Category Archives for "Blog"

0 Singapore artist offers slice of life with transit sketches

For most people in the world, commuting is simply a fact of life. A majority of us aren’t lucky enough to work from home, or to live within walking distance of our places of employment. Many people must endure long drives or rides via public transportation from home to the office. Passing the time is always necessary. While some might use the extra half-hour or hour in their day to catch up on a little sleep, others might go ahead and start their workday, chatting on the phone or replying to emails. Some people might bring books, newspapers, or magazines to read, while others prefer to get their digital fix by surfing the web or checking their social media accounts on their smartphones.

Then, there’s Erwin Lian.

Lian has been spending his commutes sketching the scenes around him. The college adjunct lecturer takes out a notebook and pen as soon as he gets on his trains, buses, and other formats of public transportation and begins to note the details of the faces all around him. He finds a great deal of creativity waiting for him on board wherever he finds himself a passenger. Though the scenes might look mundane upon first glance, it’s upon studying the quick character sketches that details, such as the rumples in clothes, shading, and expressions on faces, become apparent.

Lian began a Facebook group for people who create art during their various daily commutes once he learned that some of his other artistic friends were finding the same kind of inspiration he was enjoying. Now, the group has nearly 200 members. What’s even more special is that Singapore transit organizations are using a selection of the sketches to help decorate bus switch stations and train stops. All of the artists involved in the public art projects express delight that their sketches found their way back to the places where they were originally created. And transit groups have been getting a wealth of positive feedback from the public, who enjoy seeing such scenes. They tend to bring optimism to what could normally be a dreary practice — being shuttled back and forth twice a day between work and home. It was thanks to the creative minds of casual artists and people interested in art to see the beauty within the mundanity.

Find the art in your own life by signing up for an art class via SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com is a comprehensive website offering everything from art classes to discounted art supplies to informative articles on various genres of art. Whether you’re interested in figure drawing, oil painting, or fashion art, there is an art class and an expert art teacher waiting to help you begin your creative journey. Teachers will help work around your busy schedule to find the time and place that’s right for you in your new creative practice.

To read more about Erwin Lian’s commuter art, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/rail-life-art.

0 Art student’s installation causes controversy, discussion

A simple set of stairs in a housing building are at the center of a swirling controversy over a Lasalle student’s art installation, and a number of people and officials are taking sides over just whether it is art or not.

The piece itself, colloquially titled “The Golden Staircase,” is made from gold leaf applied to a short flight of stairs in the housing building where the art student herself lives. The effect of the gold leaf, which took several hours to fully apply, is something quite magical. It gleams even in low lighting, like it is a stairway to a wonderful place. The artist herself said that her work beautifies something that before was quite dull and boring — gray concrete. However simple the art installation may be, the art student said that she also wished to engage her critics in a discussion of public space versus private space, as well as what, exactly, art means from person to person.

Some people who viewed the artwork after reading about it in news reports laud the art student’s efforts, saying the installation was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise mundane space. The art is functional, as the stairs can still be used in the same way as before, and it makes the stairwell into something special. These supporters agree that the art looks good, and gives an extra boost of beauty and attention to something that might otherwise have been overlooked. They added that the stairwell in the building is rarely used, since an elevator services each floor.

However, critics of the art say that the art student made a misstep by not first securing permission to create the installation. The body that governs the housing building said that the installation is out of line and that the art student should have created something else in her private space. Whether she would have been granted permission if she had asked for it before applying the gold foil remains to be seen, though the building’s governing body said they wanted to work with the student to find an amicable solution, including employing her to make murals in other parts of the building. Other critics of the installation say that though it is aesthetically pleasing, it is still nothing more than vandalism. One person even went so far as to say that just because it looks nice doesn’t meant that it’s any different from illicit tagging of buildings with spray paint in an ugly way.

Make your life more meaningful with art by signing up to take an art class. Visit SGArtClass.com to see all the different art classes you can enroll in. Try your hand at comic drawing, or impress the people around you by mastering portrait painting. Investigate the skills needed to practice mural painting, or be more sustainable by taking a class in recycled art. Your imagination is your only limitation.

To read more about “The Golden Staircase” installation and the turmoil surrounding it, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/its-art.

0 Singapore’s Gotham Building the home for new art facility

A flashy Singapore building known to locals as the Gotham Building is already over the top, with an enormous lobby full of art. That’s why it is the perfect site for a new art museum curated and organized by a character just as flashy as the building he inhabits.

