Daekyo International Sculpture Symposium for University Students in Korea recently and had
Yiou graduated with a BA(Hons) in Fine Art from LASALLE College of the Arts in 2015. She has taken part in various
his work exhibited at University of Seoul, and will become a permanent collection of the Incheon Golf Resort.
private exhibitions during her school years. Her works are confessional and revolves largely around themes related
Now working on the theme of the revisiting old machinery for modern applications and its potentials, or not.
to female sexuality. She is now a full-time art educator and a freelancing artist at her own liberty.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
18
FIONA SEOW • fionaseow.portfoliobox.io/ …………………...…………………………………………………………………………………........................................................ Artwork Title: 50 x 50 • Size: 50mm x 50mm each • Medium: Ink on paper • Year: 2015
GILLIAN BEAL • gillybeal.com ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Red Brushstroke #1 • Dimensions: 25cm x 25cm • Medium: Ink on paper • Year: 2015 Artwork Title: Red Brushstroke #2 • Dimensions: 25cm x 25cm • Medium: Ink on paper • Year: 2015
19
1.
2.
Artist Statement
Artist Statement
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
Geometric forms are considered pure and perfect. In the ideal state of mind, a circle has rotational symmetry around
Singapore-based British artist Gilly Beal’s work is an investigation of the single brushstroke. She is intrigued by how
the centre for every angle. Unfortunately, transferring that circle into reality reduces its accuracy and with each copy,
a simple gestural stroke can create a series of captivating lines, how the spaces between the lines carry information,
it gets further away from the absolute. No man is able to draw a circle with perfect roundness or an absolute straight
and how what is not there can sometimes be as meaningful as what is.
line that connects two points. Likewise, the perfect triangle only exists in our mind.
Her work reveals a fascination with the direct physical embrace of painting framed through incident and difference.
The ideal number for this work is 50. With that in mind, I work towards a series of drawings that reflect the number in
Working predominantly with monochromes and duo-chromes, she focuses on downward single gestural sweeps
every aspect. 50 x 50 takes a formalistic approach to art through the elimination of figures, icons and the extensive
of the brush. She is drawn to the visual energy of this minimalist gesture, and appreciates the beauty in its deceptive
use of colours. With geometry as the main subject of my research, I aim to explore perfection while using repetition
simplicity.
as the mode of production. Taking on the role as a producer of geometric forms, I attempt to seek the perfect
This limitation of means allows for expression through small variances or nuances of touch. Both stringent and flexible,
hexagon through an intensive repetitive process.
it invites a subtle discernment of the differences that occur as it is repeated over and over again – using different media (ink, oil, bitumen and enamel paint), on different supports (paper, canvas, board). There is a meditative quality
Artist Biography
to the work – perhaps testament to the fact that she has lived in Asia for the past 25 years.
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Fiona Seow (b. 1992) graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) with a Diploma in Fine Art (Sculpture)
Artist Biography
in 2015. She previously attended Singapore Polytechnic, where she majored in Interior Design. During her training at
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
NAFA, Fiona was exposed to the technical aspects of making sculptures. Her practice sees her combining her interests
Although Gilly studied the history of art at University in the eighties, she didn’t pursue her keen interest in fine art until
in space and geometry, complete with a passion in making things by hand.
much later. From 2003, she studied in Singapore with British artist James Holdsworth and exhibited in several group
Fiona was part of the Wood Carving Symposium organized by the Sculpture Society Singapore in 2013 and also
exhibitions at his artist-run space Block 43. In 2007, she decided to study art in Europe. Her first stop was Rome, followed
attended a Guangzhou Bronze Casting workshop in 2014. Recently, her works were exhibited as part of a showcase
by a summer school at the Slade in London. She then studied at Kensington and Chelsea College where she received
at SingaPlural 2015. She was a recipient of the Tan Chay Bing Scholarship in 2014 and the NAFA Fine Art Graduation
a distinction. She returned to Singapore in 2009 where she continues to pursue and develop her path as an artist.
awards for the commendation prize in 2015.
She achieved her MA in Fine Arts at Goldsmiths/LASALLE College of the Arts Singapore in 2014.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
20
GRACE ANDREA KEPAWITONO ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: 5M0L • Medium: Ink on paper • Size: 55mm x 91mm / 91mm x 55mm each • Year: 2015
GUY MARSHALL-BROWN • facebook.com/guymarshallbrownartist • guymarshallbrown.co.uk ………………………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................ Artwork Title: 00110010 • Size: 50 objects, 2cm x 2cm x 3cm each • Medium: Glazed Ceramics • Year: 2015
21
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… ‘00110010’ is a piece of work by artist Guy Marshall Brown. The piece is a collection of 50 small ceramic objects that are constructed from a combination of earthenware and porcelain, and are glazed with a variation of ceramics oxides. Guy’s practise is heavily based in the technique of repetition, taking a strong influence from the essay ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’ by Walter Benjamin, and the writings of philosopher Gilles Deleuze. Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… I enjoy imagining whimsical and ‘what-if’ situations, to which I seek responses that reflect individual thoughts instead of one that is conclusive. Curiosity and vagueness drive my imagination, which I in turn portray through illustration. An obsession may be personal, but it may also have consequences on others’ perceptions of the obsessed person
He believes that there is a beauty in repetition and thus often makes work in series, repeating the same techniques multiple times in order to replicate the same object over and over, and then marvels in the variation that can be found within similar objects. This piece does not differ and is a testament to the obsessive methods that Guy uses. Across the body of miniature ceramics similarities can be drawn; often coloured glazes find themselves in similar compositions, and yet variation still occurs.
and the interactions between them. What part of an individual obsession is apparent through simple observation, and what part is obscured — whether by conscious omission or by an unintentional pattern in the obsession?
Artist Biography
For this project, I am simply drawing over splotches of ink on cards, using ~50ml of ink on an undetermined number
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
of cards until I run out of ink.
