In a stunningly beautiful and culturally meaningful display, a Singaporean artist has collaborated with his friend, an Indonesian fashion photographer, to create an exhibit that examines a text and aesthetic important to a key historical text — the Bhagavad Gita.
While the Singaporean artist and the Indonesian fashion photographer have been friends for a while, this is the first time they have collaborated on an exhibit, the fruits of which were on display at a Singaporean gallery. Both the artist and the photographer have pursued their own, individual projects up until now. Each creative brought in important insights and viewpoints from their respective genres, making this collaboration truly shine.
Most of the work features nude models painted in blue paint or resting on uncomfortable-looking sculptures, such as one model who appears to be sleeping on a gleaming metal pillow made of painful spikes. Each of the pieces in the exhibit were photographed by the Indonesian photographer, meaning that the images are of the highest possible quality. When it came to styling and developing the message behind each image, the artist and photographer worked together.
The Bhagavad Gita is a cultural and historical text that examines a battle in which Hindu god Krishna talks to Hindu icon Arjuna. The pair discuss everything from strategies of war to philosophy, and has remained an important educational text. As the god Krishna is often represented in blue, the artist decided to paint some of the models who were photographed for the exhibit blue, representing the god himself or an idea of the text. The title of the exhibit was also taken from the Bhagavad Gita, detailing how time is the enemy of all things, including getting old and dying. This quote was also popularized after one of the American creators of the atomic bomb witnessed the destruction his work wreaked in a nuclear test.
All in all, the exhibit is aesthetically pleasing and complicated. Everyone who visits it should enjoy the juxtapositions of the models’ soft bodies with the sculptural elements, which are hard, shiny, and sharp. Meaningful conversations and ideas will arise on viewing the exhibit first from a visual art standpoint, and second from a fashion commentary. With the lens of the Bhagavad Gita coloring all of the creations, the exhibit might just inspire visitors to pick up the historical text and find their own meanings with in it.
Art is one of the best ways to examine life and the ideas within it. No matter what language you speak or texts you grew up studying, art can span many different cultures and make it easier to relate to people you might not have otherwise been able to understand. Sign up today for an art class via SGArtClass.com. Whether you’re intent on taking 3-D sculpture lessons or classes on watercolor painting, our expert teachers will work with your schedule and skill level to develop appropriate curriculum for your art adventure.
To read more about the important collaboration and show, go to http://www.todayonline.com/lifestyle-friendship-art-fashion.