Chewing gum art ignites imagination in Singapore

Singapore is a nation respected as a financial and business center of the world, and its recent push to bring more art into the country has made it a top destination to see important Southeastern Asian works. However, the nation is perhaps most infamously known for a strict ban on chewing gum, and one art exhibit is pushing the boundaries in a fun way.
The exhibit is an exciting display of an Italian artist embracing unique mediums to push art into new territories. The artist said that the first work of art he made from chewing gum was a small head sculpture, which made him realize that the bright pink treat would work well as a medium for sculptures. He works alongside assistants who heat the gum with hot air blowers — there is no chewing involved, and the artist himself even confessed that he doesn’t imbibe in chewing gum. Once the gum is softened, it is manipulated onto frames and into sculptures, meticulous details added later. To preserve the shape, color, and structural integrity of the gum, the artist then paints the sculpture in coats of chemicals, including formaldehyde. Patrons should avoid, therefore, sampling the sculptures with anything but their eyes.
While the sugary smell of the gum and its bright pink color serve as initial draws to get visitors interested in the art, upon deeper examination, the silly-looking sculptures have deeper meaning. One of the most visible sculptures in the exhibit, held in a Singapore gallery, is a large chewing gum giraffe with a European Union flag draped over its haunches. The artist said he was inspired by an African children’s tale about a giraffe being out of touch with its feelings because such a long neck meant that its head was too far away from its heart. With all of the convulsions recently coming from the European Union, it made sense that the center of the union is depicted as out of touch and far away from other pressing issues with the countries involved in the partnerships, isolated by distance and bureaucracy.
A special piece was made just for the exhibit in Singapore — a chewing gum portrait of Singapore’s founding father. While the artist extolled Lee Kuan Yew as a valuable leader who pushed for Singapore to become a viable leader in the world, one can’t help but see the joke implicit in the rendering of the portrait — especially as chewing gum restrictions loosen within the country.
Art can be made out of anything, and your imagination is your only limitation. Investigate all the different ways you can create art by enrolling in an art class via SGArtClass.com. This website organizes many different art classes for your perusal, including classes on found art, recycled art, portrait drawing, and many more. Teachers familiar with working with students of all skill levels will help you push the boundaries of your creativity.
To read more about the sticky sculptures made from chewing gum, go to http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/arts/maurizio-savini-singapore-chewing-gum-art/.