The first exhibit at the new museum takes a look at people’s relationship with sharks, including the controversial practice of killing the creatures solely for their fins to make shark fin soup. While the organizer admits that he loves the soup and it is served at many elegant functions, it has fallen out of favor because so many sharks are killed — the rest of their bodies wasted — to create the delicacy. He himself has stopped eating it, and the art exhibit is an investigation and treatment of all things shark. Most of the pieces in the exhibit are from the organizer’s personal collection, and a majority of them are created by Chinese artists. The organizer says he hopes the museum will be a welcoming place to view masterpieces by Singaporean artists in the near future.

Some of the works on hand are vivid and visceral. One installation includes a number of bright red floats, like one would see at a fishing wharf, suspended at different lengths from the ceiling. One could surmise that the floats represent the challenges and dangers that sharks and all sea creatures must navigate not only in nature, but with overfishing and the pollution of habitats by people. Another work of art features a round, orange eye, staring at the viewer and pushing them to revise their thinking about their sustainable practices.

Another interesting abstract sculpture takes on the loose shape of a shark, but real harpoons used in shark fishing construct the shape, which arches into the air, suspended from the floor. The organizer constructed this thought-provoking artwork himself, which reflects the importance of the theme to him. Another sculpture utilizes red dots to make the shape of a shark cruising underwater.

Some of the 2-D artworks are just as powerful. One shows an abstract view of a shark’s jaws, gaping open. The viewer might wonder if the shark is about to eat something, or if we are seeing something a little more sinister — a shark that has been killed for sport, garishly on display for people to ogle. Another artist takes this notion another step, rendering a childlike drawing of a shark weeping and begging not to be killed, emerging front simplistic, triangular waves to give its message.

Have you been looking for a way to express yourself further? Consider taking an art class via SGArtClass.com. This website brings together art teachers and students of art, offering a wide variety of classes for anyone to explore. Take a class on acrylic painting, assemblage art, video art, and many more genres.

To read more about the museum in the Gotham Building, go to http://thepeakmagazine.com.sg/interviews/parkview-square-gotham-building-new-museum/.

0 Rich collection of Chinese ink art on display at museum

National Gallery Singapore is the home of an important exhibit on Chinese ink art. Recently opened, the collection represents some of the most essential beginnings of fine art in Singapore, dating back to the Nanyang Style of art popularized just before the beginning of Singapore as an independent nation. This style featured traditional artistic practices, including ink art, set in the familiar environment of Singapore. This meant that everyday lives and sights were included as themes in the paintings.

One of the works that will be on display offers a fine example of artists using traditional Chinese ink art techniques, but adapting them to suit the everyday life and experience of people living in Singapore. The scene details a trio of women resting outside of a structure, wearing traditional clothing. One of them is in the process of securing her hair, lifting the strands from her shoulders. The art is reflective of bringing the beauty out in the mundane, for the women have just finished bathing.

Another work of art offers a view of the traditional life on a kampung, or Singaporean village. This vibrant scene, rendered in bright colors, shows the cacophony of activity in a village by the sea. Workers carry baskets of goods suspended on poles between them, while others tend to a variety of boats beached on the shore, including men who are raising or lowering a sail. The ocean is emerald green beyond them, though gray clouds might signal a coming squall, highlighted by the spread fronds of a grouping of palm trees in the corner of the canvas.

Still another ink art masterpiece depicts perhaps the most ordinary of scenes with great beauty, detail, and emotion — a pair of cats doing what cats do best: being lazy. A black and white spotted cat yawns broadly on the left, showing its fangs and spreading its clawed toes, while its calico companion checks over its shoulder at a distraction just off the canvas, perhaps interrupted in an awkward pose of grooming itself. While most Chinese ink art pieces offer sweeping looks at mountains, forests, and temples, this irreverent work is masterful in its own way, perfectly capturing the actions of the cats.

Get back to your own artistic roots by enrolling in a class on Chinese ink art today. SGArtClass.com will help connect you with a professional art teacher who will teach you everything you need to know about completing your very own works of art in Chinese ink painting. Even if you don’t have any artistic experience, you will quickly learn the techniques and skills necessary to complete such works, including what mediums to use, how to hold and move the brush, and other details. Other classes are available if you already have experience in ink art, or simply wish to investigate additional creative genres.

To learn more about the Chinese ink art exhibit at National Gallery Singapore, including previewing some of the pieces on hand, go to http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/lifestyle/relive-singapore-s-yesteryear-through-iconic-chinese-ink-art/3569644.html.