Guy Marshall Brown is an international artist currently based in London, UK who has exhibited alongside Royal Academicians in the past. His work is often in the medium of ceramics, yet he refrains from labelling himself as
Artist Biography
a ceramicist as his interests lie in the meeting point of painting and sculpture, and feels that the ceramic medium
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
is a temporary channel for exploring this creation of a new artistic language that operates between painting and
Grace (b. 1992) is currently a BA(Hons) Fine Arts student at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore. Grace is still
sculpture. He is a founding member of the Eris Collective, a multidisciplinary collective of artists, who have previously
exploring various media, particularly enjoying illustration, animation and installation. Preferring to ponder about absurd
hosted exhibitions and are currently working on the publishing of an anthology. Guy has also been a member of
situations, she currently does not have a definite theme in her works.
other collectives in the past, working on research and public art projects.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
22
HARNG FOONG • recyclofashion.net • instagram@harngfoong ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Patterns in my Head • Size: (L) 42.5cm x (B) 52.5cm x (H) 24.5cm Medium: Mixed Media • Year: 2015
JANICE TAN
• instagram.com/j.natsume/ ...………………..……………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Pink • Size: Variable • Medium: Marker on Post-It notes • Year: 2015
23
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… I am an artist and a scientist who works with various topics from mathematics to theology, but I choose to work mainly with plants. I am especially interested in plants from South East Asia, and am currently working on the flowering legume, Clitoria ternatea, which is commonly known as the Blue Pea Flower. I am especially attracted to plants which are historically and culturally rich, but are being forgotten in the process of development. Currently working with Artist Statement
various scientific techniques and in the artistic mediums of film photography, printmaking and drawing, mediums
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
which I find akin to the methods of recording used historically in the scientific field, I aim to remind the existence and
I see patterns and prints. I see office sticker labels. I see objects.
value of this plant living in the urban forest called Singapore. My work which is time based and research based,
Next thing I know, it became an addiction. A constant relieve for my need for patterns.
presents the plant’s ephemeral qualities and by immortalising the plant, I present it as both almost like an artifact
Welcome to my beautiful patterned mess in my head.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Harng Foong is an artist who believes designed experiences through visual art and design is the way to go. Often working with patterns, prints, textiles, installation and set design, Harng supports and encourages the involvement of the audience through stunning experiential interactions.
of the past and as a scientific specimen.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Born and based in Singapore, Janice Tan is a mixed media artist, working with mediums such as printmaking and photography, as well as scientific techniques. A trained Biotechnologist, Janice is currently in her second year at LASALLE doing the Fine Arts BA program. Her fascination with plants, in the temporal, legitimacy of truths and logic created by science, assumptions of the ideal normality, the every day, are presented in her works through using
During his pastime, Harng loves watching Madagascar the movie and thinks he’s King Julien.
combinations of scientific and artistic techniques. Through her works, she hopes to present to the viewer alternative
He is also the founder of Recyclofashion, a studio that advocates alternative materials for art, design and fashion.
viewpoints which question answers and truths that they may have.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
24
KAREN MITCHELL CHIA • facebook.com/artistkarenmitchell ………..……………………………………………………………………………………………...................................................... Artwork Title: Ki . KiKi • Size: 7” x 9” each • Medium: Pencil, Acrylic Paint • Year: 2015
KAYLEIGH GOH
• kayleighgoh.weebly.com ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Room 2 • Medium: Pencil on Tracing Paper • Size: 30cm x 45cm • Year: 2015 Artwork Title: Room 3 • Medium: Pencil on Tracing Paper • Size: 30cm x 45cm • Year: 2015
25
1.
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Art is a culture, a practice and a language we see, use, and make every day. I see art-making as a means to dig deep into one’s roots and thoughts and, at the same time, be able to share the findings with like-minded others. Obsession may sprung from love. In some ways, the entity of one may become the life elements of another soul. ‘Ki . KiKi’ is a series of drawings of the artist’s 13-years old Jack Russell Terrier, KiKi. The drawings capture her random poses and gazes, that aims to communicate her personality with the viewers, quietly. In developing this series, the artist lived and breathed KiKi, absorbing her loving energy into the work. At the same time, the artist returned her appreciation with love. ‘Ki’ or ‘Chi’, in Chinese culture, is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Each drawing of KiKi is an energy force to keep alive.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Karen Mitchell’s works encompass simple and clean lines. Her art teaching is simplistic, its only aim being to draw out connections and relationships from art that can then be fused with objects and activities from everyday life. Her teaching ranges from schools to communities, and from education in art appreciation to art making and recycled art workshops. She also reviews art events and interviews artists for Artitute Art. Karen puts her thoughts and ideas into artworks of various medium. Besides drawings and designing, she expresses her ideas with installations, and participated in exhibitions such as ‘Luminance!’, ‘Displacements’, and ‘Singapore Night Festival 2013’. She is obsessed with the patience required in creating works that takes time, and enjoys the process of research and creation. Her recent creative involvement was featured at:
2.
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Interested in how our physical surrounding affects our way of thinking and how we feel, my interests lies in the study of the poetic and psychological implications of place. With the advance of communication technologies, it is undeniably that we contribute a good portion of our presence in our technology device and this may dilute our experience and sensation about a certain place. Through drawing. I seek for reconnections between the physical space and inner psychological space. Seeing the act of drawing as a way to practice a mindful way in experiencing our physical environment. With holding a belief that art should be a source of calm in the chaotic world, I am drawn to still and quiet places. Hoping to create a visual space that invites meditation, encouraging viewers to empty their thoughts and to settle down their mind. Allowing one to spend a still moment, in amidst of the hectic city life. Having an obsession in the sensation and experience of places, I aim to create drawings and paintings that are inspired by the aura of the everyday places.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
•
Luminance, 2012, Singapore.
•
Expérimentations Etudiantes at Fête des lumières, 2012, Lyon, France.
•
Displacements, 2013, Singapore
•
Displaced@The Arts House, 2013, Singapore
•
PASSPORTS: Through the red dot into other worlds, 2013, Singapore
•
Singapore Night Festival, The Substation, 2013, Singapore
Using majority pencil as her medium, Kayleigh is drawn to the aesthetic of simplicity. Using a black and white palette
•
minimArt 5.0, The Substation, 2014, Singapore
in her work, she hopes that it can turn her works into a quiet space for viewer to think and feel.
