ALMA MATTER Curated by Khairuddin Hori PRESS RELEASE
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Brother Joseph Mcnally P
1 Design Education in Asia 2000- 2010 Exploring the impact of institutional ‘twinning’ on graphic design education in Singapore Simon Richards Z3437992 2 3 Although Singapore recently celebrated 50 years of graphic design, relatively little documentation exists about the history of graphic design in the island state. This research explores Singaporean design education institutes that adopted ‘twinning’ strategies with international design schools over the last 20 years and compares them with institutions that have retained a more individual and local profile. Seeking to explore this little-studied field, the research contributes to an emergent conversation about Singapore’s design history and how it has influenced the current state of the design industry in Singapore. The research documents and describes the growth resulting from a decade of investment in the creative fields in Singapore. It also establishes a pattern articulated via interviews and applied research involving local designers and design educators who were invited to take part in the research. The content of the interviews demonstrates strong views that reflect the growing importance of creativity and design in the local society. In considering the deliberate practice of Singaporean graphic design schools adopting twinning strategies with western universities, the research posits questions about whether Singapore is now able to confirm that such relationships have been beneficial as viable long-term strategies for the future of the local design industry. If so, the ramifications may have a significant impact not only in Singapore but also in major new education markets throughout Asia, such as the well-supported creative sectors within China and India. -
The Artistic Adventure of Two Bali Trips, 1952 and 2001
Wang Ruobing The Quest for a Regional Culture: The Artistic Adventure of Two Bali Trips, 1952 and 2001 Left to right: Liu Kang, Cheong Soo Pieng, Luo Ming, Ni Pollok, Adrien-Jean La Mayeur, Chen Chong Swee, Chen Wen Hsi, 1952. Courtesy of Liu Kang Family. iu Kang (1911–2004), Chen Wen Hsi (1906–1991), Cheong Soo Pieng (1917–83), and Chen Chong Swee (1910–1986) are four Limportant early artists of Singapore. They were born in China and emigrated to what was then called Malaya before the founding of the People’s Republic of China.1 In 1952, these four members of the Chinese diaspora went to Bali for a painting trip. Struck by the vibrant scenery and exoticism of Balinese culture, on their return they produced from their sketches a significant amount of artwork that portrayed the primitive and pastoral Bali in a modernist style, and a group exhibition entitled Pictures from Bali was held a year later at the British Council on Stamford Road in Singapore. This visit has been regarded as a watershed event in Singapore’s art history,2 signifying the birth of the Nanyang style through their processing of Balinese characteristics into a unique “local colour”—an aesthetic referring to a localized culture and identity within the Southeast Asian context. Their Bali experience had great significance, not only for their subsequent artistic development, both as individuals and as a group, but also for the stylistic development of Singaporean artists who succeeded them.3 Vol. 12 No. 5 77 Exhibition of Pictures from Bali, British Council, Singapore, 1953. -
PARTICLE POETRY: a Show Case by Teamlab
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GAJAH GALLERY SINGAPORE PRESENTS PARTICLE POETRY: a show case by teamLab ÓteamLab Courtesy of Ikkan Art International Impermanent Life, at the Confluence of Spacetime New Space and Time is Born Digital Work, 4 Channels, Continuous Loop 121 x 271 x 15cm Edition of 8 teamLab Gajah Gallery Singapore presents Particle Poetry, a showcase of six single-channel and multiple- channel works by the art collective teamLab, presented in collaboration with Ikkan Art International. Known as “ultra technologists”, interdisciplinary art collective teamLab leads the field of digital installation and multimedia art, navigating the confluence of art, science, technology and the natural world. Several digital installations by teamLab can be found across Singapore in public and permanent collections, including Resonating Forest – Shiseido Forest Valley which opened at Jewel Changi Airport in April 2019, and has marvelled travellers and visitors from across the world. The digital works at Gajah Gallery span a six-year period of 2012 to 2018, including Impermanent Life, at the Confluence of Spacetime New Space and Time is Born, Sunflower Phoenix, Gold Waves, and Flower and Corpse Glitch. Particle Poetry opens on Friday, 26 February at Gajah Gallery, in Tanjong Pagar Distripark in Singapore. As Gajah Gallery celebrates our 25th Anniversary, we also look to the future of art within the region of Southeast Asia by presenting contemporary mediums and collaborative projects. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE teamLab (f. 2001) is an international art collective, an interdisciplinary group of various specialists such as artists, programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects whose collaborative practice seeks to navigate the confluence of art, science, technology, and the natural world. -