0 Opinion: Art is one great way to keep Singapore active and engaged

Ahead of the new budget year for Singapore, which starts at the beginning of next month, government officials discussed their goals for programming aimed at improving the lives of citizens through everything from healthy practices to artistic engagement.

On the health side, officials agreed that caring about the future and how physical people might or might not be was important. Though no one can control what genetic conditions they might inherit from their parents, everyone can control how active their lifestyles can be. A number of conditions can be prevented through healthy changes, such as increasing the frequency and intensity of exercise. Officials reiterated the three “R” approach to encouraging healthier lifestyles, which includes refraining from eating junk food, reducing the instances of eating junk food, and replacing junk food with healthier options, such as fruits and vegetables. These lifestyle changes are key in avoiding the onset of obesity-related illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.

A healthy body needs a healthy mind, and that is why a discussion of the arts in Singapore occurred at the meeting of government officials. A higher engagement in the arts is one way to improve the quality of life for everyone living in Singapore. Officials announced plans on making art and sports centers more accessible to people with disabilities, meaning that a wider range of citizens will be able to engage with exercises for both the mind and body. This announcement was paired with a previous initiative to introduce arts in a formal manner for young students, ensuring that they grow up with an appreciation for creativity.

One government official pushed for a wider acceptance of art and performances that some might deem controversial. It is only through an investigation and exploration of themes and practices that make us uncomfortable that we might broaden our minds and perspectives in turn. There were several exhibits and performances in Singapore last year that were scaled back, censored, or canceled because of themes many might see as problematic. Art is a way for people to push the boundaries and explore the world both within them and outside of them, and can offer important commentary and revelations for the public who attend such shows. Another official disagreed with this assessment, citing the numerous doors the government has opened for art in Singapore, and the need for exhibits to be presented as age appropriate and within the morality most citizens feel.

Explore the meaning of art in your own life by enrolling in art lessons via SGArtClass.com. A wide variety of classes — from oil painting to pencil art, caricature drawing to fashion design, collage art to digital art, and many more — are available to help pique your creative curiosity. Expert teachers will work around your busy schedule to give you the best instruction possible.

To read more about Singapore’s plans to keep its citizens healthy, happy, and creatively engaged, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health-is-wealth-and-so-are-the-arts.

0 Singapore light festival art attraction will be a big draw for families

The organizer of the Art-Zoo attraction at the iLight Marina Bay festival is hoping that visitors of all ages — but children, in particular — will have fun running, jumping, hitting, and playing with his art. That’s what he designed it for, though many people normally wouldn’t interact with art in this manner. In fact, at a formal museum, this is exactly the kind of behavior that would get a visitor reprimanded or even thrown out.

That’s why the Art-Zoo attraction is so different. Composed of bigger than life inflatable sculptures, its organizer intended Art-Zoo to be a fun way to introduce children to art and all of its possibilities. Young art fans can view the inflatable installation pieces and ignite their imagination before running, jumping, and playing. This is made possible by the use of the same materials as bounce castles, usually employed at children’s birthday parties or street fairs. What’s special about the inflatable art pieces at Art-Zoo is their creative designs. The organizer intended for children to be interested in viewing, exploring, and playing with the art pieces, which are meant to represent animals and their fun surroundings. Just a few examples of the inflatable art that will be on display include a benevolent lion, a gigantic spider, and a gaping whale mouth where children can enter and be amazed. Adding to the theme of the zoo, a number of “zookeepers” will be on hand at the exhibition to make sure young participants stay safe while interacting with the art.

The organizer is hoping that Art-Zoo will be popular enough to present at other art events in Singapore and around the world. High attendance will give him the opportunity to travel with his interactive exhibit, as well as add new installations of animals that will pique the creative curiosity of anyone who sees them. The brightly designed inflatable attractions marry engineering, design, exercise science, and art to present an interesting and engaging way to get kids excited about art and everything that comes along with it.

Help your child explore art by enrolling them in an art class via SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com offers a wide variety of art classes for students of all ages and abilities. A vast majority of art teachers offering their expertise in classes on SGArtClass.com have extensive experience in teaching art to young students. This means that your child will get expert and individualized instruction to take their art to the next level. Whether your son or daughter has shown early interest and aptitude in art, or if you’re eager to help them find a hobby to direct their energy toward, teachers will be able to tweak their lessons to help your child come out of their shell and learn to express their thoughts and feelings using art.

To learn more about the Art-Zoo attraction that is available at the iLight Marina Bay festival, go to http://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/arts/bounce-giant-inflatable-animals-art-zoo.