•
Petain Unboxed. Shophouse at Petain Road, 2014, Singapore
Interested in existential issues, Kayleigh recent works reflect her after thoughts from her humble readings on the topic
•
INTERSTITIUM. 2015, Singapore
of human’s being and existence.
50 Obsessions 2015
Born 1993, a Chinese Malaysian, Kayleigh is currently pursuing a Fine Art Degree in LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore. Based in between Singapore and Malaysia, Kayleigh explores both Johor and Singapore’s art scene and has participated in art exhibitions in both countries.
50 Obsessions 2015
26
KENNY LEE • cargocollective.com/KennyLee ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Kuebiko • Dimensions: 1m x 2m • Medium: Fabric and Light installation • Year: 2015
KOK HUI YI • huiyikok.weebly.com ………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................................................... Artwork Title: Digital Natives (4 out of 4) • Size: 47cm x 55cm each • Medium: Pencil on paper • Year: 2014
27
Artist Statement
Artist Statement
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
The beauty of indigo is in the fading of it. The exposure to life overtime, causes pigments to shed from the dyed
Living in a highly urbanized densely populated Singapore, city life has become a resource of ideas in her art making
threads. In traditional Indigo patchworks of clothing and even denim jeans, the layering of fabric extended the life of
process. She is very interested in the relation between human and city - how human react to their own surroundings
the piece with the sincerity and character of the maker sewn onto it. Taking inspiration from the traditional Japanese
especially those who live in Singapore, the behaviors and habits that were influenced by their environment and how
Boro, the obsession with indigo fabric drove me into paying microscopic attention towards its tattering edges and the
places impact them. After all, human build cities while cities shape human. It is a continuous cycle. Her works are
expressiveness of uneven stitches that are unachievable through a sewing machine. The depth of indigo explores the
majority narratives that express personal stories, experiences and fictions. She also takes interest in stories that people
figments of its viewer’s imagination, seeing the sky or the ocean. Other than crafting patchwork for apparels, I am
share with her as well. Her works usually hover between past, present and future to comment on the various situations
engaged with the process as a form of art.
the people face.
Artist Biography
Artist Biography
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
Born in Singapore, Kenny graduated with a Diploma in Fine Arts Painting from LASALLE College of the Arts. He recently
Kok Hui Yi, Victoria was born in 1992 and is based in Singapore. She received her Diploma in Apparel Design and
participated in SG50 Facade Art in decorating HDB and also participated in the National Arts Council (NAC) Silver Arts
Merchandising from Temasek Polytechnic and currently studying BFA in LASALLE College of the Arts. She draws her
Program, “To See the World In A Grain Of Self”. Kenny is also a painter and has completed several murals for St John
inspiration from her daily life and the surroundings she lives in. Her works are drawing oriented and are often
Home for the Elderly as well as Hotel Clover the Arts.
referenced from images she photographed or found images. She is currently exploring digital base works.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
28
LAI YU TONG • cargocollective.com/laiyutong • facebook.com/laiyutong • instagram.com/cosmologists ...…..….………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Counting 1 to 50 (street lamps) • Size: 50cm x 50cm x 50cm • Medium: CRT television • Year: 2015
LEE CHUAN • cargocollective.com/The-Atelier-of-Hyde ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..................................................... Artwork Title: Mechanical Expression: 50 cm x 50 cm x 50 microlitres (2 Series) • Size: Variable Dimensions Medium: Ink on Paper / Print • Year: 2015
29
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Re-looking at the specific way my paintings (and generally paintings) are constructed, my current project tangents off from consciously using pictorial symbols and metaphors to spin narrative or prerogative, and focuses on phenomenal creation of expressions and material experimentations. Taking painting as a point of departure, I dive into the world largely similar to what system arts is dealing with. This project on mechanical expressions explores the aesthetics of matter(material) in highly constructed and Artist Statement
controlled events (explosions). Making references to the ongoing experiments at CERN, I made a series of studies
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
to investigate the patterns and formless formed by the ink and force. The resultant drawings also give an uncanny
The piece is a performance involving walking the distance of 50 street lamps. Shot with a handheld camera pointing upwards, the artist re-performs and reflects upon the mundane act of walking in solitude, through the night. The performance looks at counting as an everyday form of escape – counting objects, landmarks and encounters as a way of reducing them to mere rhythms and repetitions. The performance when screened to an audience translates a personal moment of concentration and meditation into a piece that draws attention to the everyday rituals and motions of daily life; thus proposing alternative ways of experiencing them.
resemblance to star maps and the Big Bang, drawing parallels to the simplicity of the constructed process created by me and the complex existence of the universe, and attempting to reconciled with the idea of artificial and the idea of nature, static and movement, and other possible binaries that seems be at polar opposites.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Currently in LASALLE College of the Arts pursing his Fine Art BA(Hons), Lee Chuan is an aspiring multi-media artist.
Artist Biography
Primarily trained as a painter, he places great importance on exploration and experimentation in his current artistic
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
constructions. While he still enjoys painting, he also works with New Media such as programming and machines. Whilst
Lai Yu Tong (b. 1996) is an artist that works with instructions and performances translated into a variety of mediums –
in school, he is investigating and practicing the framework of deconstructing and analyzing ideas and reconstructing
photography, videography, sound, print and installation. His works examine the banal; looking into everyday motions
the ideas back again using related elements from the original idea he chose to focus on.
and suggesting alternative ways of approaching and experiencing them.
His main interest lies in systems, existence and visual as the primary mode of expression.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
30
LEOW WEI LI • wlilwl.weebly.com ...………………………..……………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: High Way • Size: 187cm x 5cm • Medium: Mixed Media on Cotton • Year: 2015
MELISSA NGEIN ………………………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................ Artwork Title: Skulls (Past and Present) • Size: Variable • Medium: Ink (Pen) • Year: 2015
31
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Contained within geometric pockets of soil, urban plants such as Palm Trees are popular ornamental foliage in urban cities. These solitary plants are perfect fit for the infrastructures of mankind, often adhering to straight lines and angular forms. My painting document the obsessional planning for the organic plants on urban land.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
It started out simply with the interest I have for animals. I want to study those that have exist and those that have existed. But why draw bones? Bones are the last earthly traces of the dead and I believe that the skulls are what help us identify whether the animal is/was a carnivore or a herbivore. The simply length of a teeth, the size of the skull or the length of a jaw could help indicate the kind of animal it is. Hence I have decided to draw skulls of animals that still exist, those that have extinct and those that belong in the prehistoric life. Drawing was always one of the most straightfoward method for me to express what I want to pen down. Hence, by using apen, I drew animals’ skulls with different stokes, different textures and layers. The aim is to achieve perfection using ink and to discover the different types of animals and their chracteristics.
