A Chinese-centric art gallery in Singapore will be the site of a celebration of Chinese artists in an upcoming group exhibition. Works spanning and busting genres will be on display as a part of the show, which focuses on a group of seven artists from China. The work is primarily contemporary, and each of the artists has played an important role of advancing the art world in their own respects. From displays in new media like video and digital art, to explorations in pop art that offer commentary on culture all around the world, visitors stand to gain a new appreciation for global art right in Singapore.
In one oil painting that will be displayed in the group show, an ostrich extends its head down into a well to examine a frog, which sits in a small pound of light blue water at the bottom of the structure. In a palette of neutral sands and browns, blue is the only color — the blue of the water ponding at the bottom of the well, and a small patch of blue sky framing a single cloud above the ostrich. On the right edge of the canvas, a group of carnivores — a lion, tiger, wolf, leopard, and bear — watches, perhaps laying in wait. On the left side of canvases a group of half-hidden faces looks on with amusement. Either way, the ostrich is unaware that it is under perhaps some intense scrutiny. It’s up to the viewer to determine what will happen next.
In an acrylic painting that will also be involved in the show, a viewer can’t help but recall the work of American pop artist Andy Warhol. What appears to be the same woman is reproduced four times on the same canvas. The only things that changes from each image is the color of different aspects of the print. All of the women are treated to neon colors, including orange, yellow, pink, blue, and purple. The images are so stylized it’s difficult to make out details. Where is this woman? Why do we see her four times? White Chinese calligraphy covers the entire composition.
Another work of art was completed entirely with acrylic ink on bark paper. In the background of the piece, an elaborately designed house of worship stands. It could be a cathedral. The eye of the viewer moves naturally along some flora that includes a tree and a grassy knoll before coming to rest on an owl with a piercing gaze, perched on a ball. One must wonder what the owl, a universal symbol of wisdom, might represent, especially with its positioning in the foreground of the work.
You, too, can be part of the contemporary art movement by enrolling in an art class in a genre of your choosing via SGArtClass.com.
To read more about the exhibit and get a taste of what will be on display, go to http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/2422583/from-pop-art-to-new-media-at-shanghart-singapore.