Art comes in all different forms, from traditional pieces on canvas to the way a chef arranges a meal on a plate to a dress that a woman dons before going to work. Artistic possibilities open up when different artists from completely different creative genres collaborate in order to produce special works for a wonderful charitable cause.
This is the case of young Singaporean artist Gelyn Ong, an 11-year-old whose incredibly advanced artworks have raised nearly S$1 million for charity, who is teaming up with gifted Vietnamese fashion designer Phuong My to create a collection of dresses. The proceeds of the dress sales will all go toward the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a charitable organization that helps grant the wishes of children with cancer.
Together, these two artists created a coherent collection of fifteen dresses, all based on orchids, for Singapore’s 50th birthday celebration. Ong worked in watercolors to complete the initial designs for the patterns that would appear on the dress, pushing herself to be comfortable in a genre that she usually doesn’t work in. Ong is most used to painting on canvas with acrylic paints, not using watercolor and then digital software to determine how the design will work best on the garment. She said that she had initial misgivings about working with Phuong because of the difference in mediums and because Phuong was so talented in her own field. However, after their joint project, Ong said that she was more excited about art than ever, especially for fashion — a facet of the broad art world that she’d never considered.
For her part, Phuong said she was impressed with all the funds that Ong had raised for charitable organizations through the sale of her artwork. Introduced to each other through a mutual friend, Phuong was eager to team up with Ong in order to give back to the community by completing a mutual project. Phuong’s fashion designs have been lauded by fashion publications across the globe.
To complete the project, Ong first painted artwork with the theme of orchids. Then, she and Phuong examined each artwork and decided how it would best be reproduced on the dresses as printed patterns or 3-D textures. The end result was a beautiful collection of dresses all inspired by orchids and by the idea of giving back. Some are plastered with gauzy fabric cut to resemble delicate orchid petals. Another is softly reminiscent of a beautiful bouquet of orchids, dreamlike flowers decorating the flowing fabric.
Art comes in many different forms, meaning there is surely an artistic genre for everyone. Find yours by signing up for art lessons through SGArtClass.com. From fashion design and drawing to acrylic painting and watercolor painting, art takes on many different ideas, perfect for a wide range of projects. If you already enjoy one type of art, consider investigating another type of art that you’ve never tried before. You never know — you might find your newest passion.
To learn more about the charitable collaboration, go to http://www.todayonline.com/lifestyle/style/top-vietnam-designer-and-singapore-art-prodigy-create-dresses-charity.