Artists Imagine a Nation
ARTISTS IMAGINE A NATION Abdullah Ariff Boo Sze Yang Chen Cheng Mei (aka Tan Seah Boey) Chen Shou Soo Chen Wen Hsi Cheong Soo Pieng Chia Yu Chian Chng Seok Tin Choo Keng Kwang Chuah Thean Teng Chua Mia Tee Foo Chee San Ho Khay Beng Khaw Sia Koeh Sia Yong Kuo Ju Ping Lee Boon Wang Lee Cheng Yong Lim Mu Hue Lim Tze Peng Mohammad Din Mohammad Ng Eng Teng Ong Kim Seng Tumadi Patri Phua Cheng Phue Anthony Poon Seah Kim Joo Tang Da Wu Tay Bak Koi Tay Boon Pin Teo Eng Seng Tong Chin Sye Wee Beng Chong Wong Shih Yaw Yeh Chi Wei Yong Mun Sen Contents Foreword Bala Starr 8 Pictures of people and places Teo Hui Min 13 Catalogue of works 115 Brief artists’ biographies 121 Acknowledgements 135 Foreword Works of art are much more than simple collectables or trophies, in the A work of art maintains its status as a speculative object well past the date same way that history is more than a compilation of triumphal stories or nostalgic the artist considered it ‘finished’ or resolved, and in fact meanings might never reflections. Histories build and change through their own telling. The works in actually fix or settle. What we identify ascontemporary is as much about a process this exhibition, Artists imagine a nation, record individual artists’ perceptions, of looking back and re-evaluating the practices and insights of those who have experiences and thinking, and document their aspirations for their communities travelled before us as it is about constantly seeking the new. -
Homage to Tradition (Hong Kong, 13-15 Dec 12)
Homage to Tradition (Hong Kong, 13-15 Dec 12) Chinese University of Hong Kong, Dec 13–15, 2012 Chia-Ling Yang, University of Edinburgh Homage to Tradition A Symposium on East Asian Art in Honour of Professor Roderick Whitfield Chinese University of Hong Kong, 13th-15th December 2012 This symposium and a related festschrift publication to follow will include papers by Professor Whitfield’s students and colleagues. Both will honour Roderick Whitfield’s excellent scholarship, his unwavering support and teaching to his students, and his significant contribution to the field of Asian art history and archaeology. The main theme of this symposium, ‘Homage to Tradition,’ pays respect to Roderick Whitfield’s tireless exploration of China’s past and his numerous publications in search of beauty and truth. Many of Roderick Whitfield’s students are playing leading roles in Chinese art history, architecture and archaeology, in academia, museums, in publishing and the commercial sector. We hope all of us will present new research relating to the ways of appreciating art and cultural relics, linking art history with a multitude of other disciplines, including religion, anthropology, architecture, literature, political and social history, language, and translation theory. 13 December, 13.00-17.30 Session 1 Paradigm - Meihua Shao (Tree Valley Foundation, CIST Centre, Taiwan), The Manufacture of Neolithic Nephrite and Stone Yue Axes from the Liangzhu Burial Mounds in Southeast China - Jenny Chao-Hui Liu (Cambridge History of China, Princeton University), -
A Story of Singapore Art
artcommune gallery proudly presents A Story of Singapore Art An art feast that captures a uniquely modern Singapore cross-fertilized by decades of East- West sensibility in fine art. A Brief Overview The story of Singapore art could be said to have first taken roots when the island flourished as a colonial port city under the British Empire. In addition to imported labourers from India and China, unrest and destitution brought on by civil conflicts and the great world wars culminated to a significant exodus of Chinese intellectuals (educators, scholars, writers and painters) and businessmen to Singapore in search of better work-life opportunities. By the early-20th century, Singapore (then still part of the Straits Settlements) was already a melting pot of diverse migrant traditions and cultures; the early Singapore art scene was naturally underpinned by these developments. During this period, most schools under the British Colonial system taught watercolour, charcoal and pastel lessons under its main art scheme while the more distinguished Chinese language-based schools such as Chinese High School often taught a combination of Western oil and Chinese ink paintings (in fact, a number of these Chinese art teachers were previously exposed to the Paris School of Art and classical Chinese painting during their art education in China in the 1920s). Furthermore, art societies including United Artists Malaysia as well as the Society of Chinese Artists were in place in as early as the 1930s, and the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) was formally established by Chinese artist-educator Lim Hak Tai in 1938. To paint a simplified picture: the local art production in early Singapore may be broadly characterised into three veins – the traditional Chinese painting, the Nanyang style, and British watercolour style. -