Born in 1994, Wei Li is currently pursuing her BA(Hons) in Fine Arts at LASALLE College of the Arts. She paints to
Artist Biography
understand and approaches her exploration and experimentation with different mediums. Having graduated Diploma
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
in Fine Art with Painting as her major, she was recently awarded the Lasalle Award for Academic Excellence 2014.
Melissa Ngein (b.1994, Singapore) works mainly with drawings and clay. She strives to attain a high degree of realism
Wei Li has been a part of various collaborative mural painting activities such as Art Walk Little India, during the
in her practice through her materials of choice. Melissa recently graduated with a Bachelor’s (Hons) Fine Art from
Singapore Art Week 2015, Siglap CC Mural Collaboration with Lasalle College of the Arts 2015 and commissioned to
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in partnership with Loughborough University, UK. Most of Melissa’s work fuses together
paint St John’s Home for the Elderly Persons by Potong Pasir CACC, as well as selected to paint one of the rooms at
pieces of reality and fantasy to create a believable vision. Many are related with the interest in zoological studies.
Hotel Clover the Arts.
At this moment, Melissa does drawings. By using a pen, she drew works with different strokes, textures and layers.
Wei Li is also a recipient of the Lasalle Student Scholarship in 2012 & 2013 and the Ngee Ann Kongsi Scholarship in 2014.
She illustrates animals bones and skulls, hoping to achieve likeness to the illustration seen in old encyclopedias.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
32
MOSES TAN • behance.net/kickthatmo ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................………
NICOLETTE TEO • nicoletteteo.weebly.com ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….......................................................
Artwork Title: Bugis • Size: Variable • Medium: Graphite on parchment paper, Wooden frames, Light Bulb • Year: 2015
Artwork Title: Did you hear about this? • Medium: Colour Video, 6 minutes • Year: 2015
33
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Artist Statement
Reflecting on my everyday life, I focus on aspects that I notice happen on a daily basis. One of them is talking and
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
gossiping with others. We have this obsession to talk about others or to hear about what happens to others. It happens
Referencing historical records of the tourism trade in Singapore, Bugis (2015) is an installation of drawings in photo frames. Inspired by old images of Bugis street, the work is an illustration of Singapore’s obsession with image. An exploration with tracing, the work is an isolation of objects within photographs and set up in an installation as a reminder to a past.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Trained formerly in Chemistry and Biological Chemistry in Nanyang Technological University, Moses is also interested in the sciences although he has not been able to merge both fields in his works.
so much that we don't usually notice the amount of time we spend on these conversations. We are always interested gossip, be it celebrity gossip or just gossip among friends, though we know it’s wrong or irrelevant in our lives.. Even if were to say we’re not interested, there is a part of us that just wants to know everything about everyone. What is this obsession we have with people’s lives and why are we so interested in it? Viewers will listen to the audio recording of people gossiping with each other, overlaying with audio of entertainment news, until everything gets constantly frenetic which eventually becomes inaudible.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Nicolette (b. in 1994, Singapore) is currently pursuing a Bachelor degree in Fine Arts at LASALLE College of the Arts and
Through drawings, sound, video and embroidery, Moses is interested in socio-political issues at the moment
has participated in several exhibitions in LASALLE and independently. Nicolette draws inspiration from her surroundings,
and the ones that strike him always relate back to queer politics. Exhibited in Noise Singapore 2014, Moses is also
landscapes and the aspects that happen in her daily life. This includes the passage of time and the uncertainties in
a NOISE Award winner for 2014.
our lives, usually involving the interaction with others and participation from different people. Not working with a
His current research delves on melancholia and queer issues and is informed by writers such as Judith Butler,
specific medium, she likes to use different mediums, combining them and exploring the material properties to see
Thomas Fuch and Michael Hor.
how they work with one another for inspiration for work.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
34
NIGEL TAN • nigeltanmusic.com • soundcloud.com/nigel-tan • vimeo.com/nigeltan ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Nature Nurture • Medium: Audio Visual Installation • Year: 2015
PAUL HURLEY
• vimeo.com/131505225 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..................................................... Artwork Title: Idem persona • Size: Variable • Medium: Ink, paper and red light bulb • Year: 2015
35
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… My work primarily revolves around a theme that evokes curiosity through a multi sensory environment with the use of various mediums, blending form and texture to build layers within a chaotic structure. I use sound as a basis of my work, creating diverse sonic spectrums through experimentation, intuition and self-discovery. My main body of work delves into experimental and abstract form that explores everyday life through contrasting cultures, space and environment. These sonic spatial structures bring about a holistic awareness that is necessary to provoke thought in turn bringing about a change. This greatly influences my work as a composer. I feel a connection between sound and visuals in an organic way that formulates into a reality that we are all familiar
Artist Statement
with. This creates an experience that challenges and opposes comfort by discovering something new through the
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
unique process of interpretation. Coming from a film background, I am always seeking new ways to interconnect my
Domiciled residents of Singapore are granted ease of passage when entering or leaving the country with the
ideas through audiovisual experimentation, taking away the usual approach to filmmaking. I want the simplicity of
presentation of a simple piece of biometric data – the right thumbprint that is kept on record and read at the border
silence and a blank frame to speak the same as a piece of music paired with a narrative.
using a fingerprint scanner. This biometric impression functions as a uniquely defining characteristic that identifies each individual within a largely diverse community of individuals who live on the island.
