Media Release for Immediate Release Light Within Ink Chua Soo Bin's Portraitures of Wu Guanzhong Singapore, 27 July 2017

Media Release For Immediate Release Light within Ink Chua Soo Bin’s Portraitures of Wu Guanzhong Singapore, 27 July 2017 – For the first time in Southeast Asia, Cultural Medallion recipient Chua Soo Bin showcases over 50 photographic portraits of late Chinese painter Wu Guanzhong, offering an intimate glimpse into the man widely credited as the founder of modern Chinese painting. Presented by The Arts House from 18 August to 18 September 2017, Light within Ink is an exhibition of black and white images captured by Chua of Wu between the mid-1980s to late- 2000s. It documents the creative journey and inspirations that gave birth to some of the artist’s most memorable artworks such as Floating Market in Thailand 泰国水乡 (1990) and Fishing Boats 舟群 (1994). Through the lighthearted and spontaneous moments of Wu’s daily life and interactions, the images in the exhibition not only shed light on the legendary artist’s lively personality but also draw focus to the extraordinary friendship between Wu and Chua, one that spanned three decades. The duo struck up a quick friendship in the mid-1980s when Chua was in China working on his Legends project photographing the legacy of 14 Chinese ink masters. They eventually forged a tight partnership from the 1990s after Chua established Soo Bin Art Gallery to introduce Chinese contemporary art to Singapore and the region, staging numerous shows and creating art publications together that documented important milestones in Wu’s career. “The theme of friendship constitutes the heart of this show. Defying the common perception of artists as creative geniuses who labour in solitude, these photographs celebrate the affinity and camaraderie between two artists of contrasting origins and backgrounds that has been instrumental in sustaining and furthering their artistic journeys,” exhibition curator Kong Yen Lin shared. “The rarity of existing documentations of artists by artists not only within Singapore but internationally further underscores the significance of this showcase.” Light within Ink is presented in three main chapters: Wu’s trips to Singapore in the 1980s where he created memorable Parrot Haven 鹦鹉天堂 (1998) paintings at the Singapore Bird 1 Park, his solo show at the British Museum in London – one of the most prestigious platforms in Europe a Chinese artist could be given access to in the early 1990s, and finally his visits to Indonesia and Thailand in mid-1990s where enchanted by the idyllic tropics, the artist, then in his 70s, painted even more tirelessly. “The Arts House is proud to present these rare images of Wu Guanzhong. While many are familiar with their works and individual practices, few have had the privilege to glimpse into their creative processes or understand how the friendship they forged spurred them in their art-making.” Sarah Martin, CEO of Arts House Limited said. Light within Ink depicts an unconventional trajectory in Chua’s practice. Unlike his photographic approach in Legends that is guided by conscious effort and careful deliberation, these depictions of Wu were relaxed, spontaneous and most often candid. The exhibition is the photographer’s first solo show in Singapore in 11 years. More about the Exhibition Many of the photographs in the Light within Ink exhibition caught Wu in spontaneous moments of sketching and painting, wherever and whenever inspiration struck him, whether it was in his studio, on a Bali beach, or smack in the middle of Trafalgar Square while curious onlookers watch. In another series of images, Wu was photographed destroying several of his paintings, a practice he was known for with works he felt were not up to standard. Several in the exhibition also showed Wu in interactions with his wife and family. One, shot in a studio, depicted Wu amidst multi-coloured light trails as an allusion to the energetic, rhythmic lines and dots that dominate his later works. “It is under such circumstances that Chua’s versatility as a photographer shines through. He made his mark as one of Singapore’s top commercial photographer, pulled together a magnum opus of visual records on Chinese ink masters and now in this exhibition, shows he also grasped the sensibilities of more intimate and personal subject matters,” curator Kong Yen Lin remarked. Wu had always felt an irrevocable connection to Singapore on both professional and personal fronts. He previously made international headlines when he donated his largest collection of 113 ink and oil paintings to the national collection of Singapore in 2008. Valued at S$73.7 million then, the works painted over five decades represented the highest valued donation of artworks to any museum in Singapore. Singapore was also where Wu first presented his artworks beyond China in a 1988 exhibition at Singapore National Museum Art Gallery, and also where the popularity of his art amongst Southeast Asian collectors