Nanyang Style - Singapore's Pioneer Art Movement
Jul 12, 2011 14:35 +08 Nanyang Style - Singapore's Pioneer Art Movement Singapore was known as Nanyang in the late 18th century. Representing South Seas in Chinese, Nanyang was a goldmine for many Chinese immigrants. Art was denied progression during this period of colonial rule. The first nationwide art class was also implemented reluctantly to comply with British examination standards. So what is the Nanyang style? Who are the main artists? This article will attempt to address these questions. According to the definition from Singapore Art Museum, Nanyang style integrates teachings from Western schools of Paris and Chinese painting traditions, depicting local or Southeast Asian subject matters. Most Nanyangpaintings are either Chinese ink or oil on canvas. There was a great influx of Chinese immigrants and the emergence of Nanyang style was in response to the dichotomy of Chinese nationalism and Southeast Asian regionalism. Colonial rule restricted art development and it was only in the 19th century when the first art society started – The Amateur Drawing Association. While in Kuala Lumpur, United Artists Malaysia emerged. These societies imparted mainly Chinese influences in the Nanyang style. As global economies were recovering from Great Depression, artists of the Nanyang style were benefiting from extra exposure from art trends in Europe and China. The establishment of Society of Chinese Artists in 1935 had members who were not only alumni of Chinese art academies but were also avid fans of western art. The need to craft a unique identity was stronger after World War II, amidst growing anti-colonial sentiments. Founding artists wanted to portray Nanyang culture in a visually unique flavour. -
Printed from Straitstimes.Com
Printed from straitstimes.com « Return to article Print this The Straits Times www.straitstimes.com Published on May 19, 2011 Painting with old cloth Artist Ho Chee Lick uses old pillowcases to apply ink to rice paper By corrie tan When his wife throws out old pillowcases, this artist tells her not to. That is because Dr Ho Chee Lick, 60, has turned to using pieces of cloth to apply ink to rice paper in his Chinese ink paintings, and those pillowcases have come in handy. Dr Ho, who is a senior lecturer in the National University of Singapore's Department of Chinese Studies, says: 'I'm a bit naughty. I don't want to stick to the same methods. There are 10,000 ways to use a piece of cloth. Every picture I did, I asked myself, how can I do it differently the next time?' His 26 large, abstract ink works can be seen at Art Retreat Museum till Aug 13 in an exhibition titled Sequenza, named after an Italian musical term for a collection of virtuoso pieces. Prices start at $10,000. Art Retreat executive director Teo Han Wue, 65, who co-curated the show, says: 'In this exhibition, Dr Ho is doing a sort of sequenza in painting. His medium is like a solo instrument.' One of Ho's four-panel works reflects the four movements of a symphony, inspired by Chinese composer Xian Xinghai's Yellow River Cantata (1939). Layers of Chinese ink bleed into rice paper, leaving feathery strokes and delicate monochromatic hues in their wake. -
Annex 2 – Artist’S Biography
Annex 2 – Artist’s biography Poon Lian, born 1947 in Singapore. He is currently a full-time artist. Education 1967 – 1970 Studied Chinese ink painting under Dr. Chen Wen Hsi's tutelage, Singapore 1969 Graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), Western Painting, Singapore 1966 Graduated from The Chinese High School, High School Certificate (Arts), Singapore Career 1993 – 2003 Packaging and decoration investments in Hebei, China 1973 – 1992 Engaged in visual arts related careers such as designing, printing and colour separation 1972 – 1981 Lecturer, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore 1971 – 1975 Art Coordinator, Nanyang Siang Pau, Singapore Appointments 2009 - Current Secretary, Club NAFA, Singapore 2006 – 2009 Supervisor, The Society of Chinese Artists, Singapore 2005 – 2008 Assistant Treasurer, Club NAFA, Singapore 2002 – 2005 President, The Society of Chinese Artists, Singapore 1994 – 2010 Member, Executive and Management Committee, The Society of Chinese Artists, Singapore 1993 – 2008 Director, Nanyang Fine Arts Foundation Ltd Member, NAFA Council, Singapore Solo Exhibitions 2015 “Encounters: Poon Lian, 50 years of art”, NAFA Galleries 1 & 2, Singapore 2013 “Art Away From Home”, Nanman Art Gallery, Singapore 2010 “Rebel in Arcadia”, NAFA Lim Hak Tai Gallery, Singapore 2007 “Artistic Odyssey”, NAFA Gallery 3, Singapore Group Exhibitions in the past decade 2014 “Reflections in Nanyang”, NAFA Galleries 1 & 2 and Lim Hak Tai Gallery, Singapore 2013 “Nanyang Inspired”, NAFA Lim Hak Tai Gallery, Singapore “A New Light in Nanyang”, -
