Most of us would like to put our own failings behind us — and keep them there. However, Kray Chen, the youngest ever winner of Singapore’s Young Artist Award, makes his art in part by exploiting his own weaknesses, as well as personal features that many would count as failures.
Chen is an artist with experience in working with a number of different mediums and practices. One of his most interesting works, in which he posits that he has a body that would not fit a regular coffin, includes a looped video of him exercising. Every angle is examined, every jiggle unflinchingly portrayed in the video, which was inspired by a play.
Other works also highlight what many people would consider to be absurd items masquerading as art. Chen used 4-D experiences to highlight losing lottery tickets that featured numbers from his birth certificate. In another display, the birthday for a pet dog is displayed. While many of these items might make viewers cringe, it calls up a deeper, more cerebral question — what is a person who doesn’t look like an average human being supposed to do to be accepted by the wider society.
Especially as Singapore modernized rapidly in the later decades of the 20th century, good health and normal-sized bodies became something akin to conformity, Chen posits. With his body, which is likely heavier than the average person in Singapore, Chen is an oddly shaped cog in the machine that is society. Does he make things work better, differently, or worse? His own particular experience is explored in his body of work.
When Chen served in the armed forces, his position was a logistics manager. He recalled that he felt monstrous when compared to the muscular, macho men who made up the rest of his unit, and that the idea of his own inefficiencies inspired him to study art. However, he incurred a large student debt when in college. This, too, culminated in art — a performance art experience in which he sold fried eggs for 50 cents to help fund his education. That effort failed, too, but he expected and accepted it. It was more of a commentary on hurdles students face in getting educations than a real effort to earn money for his education.
Winners of the Young Artist Award are artists likely to wield great influence in shaping the future of art in Singapore. The honorees also receive S$20,000 in grant money, which will help them pursue interests and fund projects they have had in mind but perhaps lacked the resources for.
It’s never too early — or too late — to pursue art experiences. Visit SgArtClass.com today to learn about all the different art classes you can enroll in to add another creative facet to your life. From acrylic painting to charcoal drawing, portrait painting to 3-D sculpture, pointillism painting to recycled art, there is sure to be an art class to inspire you.
To learn more about Kray Chen’s art and creative views, go to https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/young-artist-award-winner-goes-heavy-themes-failure-imperfection.