0 Singapore exhibit offers art rendered in light

Much of the month of March in Singapore will be dedicated to lighting up the night, as visitors will get to enjoy the fifth year of a sustainable light art show called i Light Marina Bay. Buildings, statues, and other structures in the Marina Bay area will act as both canvases for the art and part of the electric show itself, as light art will be projected on the facades. This gives new incarnations and meanings to the buildings themselves, which lend themselves to creative expression. Even Singapore’s beloved Merlion will feature into the show, which is free to attend — though certain activities cost extra to visit.

One particularly meaningful art installation has been put together by hundreds of young schoolchildren using tens of thousands of recycled bottles of water. While plastic pollution is currently plaguing oceans around the world, this installation, titled “Ocean Pavilion,” looks to raise awareness of pollution, sustainability, and what humans can do to reduce their impact on the earth.

The water bottle installation reflects this year’s theme for i Light Marina Bay, which investigates the relationship between light and nature. There are a number of activities scheduled to help visitors explore the theme, including fun interactions about sustainable practices in everyday life, play opportunities for children, a wide selection of food, and music to entertain the entire family.

Other planned attractions for the event include a special marketplace where visitors can view and purchase a number of recycled and up-cycled goods. Up-cycling is a new trend in which items that previously exist are used to make new items. This can include wallets made out of snack bags, purses made out of drink boxes, and any number of products reimagined through recycled goods. There will also be information and demonstrations on urban farming — perfect to enhance the green already existing in Singapore’s city center — and musical performances. Event organizers hope that visitors will appreciate the relationship they have with Singapore — both the natural aspects of the nation and the urban and technological side.

Explore all the different ways art factors into your everyday life by enrolling in an art course via SGArtClass.com. Browse the website to see the number of different classes you can take, including everything from sketching lessons to 3-D sculpture, found art to graffiti painting, recycled art to oil painting, and many more. Expert art teachers will be on hand to lead students of all ages and abilities on their creative journeys. It doesn’t matter if you’re a working adult looking to add a little spice to your free time, or if you’re an art student looking for help with coursework or developing your creative portfolio. There are teachers well-versed in instructing students on every skill level, no matter what your own personal creative goals may be.

For more on the special light art exhibit at Marina Bay, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/20-light-art-installations-on-display-at-i-light-marina-bay.

0 Instagram helping art lovers find public masterpieces in Singapore

Instagram user InstaScram has been snapping photos and exploring additional scene of indie art around Singapore, including street art at the classic Substation and the more recently created art space Deck Singapore. The InstaScram account has been instrumental in bringing out the edgier art scene of Singapore as the user tools around on a motorcycle while holding impromptu photo shoots at the art sites. Both sites are unique as they offer independent looks at art, and support the creative efforts of local Singaporean artists.

The Substation in Singapore is one of the best places to view street art. Graffiti reigns king in this colorful installation to the nation’s art scenes, making it an opportune moment for art fans to snap photos and post their poses on social media online. The Substation building itself was historically known as a power station, meaning the facility is nearly a century old. However, it was recently redefined as a space for indie arts, offering a home for workshops, art exhibits, and even musical performances in its garden. The Substation was founded by a renowned Singaporean playwright who died several years ago, and his legacy lives on through the performances and art available there.

Deck Singapore is designed to encompass a number of shipping containers, giving second life to the structures. The shipping containers are painted inside and out, including murals and a unique design. Visits to the interior spaces of Deck Singapore are sure to make people forget that the structures used to be used for shipping goods around the world. At the same time, little has been done to the structures on the outside, meaning that people will get a new understanding of what multitudes the metal structures can contain. Galleries, a cafe, and a library are contained in the structure, ensuring that there is something there for all creative minds, including a place to gather. One of the most interesting facets of shared art spaces like Deck Singapore is that they can often become something called a creative incubator. When creative minds come together from all walks of life and different experiences, they can help foment even more creative ideas by bouncing their thoughts and feelings off of their peers. This creates a fertile place for artistic expression and practice, benefiting everyone involved.

Find all the hidden opportunities for art in your life by signing up for an art class via SGArtClass.com. SGArtClass.com is a one-stop website for all things art, including informative articles about different genres of art, discounted art supplies to renew your stock, and a vast listing of various art classes you can take. Whether you’re interested in investigating the art of batik painting, learning the various benefits of calligraphy art, or simple getting back to the basics with a drawing class, lessons shaped for your interests are available.