Artist Bio
Idem Persona is a fifty-panel study of the artist’s own right thumbprint, and an exploration of the tension between
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
commonality and individuality within the reductive system of biometric data collection that is commonly used as a
Nigel is a composer, sound and video artist from Singapore currently based in Melbourne, Australia. He graduated
means to help track and define the individual within an increasingly complex, globalised society where the concepts
with a diploma in Film, Sound and Video from Singapore’s Ngee Ann Polytechnic in 2009 and a Bachelor of Fine Arts
of nationality and culture are increasingly diluted.
in Contemporary Music majoring in Interactive Composition from University Of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts in 2014. He is currently pursuing his Master of Fine Art at RMIT University, Melbourne. His work includes audiovisual
Artist Bio
installations, experimental video and site-specific compositions that have been exhibited and screened in Singapore,
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
London and Australia at spaces such as the Ian Potter Museum of Art, Instinc Gallery Singapore, Federation Square
Paul Hurley is a British born, Singapore-based artist whose work incorporates image making, installation and various
Melbourne, The Arts Centre Melbourne, Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne Zoo, Japan Creative Centre Singapore,
other disciplines. Hurley’s artistic practice is driven by the examination and investigation of emerging and elusive
CASPA Gallery, 69 Smith Street Gallery, The George Paton Gallery and more. In addition to this, he actively writes
concepts that affect contemporary society; often with a focus on the effect that newly developed technologies and
music for film/television, mixed media and performance art.
emerging systems have on our collective experience, as well as the power structures that shape us.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
36
PAULINA GLIMAS • instagram@paulinaglimas_art • paulinaglimas.tumblr.com ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: 09/15-10/15 • Medium: Fifty small books, Mixed media on paper • Size: 7.5cm x 10cm each • Year: 2015
RACHEL POH • instagram.com/rreii ...………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Old Wise Tales • Size: Variable • Medium: Prints on grain paper, Polaroids • Year: 2015
37
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Paulina Glimas focuses her work around the theme of nature. She believes in a very romanticised ideology of the landscape and craves the sublime experiences. Constantly working on finding ways of sharing such experiences with her audience. Placing crucial importance on the concept of encounter, Glimas takes walks in the rural landscape often creating ephemeral work outdoors. She also finds herself drawing inspiration from British Romantic poems who believe you should ‘let nature be your teacher.’ The artist believes in the whole process being an artwork not only having a final object therefore, she makes books
Artist Statement
that represent each sculpture created as well as each walk she takes; these books then become a record of the
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
whole journey of creating.
Old Wise Tales attempts to translate a collection of superstitions, beliefs, and old wives’ tales from various Singaporean
’09/15-10/15’ is formed of fifty small, individual handmade books that are a documentation of fftty walks the artist
cultures into photographs, and invites the viewer to reflect upon their relevance in our current context.
undertook. Each book varies in content ranging from fragmented poetry, sketches or found objects in order to
By capturing the dramatic aesthetic these traditions inherently possess using the artist’s body as a medium and
represent the artists thought process whilst walking.
juxtaposing that against a contemporary setting, one might (re)consider the relationship we have with them and find some middle ground between the old and the new, despite our own cynicism.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Paulina Glimas is a Polish born British artist currently living and working in London, Uk, however her artwork is frequently themed around nature and so often finds herself outside of the city. Her practice manifests itself in a variety of mediums covering painting, drawing, photography, sculpture and creative writing.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Rachel is a performer who has been featured in works such as Dream Country – A Lost Monologue (Singapore Arts Festival, 2012), This Placement, The Wasteland (Teater Ekamatra), Juxtaposition (Singapore Biennale, 2013),
Paulina is a member of the Eris Collective, an interdisciplinary art collective operating predominantly within London.
Zentai: Why then, should we worry? (Yuzuru Maeda), Decimal Points 810 (Cake Theatrical Productions) and New
The Collective create, exhibit and perform collaboratively, together working on multiple projects including currently
Voices (Esplanade Presents: The Studios 50). While she is more familiar with creating work that pushes her body
working on a creative writing and illustration anthology.
physically, she has recently developed an interest in documenting her changing body via photographs. When she
Earlier this year, Paulina took part in an international collaborative residency in the Galleria Miroslav Kraljević located
is not performing, Rachel plays with sharp objects like knives, embroidery needles and scalpels. She enjoys collecting
in Zagreb, Croatia, as well as undertaking an internship at Simmons and Simmons LTD Corporate Collection.
bruises in dance classes and crawling through bushes in search of abandoned spaces.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
RAYMOND WU ( DIMITAR PETROV collaboration )
• wujraymond.weebly.com/ ………………………………………………………,,……………………………………………........................................................
38
Artwork Title: 2 Series – Series #2.: 50% Sun, 50% Snow • Size: 42cm x 29.7cm • Medium: Digital Print • Year: 2013
SAGA UNNSTEINSDOTTIR • saga-unn.com ………………………………………………………………………………………………………......................................................
39
Artwork Title: Calculated Expression • 50 layers of paint • Acrylic on canvas • Year: 2015
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Raymond Wu likes to experiment with camera movement with his photography work. Other than that, one of his favourite pasttimes is to find links and coincidences and other nuances in daily life. For example, how he is only 25 when Singapore is 50, so when he is celebrating RW50, it will already be SG100. He also loves to take words out of context and create puns, and to the horror (he believes that it’s a pleasure) of his peers, he materialises them into his works. Obsessively. His work for 50 Obsessions has two inspirations: #1. The notion of the significance of the number 50 in relation to the number of 100, and the story of a man who literally split his belongings into half to give to his ex-wife. The works will be an exploration of the medium of photography, obsessing with the number 50. Welcome to his world of taking things too literally.
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Art, similarly to our dreams is a resistance, alternative and escape from the everyday – nonsensical, magical, unusual. But, similarly to dreams also, it is also a part of the everyday - a reflection, created from and about our surroundings and us. A contradiction. In my work I aim to explore art as intervention with how things are, or the everyday and the idea how artists, people in general, make changes to things and alter them as if fixing them.
#2. This series is a collaboration between Singaporean Artist/Photographer Raymond Wu and Bulgarian Photographer
Media or material, problematic or utopian, trash or art – my hope is to explore the thin and blurry the lines between
Dimitar Petrov. The photographs are shot on a single roll Agfa Precisa Slide film and cross processed. The roll was first
supposed, the ideal and the mundane, the absurd and serious – art and life.
shot in Bulgaria by Dimitar Petrov, then sent all the way to Singapore to be shot by Raymond. The idea was to blend Singapore, which is mostly sunny, with Bulgaria's snowy winter at that time. Dimitar Petrov used a half-framed film
Artist Biography
camera while Raymond Wu used a full-frame film camera.