soared, under the auspices of Chua’s Soo Bin Art Gallery. “Many of his famous paintings were transacted through me, and I helped introduced several important art collectors to him,” Chua recounted. “He was a breath of fresh air in how he pursued art purely for art’s sake, not out of fear or favour for any larger cause or entity.” “Beyond a revolutionary painter, I know him as a fiery orator, a consummate writer, a loving husband and a strict father,” he added. “I hope that these images would in some way serve as a precious documentation of Wu’s creative life as an artist and an individual.” These private moments of Wu, lost if not for Chua’s documentation, now serve a visual archive of not just artistic and cultural heritage, but also a deep friendship, admiration and respect between two prominent artists of the contemporary age, one painting with ink and oil and the other with light, that traversed time and geography. 2 Two dialogue sessions, each preceded by a curator’s tour, will complement the exhibition. The first session is between Chua and Teo Han Wue, art writer and former director of Art Retreat incorporating Wu Guanzhong Gallery. They will share their recollections of Wu Guanzhong. The other dialogue session is between Teo and Choy Weng Yang, a prominent artist and former National Museum curator. They will delve into the phenomenon of photographers who document the creative life and works of artists. Please refer to Annex A for the Artists Bio, Annex B for Programme Details and Annex C for the images. Hi-res images can be found in this link: bit.ly/lightwithininkimages ### 3 For more information, please contact: Willy Beh Tanny Chia Asst Manager, Marketing & Communications Head, Marketing & Communications Arts House Limited Arts House Limited T: +65 6435 0113 T: +65 6435 0118 M: +65 9841 9794 M: +65 9688 5084 E: [email protected] E: [email protected] About The Arts House Occupying the almost 200-year-old building that was Singapore’s first Parliament House, The Arts House has played an active role in the Singapore arts and creative scene. The House promotes and presents multi-disciplinary programmes and festivals such as literary arts, film, performing and visual arts. The Arts House is run and managed by Arts House Limited. For more information, visit www.theartshouse.sg. 4 Annex A: Artists’ and Speakers’ Bios Chua Soo Bin (1932-) Chua Soo Bin wears many hats as an acclaimed photographer, curator and gallerist in Singapore. Upon 3completing his education at the Chinese medium Chong Zheng Primary School, Chua worked as a lithography apprentice at a printing firm at the age of 17, and then as an illustrator at Papineau, a small advertising firm. His earliest exposure to art came when he attended night classes by Singapore pioneer artist Cheong Soo Pieng at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in the 1950s. From the 1960s to 1980s, he went full fledge into commercial and advertising photography, eventually setting up his own photographic studio in the 1970s managing projects from major clients such as Singapore Airlines. Aside from numerous awards won in his professional career, Chua had also garnered accolades for his personal works, having been the youngest photographer in Singapore at the age of 23 to earn the accreditation of Associate of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain (A.R.P.S.) in 1955. In the mid-1980s, he embarked on an intensive project to meet and photograph 14 of China's most established ink painters. The images were compiled in a landmark publication titled Legends: Soo Bin's portraits of Chinese ink masters, which garnered him the 1988 Cultural Medallion (Photography). In 1990, he founded Soo Bin Art Gallery, known today as Soo Bin Art International. Wu Guanzhong (1919-2010) Wu Guanzhong was one of the most renowned Chinese artists of the 20th century, and is widely considered to be the founder of modern Chinese painting. In 1947, Wu received a scholarship and traveled to Paris to study at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. During this time, he was greatly inspired by the works of European artists such as Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, and, in particular, Vincent van Gogh. Over the course of his career, he held solo exhibitions in major art galleries and museums around the world, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Taipei, South Korea, England, and the United States. His artistic philosophies such as “the unbroken kite- string1” are also inspiring and relevant even to artists today – that art should still be anchored to an artist’s context and the social sentiment embedded within.”In 1992, his paintings were exhibited at the British Museum, marking the first show for a living Chinese artist at the institution. In 2009, he donated 113 paintings worth $73.7 million to Singapore Art Museum, the highest value donation ever made to a museum in Singapore then.

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