The Journey of Minds
The Journey of Minds: Chinese Modernity and Chinese Ink-Painting in Singapore Woo Fook Wah (Dr.) March 2019 Abstract This essay traces Singapore Modern Chinese-Ink Painting back to the period when China was in search for a Modernity that was relevant to them. While the Chinese Intellectual went about searching for a Modernity relevant for China, the Journey of Minds into Singapore furthered the art scene here, resulting in Singapore being an art centre in Chinese Modern Art in the region. Artists in Singapore analysed the Finds of Chinese Modernity and continued the journey on a different trajectory. The development of a Chinese-Ink Painting Style that eventually took a path influenced by the confluence of thinking between the West and the then evolving Chinese modernity. This resulted in an underlying thread of ideas possibly laying the foundation of a Singapore identity in a portfolio of unique ways of creating Chinese-Ink paintings. 2 Content 1. Introduction ……………………………………………………….. 8 2. In Search of Modernity: The New Culture Movement …………. 14 A. The Motivation Behind the New Culture Movement B. In Search of Modernity C. Western Painting Concepts and Chinese Visual Art D. Traditional Chinese-Ink Painting Concept 3. The Journey of Minds and Nanyang ………………………………………….. 37 A. Arrival into Nanyang B. Bringing Modernity to Nanyang C. The Art of Nanyang 3 4. Singapore Chinese-Ink Painting – Beyond Nanyang …………………… 62 A. The Artworks of Lim TZe Peng (林⼦平) B. The Artworks of Tan Oe Pang (陈有炳) C. The Artworks of Terence Teo Chin Keong (赵振强) 5. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………… 87 Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………………….. 94 List of Illustrations ……………………………………………………………………………. -
The Art of Interpretation
The Newsletter | No.63 | Spring 2013 The Review | 35 The art of interpretation Soo Pieng’s Visions of Southeast Asia was published in conjunction with the exhibition ‘Cheong Soo Pieng: Bridging Worlds’ at The National Art Gallery of Singapore (15 Sept-26 Dec 2010). As may be expected of a retrospect of the work of a visual artist, the volume contains a rich repertory of plates and illustrations, an overview of the artist’s biography (Xiamen 1917 - Singapore 1983), and, under the title ‘Bridging Worlds’, art-historian and art-critical reflections on Soo Pieng’s impressive body of work. In the 130-page section ‘Plates’, these reflections are still rounded off with substantive notes on the artist’s preoccupation with Southeast Asian subject matter, his use of colour and com- position, and his bridging forms and traditions. Niels Mulder Right: Cheong Soo Reviewed publication: Soo Pieng’s work clearly demonstrates his affiliation All the same, and within the means of their craft, visual artists Pieng, Weavers, Yeo Wei Wei (ed.) 2010. with the commonplace that he depicted in a personal or cultural analysts’ interpretations remain hostage to their 1981. Oil on canvas Cheong Soo Pieng: Visions of Southeast Asia. way of perceiving and doing things. This is obvious in the personalities and experiences; it remains ‘reality as they see it’. laid on paper board, Singapore: National Art Gallery. prominence of everyday life scenes in his work. Whether Because of his unusual versatility and permanent self-renewal, 82 x 106cm. 277 pages. ISBN: 978-981-08-6422-4 it concerns a fishermen’s settlement along the coast, the vision of Soo Pieng is consistently captivating. -
Nanyang 2016
the 2016 nanyang show the 2016 nanyang show 9 - 12 JUNE 2016, 11AM - 8PM VISUAL ARTS CENTRE, SINGAPORE 10 Penang Road, #01-02 Dhoby Ghaut Green, S238469 CONTACT +6016 298 0852 | [email protected] | www.christay.com foreword The Nanyang Show held at the Visual Arts Centre, Singapore features 47 artworks by 19 artists from Malaysia and Singapore. Organised and presented by Chris Tay, this exhibition/sale event provides an opportunity for art collectors to view and acquire some of the well sought after works by important artists practising in the Nanyang Style. Art by Malaysian and Singapore artists in recent years have surged in popularity and are widely collected. Works of the early period have become particularly rare. Offered at this exhibition/sale are over 16 early works by the Nanyang pioneers. I congratulate Chris for presenting The Nanyang Show to all art lovers. Koh Seow Chuan Architect and Art Collector 4 interpreting nanyang art the 10 essentials sarah abu bakar The theme Nanyang is distinctive of Southeast Asian history Prominent historian and scholar Wang Gungwu explains its particularly in the study of cultural identity and Chinese diaspora geographic meaning: “the word ‘Nanyang’, the ‘Southern Ocean’, that is significant in the development of art in alternative is used as an equivalent of the more recent coinage, ‘South-east Asia’. modernism.1 This essay is an accompaniment to The Nanyang But there is an important difference. There is implied in the word Show from 9 to 12 June 2016 at the Visual Arts Centre in ‘Nanyang’