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
Artists Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
Graduated from FB Breiðholt College, with a Icelandic Students Prof in Visual Arts, 2012. Spring of 2012 Saga Unn was part of FB Breiðholt College graduation show @ Brym, Reykjavik, Iceland.
Wu Jiahan, Raymond (born 1990) Raymond Wu is an artist/photographer based in Singapore. He likes to take things
Summer of 2012 Saga Unn had her first solo show of acrylic paintings @ Cafe Valný, Eigilsstaðir, Iceland.
too literally and out of context on purpose because he loves puns. To him, making puns is an exercise to look at the
Summer of 2014 Saga Unn had two separate shows: 'Gluggi; Myndlistar sýning' showcasing book art @ Sláturhúsið,
same word or topic with multiple perspectives. Puns are always seemingly out of context but it only works if there is a
Eigilstöðum, Iceland.
certain link. He is currently working on the topic of indeterminacy in his own practice. Just like puns, to understand a pun, you need to interpret it with many other experiences and clues. Dimitar Petrov (born 1982) Dimitar Petrov (Димитър Петров) is a Photographer from Sofia, Bulgaria. He is a very active member of the Lomographic international community. 50 Obsessions 2015
And 'Anxiety art show' showcasing installation, painting and verious small works @ Hitt Húsið, Reykjavik, Iceland. 'Book art, prints and paintings ' Selling Show June - September 2015 @ Langabúð, Djúpivogur, Iceland.
50 Obsessions 2015
40
SANJANA JAIN ...……………..………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: 10:50 pm • Size: 50-piece, 105mm x 105mm each Medium: Nike+ Running app records, Print • Year: 2015
SHAZWANY AZIZ • shazwanyaziz.com ………………………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................ Artwork Title: (Tak) Usah Disebut (Series) • Size: 30.5cm x 45.5cm each Medium: Mixed-media monotype on paper • Year: 2015
41
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… ‘To be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar, it is taken for granted.’ – Bill Bryson The realms of the unknown and the known of the everyday intrigues me. By being both an observer and a participant, my work unfolds out of a deep fascination to use the metaphor of movement to express and capture the fleeting moments of daily life, where I use them as subjects for my work. Materials such as time, space, situations and unspoken ideas are used, carried out via drawing and printmaking. I view the drawing form as a representation of motion – of how it starts and ends in movement. It can carry on without closure or completion, continually part of a process, Artist Statement
neverending.
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
I also use printmaking to create my drawings, where I see a print as a representation of a process, a residue of the
For 50 nights, at exactly 10:50 pm; I walk out from where ever I am, no matter what I am doing; and begin walking
past. The daily changeability of states is a process of endless moving, constantly reviewing and forever changing –
for 50 minutes and 50 seconds. Just the fact that the event happened successfully being the end of all, be all.
forms, elements and events, moving and shifting over time, very much like a living organism.
The project picks a set of actions that need to be completed precisely regardless of the situational factors ones may be enduring. It isn’t about playing with an obsession but rather putting a conscious effort into cultivating one.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
Artist Biography
Shazwany Aziz works predominantly in drawings and prints, as she enjoys the slow and tactile processes of block
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
printing which unites two-dimensional and scuptural elements.
Sanjana Jain is an artist born in India, currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from LASALLE College
Her work has been exhibited around Singapore, and is the recipient of several awards, Project Protege Award from
of the Arts, Singapore. Living in a country away from family made her realize the extent power of the internet as a
Yayasan Mendaki (2012), The Winston Oh Travel Award (2009) and the Hokkien Huay Kuan Arts and Cultural Award
medium that is not only a web of information, but a strong force bringing individuals together. A realization that
(2007).
communication isn’t a step, but rather a click away. But has this convenience made people too lazy to make the
She also has been featured in a variety of local media outlets, including Suria MediaCorp, Berita harian and
effort of taking that step? What has been enabled? What has been lost? Using video as a medium she seeks to play
Culturepush.com. She is a member of Printmaking Society Singapore and Singapore Contemporary Young Artists,
the middle ground of technology as a boon and a bane.
where she has participated in a variety of community projects.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
42
SHIRLY KOH LI QING • chillhat.tumblr.com ...……….....…………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Scribbles • Size: Variable • Medium: Post It Notes, markers • Year: 2015
STACY HUANG • stacyhuang.wix.com/fineart ……………………………………………………………………………………………………........................................................ Artwork Title: Foods You Must Eat (And Instagram) Series • Medium: Digital Print • Year: 2015
43
Artist Statement Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… To ease nervousness
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… Throughout my practise, 'roundness' manifests itself in form, space, action or experience where human-to-human engagement is often the main objective. Roundness can come in a dining table, the bowl of rice that we eat for dinner or having breakfast at 8am every morning. Food – with its accessibility and relatability – naturally becomes
Take pills
my artistic language and is adopted from various aspects of the everyday life.
Exercise
My work becomes an attempt to raise the status of these increasingly unimportant engagements into the realm of
Meditate
the extraordinary where the act of getting together can be embraced and valued.
Laugh
In the end, it is a question of how can we connect with one another again?