To learn more about the hashtags and Instagram efforts to lead people to Singapore’s artistic treasures, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/instascram-checking-out-urbanindie-art-spaces-in-downtown-singapore.

0 Singapore International Festival of Arts attract fans in wide range of interests

A number of interesting shows, exhibits, and performances will be on tap for this year’s installment of the Singapore International Festival of Arts, ensuring that a widely diverse audience will be in attendance during the months-long event. This year’s theme for the festival is “enchanted,” meaning that organizers and participants alike will be diving into the magic of all things related to art.

One particularly exciting offering will be the chance to see comic artist Sonny Liew create art right in front of festival-goers’ eyes. This will be Liew’s first foray into performance art, in addition to his comic drawing. Liew’s graphic novel, “The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye,” has gained accolades from around the world. The work Liew will be doing in front of a live audience has not yet been revealed, but festival organizers say it will be a completely new, never-before-seen work, and it will explore the thought process behind coming up with the story line, drawing, and overall theme of comics.

Another interesting prospect is the chance for visitors to become part of a movie. Interested audience members will be able to be cast as attendees of a wedding based on a chapter of an author’s book. The scene itself will be shot during the festival, and anyone interested in it has the chance to view it during the final days of the Singapore International Festival of Arts. Others interested in filmmaking also have the opportunity to go on set with another director to learn more about the process of making movies. Yet another opportunity to delve into the intimate yet accessible world of performance art is the program that invites participants to create a culinary masterpiece alongside professional chefs.

As this is the last year that the Singapore International Festival of Arts will be organized by a certain group, coordinators have decided to take risks and bring in a number of different acts, talks, exhibits, and performances. The key is having fun with the diverse offerings and hoping that people who normally don’t attend festivals of the arts will be tempted to take part in this one because of all the different events to attend. Of particular note for this year’s festival is a provocative performance art and theater art piece that involves audience participation to complete. In a courtroom setup, audience members will hear arguments about upcoming theater performances and whether they should be held. These arguments will be presented in a performance style akin to actual case proceedings, and audience members will get the opportunity to give their opinions. This performance is in response to several controversial acts that got cut from festivals in Singapore last year.

Explore ways to bring art into your life by enrolling in an art class via SGArtClass.com.

To read more about the exhibits, programs, and artists who will be available during this year’s Singapore International Festival of Arts, go to http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/comics-movies-and-food-at-singapore-international-festival-of/3521036.html.

0 Three Singapore residents transform homes into art museums

While some residents might decorate their homes and apartments into a comfortable living space full of family memorabilia and the minutiae of everyday life, others use their spaces to make statements about the things they are most passionate about. Three people in particular have been interviewed about how they express differently one common love: art.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating parts about art is how different people develop fondnesses for different styles of art. That means that an endless number of combinations of pieces from different artistic genres can completely change the look and feel of a home. While some art collectors are careful to cherish and honor the pieces they love, others are eager to change up the aesthetics by bringing in new artworks and switching up their displays.

One such collector finds art even more important than television, using a large, flatscreen TV to block guests from touching a spiked bronze wall hanging by one of his favorite artists. This man’s beautiful home looks almost like a museum, his favorite art pieces scattered throughout. What’s even more special is the narrative that is constructed through the display of these pieces. Paintings that might never have been considered in the context of other works of art now lend each other to explanation. The man even owns a statue of Buddha that wasn’t even supposed to be sold. Though it is now on loan to a museum in the United States, the man was so passionate about the statue that he repainted an entire wall to ensure it was displayed perfectly.

Another collector has married her artistic tastes with that of her husband’s. Though she was mostly exposed to Western art and her husband had stronger emotional ties with Eastern art, they were able to come together and see eye to eye on the pieces they displayed by going with a common theme — nature. Especially since their home is situated on a lush and green piece of property, having the theme of nature — no matter what region or era the paintings displayed in the house are from — really unites the collection of art.

For the third collector, no piece was too big to be left behind. He even had to use a crane to help lift a particularly large and heavy sculpture into his house. While the collector loves paintings, he admitted that they fell apart sooner than expected because of the hot and humid weather of Singapore. Since then, he started investing more in sculptures than anything else, mainly due to their durability. He loves for guests to take their time while studying the different pieces he has on display throughout his home, saying that the more they look, the more they uncover.

Start uncovering your passion for art today by signing up for an art class via SGArtClass.com.

To read more about the mini-exhibits inside the three residents’ homes, go to http://thepeakmagazine.com.sg/interviews/3-art-collectors-in-singapore-have-turned-their-homes-into-beautiful-galleries/.