Cut Hair Sleep Cry
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
Or
Born in 1993, Singaporean artist, Stacy Huang recognises value in the seemingly unimportant engagements in
Heave it out
our everyday lives. Her practise attempts to raise the status of these activities into the realm of the extraordinary.
on a sticky note
Performance in nature, her works occasionally take the form of video and aim to be interactive and participatory. Food is often used as her main artistic language – yam dough in 客家人 (Guest People), a recent participatory
Artist Biography
performance involved the audience in making abacus seeds with the artist. Her gravitation towards social
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
performances stems from her involvement in Telok Blangah’s Youth Executive Committee as a grassroot leader, where
Koh Li Qing Shirly (b.1988) bases her practice on the exploration of connections. She is interested in opposing but
community events are organised regularly in the hope of engaging youths in the neighbourhood to make a difference
complementary structures i.e. urban and rural, flux and structure, parting and meeting. She seeks to evoke a sense
and forge stronger bonds with one another. A recent event Stacy had organised was Paint A Bin, a community arts
of ephemeral vulnerability and tenderness in her works. She is currently undertaking a BA(Hons) in Fine Arts from
project that involved 20 over participants who designed and painted brand new public dustbins that will be placed
LASALLE College of the Arts and is a recipient of the NOISE Singapore 2015.
around the Telok Blangah neighbourhood. Paint A Bin was also featured on The Straits Times the following day.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
44
STELLAH LIM .………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: In Search of The Other Half • Size: Variable • Medium: Plaster, carbon, resin • Year: 2015
SUSANNA TAN • instagram@tsusu_ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................................... Artwork Title: Let’s Talk About Loss • Size: Variable • Medium: Mixed Media • Year: 2015
45
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………………….......................… I have wondered about the ephemeral role of the human presence and grappled with the imminent loss of my loved ones. It is an unsettling thought when realized, mainly due to unforeseeable emotions and unexpected changes that ensue after the demise of people who stayed near and dear. However, in my family and many other Chinese families, we tend to have our emotions moderated. The idea of death Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................…… I have a long fascination with the lingering presence of objects and people when they ceased to exist. The thoughts and images that surfaces & fades away as one tries to recall the memories associated with familiar objects or
and grief are not necessarily the most suitable topic to speak about in a conservative and pragmatic culture. Through a chanced opportunity, I found some very abstract human characteristics in flower and foliage arrangements. At a glance, the flower arrangement appears vibrant and livens up the space, yet in another perspective, these loose foliages are in their dying process once they are removed from the main plant.
photographs. My current works explores the duality of two realms, the living and the dead and I hope to encapsulate
When placed in a household, their positions are nowhere too different from mine. They are a representation of a
these emotions and connections in my work. My art making is fluid and contemplative, constantly having dialogues
helpless form when faced with changes in the surrounding. Like me, their existence is temporary and they are passive
with my works. I allow the voice in the work to surface and decide on the mediums and materials that will best suit
in the question of imminent death. It is a position where I can instinctively relate. Plants as humans, it could be the
them. The people, incidents and the natural environment around me, inspire the narratives in my works and I seek to
point of departure.
unearth the truth of what they may be. I always carry a few sketchbooks with me for different ideas, allowing each one to simmer. Each explorative stage consists of multiple works, in different mediums and materials. These findings
Artist Biography
often create new areas of interest and lead to the next body of work.
………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………………….......................… I am currently pursuing a Fine Arts bachelor degree in LASALLE College of the Arts and with previous interest in
Artist Biography
interior/exhibition design, the language of space has been my muse in my art approach. I enjoy travelling and often
………………………………………..................................………………………………………………………………….......................……
sets them as a source of inspiration.
Born in 1979, Singapore, Stellah Lim is a graduate from RMIT Bachelor of Arts with a Fine Arts (Honors) degree, Formally
To date, I have worked across a breadth of mediums and motivations. Work ranging from paintings, photography,
trained in silversmithing, Stellah has moved on to explore sculpture and installation works since. She has participated
illustration, printmaking and metal sculpting can be found in my portfolio.
in over 20 group shows both locally and internationally and has her works collected by private collectors. She was
Lately, my photo contribution to the Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, has been featured in their 2014, July’s
previously an in house artist and artwork consultant in an international firm and lectures at LaSalle College of the Arts
electronic newsletter. My most recent exhibition as a group, “Should We Look at the Other Side?” was held at Praxis
now. Her latest works explores the duality of the living and the dead. She is currently collecting animal bones.
Space gallery in January 2014. In November 2014, I have co-curated and written for “One Night Only”, a showcase
Stellah’s past exhibitions include, ‘RE (Claim)’ Singapore, Chan Hampe Galleries, ‘Between Conversations’ Singapore,
featuring experimentation works of different mediums and alternate ways of artistic expressions by the students of
Yavuz Gallery, ‘Unearthed’ Singapore, Singapore Art Museum and ‘Field Trip Project Asia’ Japan.
the Fine Arts Programme in LASALLE
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
46
TEO BOON HOW
VICTOR EMMANUEL AMBROSE KIM
...….…….……………………………………………………………………………….........................................................………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….....................................................
Artwork Title: Transmute • Size: 50-piece, 8cm x 4cm x 4cm each • Medium: Mixed Media on eggshell • Year: 2015
Artwork Title: Consumer Expiration • Size: Variable Dimension • Medium: Resin and Plaster • Year: 2015
47
Artist Statement Artist Statement
………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………………….......................…
………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………………….......................…
Cultural traditions have been handed down through generations. As advancement and time passes, less of the
“Eggs are delightful in aesthetics and as a breakfast and I like to make use of what is left.”
traditions are passed down. This Art Work is a representation of the traditional food items in a form of relics.
Boon has a deep fascination with eggs and uses them as a medium. He consumes them on a daily basis and he considers this to be a significant ritual in his life. Eggs are laid by female animals of many different species and have
Artist Biography
been eaten by humans for thousands of years. They are delicious and nutritious. The evolutionary shape of a bird egg
………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………………….......................…
is aesthetic and minimalistic. The egg of a bird is not exactly oval but is a tapered oval - more oval on one side and
As a new practitioner and having completed my Diploma at LaSalle College of the Arts, Fine Arts Painting, I have
rounder on the other. Based on its functional (source of nutrition) and its aesthetic appearance, Boon utilizes the
gained a fresh holistic perspective on the Arts and aim to seek more knowledge in this aspect. Having hosted various
eggshell through various modes of treatment.
National Level events, from Food & Beverage, Fashion Shows and even Social settings. In Events, Coffee & Outdoors field, I have hosted overseas representatives and swopped ideas to a very fulfilling stage. To exchange ideas and
Artist Biography
share cultures has been both a pleasure and honour. The roles fulfilled vary from Planning, Organising, Trouble Shooting
………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………………….......................…
and now Creativity through the Arts.
Teo Boon How (b.1989 Singapore) aims to create work that constantly investigates and challenges contemporary
I am a keen learner of the arts, coffee and outdoor scene, with a number of achievements that have made me seek
belief systems and dissects the negativity and positivity of entities. Boon's approach is multi-disciplinary, with works
even further interest in gaining more experience as well as knowledge in the fields mentioned. My past experiences
ranging from installations, sculptures and paintings. Boon graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art in with
with Event Companies, Cafes and Ministry of Education Outdoors Branch (Singapore), the sheer enjoyment and
a Diploma in Fine Art (Sculpture) and has been involved in various community art projects and installations. He is
satisfaction gained from the variety of fields are brilliant and as such the willingness to learn and share the knowledge
currently interested in exploring the relationship between meme (coined by Richard Dawkins), death and space.
gained has been a main focal point in my life and has allowed me to expand my creative processes via Arts.
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
48
VICTORIA TAN • victoriatan.info ..………………………………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: In Situ (Series) • Size: Variable • Medium: Silkscreen, Installation • Year: 2015
VINA HERMANTO
• vinaph.wix.com/pabhassara ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….................................................... Artwork Title: As It is • Size: Variable dimension • Medium: Ceramic • Year: 2014
49
Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………………….......................… My curiosity on whether ceramic can be made using this technique led to this work. By using powdered clay and Artist Statement / Biography
water mist, inspired from a Japanese artist. I was intrigued by the process, and by experimentation led me to this
………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………………….......................…
discovery. I was obsessed with the texture that was created naturally by the process and the time that it consumes
Victoria’s practice explores a variety of subjects including landscapes, mythology and history through various media. Influenced by Southeast and East Asian aesthetics, she enjoys inquiring into phenomena and looks to experiment with both traditional and contemporary methods used in the process of creating. Always seeking comfort in displacement, her travels and culture experiences influence her desire for knowledge; creating the need for her to question the idea of boundaries, borders and blurred lines. Victoria received her Diploma in Fine Art from LASALLE College of the Arts and is currently pursuing her Bachelor studies. In Situ seeks to explore the idea of the construction site as a ruin, taking into account its perpetually shifting nature
to bring it into existence. And through this work, I found out that I am obsessed with time, because the process is very meditative and slow.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………………….......................… Vina P. Hermanto (b. 1991, Indonesia) Buddhism has influenced her, and has condensed her study and interest to the pace of life. She believes that art is a reflection of life and vice versa.
in relation to landscape. The construction site and its territory is a common sight in many cities across the world,
Ceramic is her medium of choice as it has much space for explorartion and experimentation. In regards to buddhism,
and though not typically associated with the term ruin, the interstitial behavior of the site is a reminder of the process
the characteristics of the medium reflects on the process between the medium and her interest.
of histories not dissimilar to the features of ruins, and not unrelated to death. Ruins are the remnants of what was,
She is currently exploring elastic plastic bubbles as a medium and seeking to question the ongoing pace of life.
a fragile reminder of the transience of life.
Vina has recently exhibited in VERNACULA_ (2015), Singapore
50 Obsessions 2015
50 Obsessions 2015
50
YOKO CHOI • facebook.com/yoko.choi1 ...…………………...…………………………………………………………………….........................................................……… Artwork Title: Selection Anxiety Repetitive Syndrome (SARS) • Size: Variable Medium: Sculpture (Polyurethane foam, Acrylic paint, found objects) • Year: 2015
THIS EXHIBITION IS POSSIBLE WITH APPRECIATIONS TO: ........................................................................................................... HAZEL LIM WANG RUOBING ZULKIFLI HUSSAIN ARTS REPUBLIC MI CASA SU CASA SINGAPORE CONTEMPORARY YOUNG ARTISTS LIYANA AMANI JABEZ KOH LIM SHIN YI AFIQ JAAFAR ZHAO SHIQING WESLEY AROOZOO LEON LUQMAN MUHAMMAD LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS – ALL STAFF Artist Statement ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………………….......................… Art is everyone’s daily essence. It brings peace out of the hectic of life as well as craziness out of the mundane – both
LASALLE FINE ARTS, WINSTEDT – ALL STUDENTS FROM LEVEL 2 AND LEVEL 3 ALL PARTICIPATING ARTISTS AND FRIENDS
ways are essential to our living. The process of art making and inspirations we get from a daily practice are far beyond our control of expectations, but that is the beauty of it leading to a place where we find our true self.
Artist Biography ………………………………………..................................…………………………………………………………………….......................… Yoko Choi received her Master Degree in Architecture in 2003 and had been a practising architect in Hong Kong for 10 years. She is currently pursuing a Diploma of Fine Art in NAFA and interested in further her studies in the field of art therapy. In her paintings, Yoko always focuses on societal and humanity issues.
WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO: .................................................................. NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL KOH JAU CHERN CARRIE CHIA
After relocated to Singapore in 2013, she had participated in a few private and public exhibitions, including Singaplural 2015 by Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC), “Revelations” exhibition by NUSS and “A-Star Art Meet Science Innovat50n” exhibition by A-Star. She received an Executive Committee Award in the student category from Art Olympia International Open Art Competition 2015 in Tokyo. Yoko is a free-lance artist and was commissioned several mural projects by special schools, hotels, clinics and hospitals. She is also a volunteer play-pal and photographer for Children’s Cancer Foundation in different programmes. In 2015, she volunteered for project Dreamcatchers by National University Hospital collaborated with Singapore Art Museum and a mural project for SG50 by National Environmental Agency. 50 Obsessions 2015
THIS PROJECT IS SUPPORTED BY MATCHBOX
CURATORIAL TEAM .................................................................. CYNTHIA DELANEY SUWITO
LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS WINSTEDT CAMPUS 9 WINSTEDT ROAD, SINGAPORE 227976
DOREEN CHUA GRACE ANDREA KEPAWITONO KAYLEIGH GOH
LASALLE
LEOW WEI LI MOSES TAN SHIRLY KOH
Carpark
STACY HUANG SUSANNA TAN
NEWTON FOOD CENTRE NEWTON MRT STATION
Please continue to lookout for our exciting updates at facebook.com/50obsessions Enquires may be send to our email – f if tyobsession@gmail.com