1985 Cultural Medallion artist, Mr Tay Chee Toh is a master of many traditional art mediums. He did his formal arts education at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) from 1958 to 1960 and have been a fine art artists for the last 5 decades. Specilising in chinese ink, oil, batik, water colour, acrylic, printmaking and even sculpture. Mr Tay was a student under many great Nanyang artists, such as Cheong Soo Pieng, Chen Wen Hsi, Georgette Chan and Chen Chong Swee.

Dayak, woodblock prints, is his 10th solo exhibition currently being held at the artist’s alma mater. The exhibition is a culmination of 3 years of works put together from his memories of his month long stay in the long house in Sarawak in the 1960s. Mr Tay explained to Artitute the concept behind Dayak. Having lived with the indigenous people in Sarawak in the 1960s, Mr Tay was deeply influenced by the simple and idyllic lifestyle, and graceful nature of the Dayak women. Motives of nature like rolling clouds and waves, and small animals compliment the sensual topless Dayak women. The images are almost fluid like as the Dayak women flow gracefully from one end to the other.

Artist, Mr Tay Chee Toh

One who does printmaking will be awed by the detailed and yet delicate craftsmanship on the large scaled prints. A printmaking artist will tell you that it is not easy to carve a 4 by 1 meter length woodblock and printing it on fabric. The process is long and tedious as the artist have to go through the concept, work on the wood carving for weeks and then printing it on either paper or this case, fabric. Unlike painting with oil or digital printing, the artist cannot make any mistakes when he carves the motives and designs, as you cannot mask the mistakes once it’s been made.

Professor Tommy Koh, former Chairman of the National Heritage Board and currently Ambassador-At-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the guest of honor for the opening of Dayak. Also an old friend of Mr Tay Chee Toh, Professor Tommy Koh gave us insights to the significances that Mr Tay and his peers have brought to the artistic and cultural growth of Singapore since the 1960s.

Even though the artworks are printed from woodblock carvings, you can still see Mr Tay’s trademark batik style all over his works. 10 large art pieces of woodblock prints on gold and silver silk fabrics hang majestically on the gallery walls. The woodblocks, sketches and printmaking tools are also on display to give viewers insights into printmaking.

Mr Tay Chee Toh explaining the woodcarving tools used for printmaking to Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-At-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Wood carving knifes and printmaking tools

A guest admiring the workmanship on the woodcarving

Two Beauties. Woodblock print on gold fabric with collage. Edition of 10

Each of the artworks are available for sale from $10,000 onwards, in editions of 8 or 10. Exhibition runs through to the 26th of February at the NAFA Gallery 1 & 2 at 80 Bencoolen Street.

The Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award was instituted in 1989 to recognise individuals or organisations which have contributed towards the promotion of cultural and artistic activities in Singapore.

Into it’s 23rd year, the National Arts Council’s Patron of the Arts Award is now open for your nomination. If you know of any individuals or organisations that has been supporting the Arts in Singapore, nominate them for the Patron of the Arts Award.

Contributions must exceed $10,000 (cash or in-kind) within the period of 1 January to 31 December 2011 are eligible for the following awards:

• Arts Supporter Award
• Associate of the Arts Award
• Friend of the Arts Award
• Patron of the Arts Award
• Distinguished Patron of the Arts Award

A person or organisation must be based in Singapore to be eligible for the Awards. For more details on the criteria, visit The National Arts Council website

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The Substation is calling for submission for entries for their 2012 Open Call. This year, three categories are available for submission which is only open to all Singaporean and Singapore Permanent Residents only.

• Sound Art Open Call 2012

• Performance Open Call 2012

• Visual Art Open Call 2012

The selected artist is expected to present the work-in-progress of the chosen proposal in mid-July 2012 and to exhibit the final artwork presentation of the artwork will be exhibited in The Substation Gallery from 7 to 29 September 2012. The Substation will provide an artist’s fee of S$1000 and materials and production budget up to S$6000 to the selected artist.

Deadline for submission: 30th March 2012. Click on the above categories for more information. Be warned, you have about two months to work on your application. Late applications will NOT be considered.

More info available at: http://substation.org/opencall/

Morimura Yasumasa, born in 1951 in Osaka, Japan, is internationally renowned appropriation artist. He appropriates universally well-known images derived from art history, mass media and pop culture to create unconventional and bold self-portrait renderings in photography, performance and video.

Through the extensive use of props, costumes, make-up and digital manipulation, Morimura masterfully transform s himself into recognizable subjects that punctuate the Western cultural canon. His unsettling deconstruction of iconic images challenges the assumptions already placed on such works / images while commenting on Japan’s complex and conflicting absorption of Western culture. His ability to satirize and simultaneously create homage of his source material is what makes Morimura’s work particularly forceful and effective.

Morimura’s latest series, the Requiem, has recently been shown in multiple museums and galleries in Europe, USA, and Japan and this exhibition marks his first solo exhibition in Singapore.

In addition to his usual still photographs, Morimura’s recent works and the focus of this exhibition are the video works of his performances. Ikkan Art Gallery has been transformed into several mini movie theatres where audience can enjoy the room-size projected video works, Morimura’s self-portraits in motion.

The Still Photographs

The Moving Images

The Beautifully Crafted / Packaged Boxes for The Videos

11^th January to 25^th February 2012
Ikkan Art Gallery
01-05 Artspace@Helutrans,
Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 39 Kepple Road

Admission Free
Mondays to Saturdays 11am to 7pm
Sundays and Public Holidays 1pm to 5pm

Enquires: 9088 7056
www.ikkan-art.com

I-Ching is an interactive performance art and installation of sculptures by contemporary Chinese artist Huang Rui, curated by Martina Ziesse.

Huang Rui is one of the founders of the short lived but revolutionary non-conformist avant-garde group Xing Xing 星星 (The Stars) in 1978. The Stars were the first in China to proclaim individual artist creativity right after the Cultural Revolution ended. To this day, Huang’s works continue to be non-conformist, exploring and depicting society with a highly intellectual approach.

Rooted in conceptualism, his works are socially and historically relevant yet intriguingly beautiful and poetic. Performance, painting, installation and sculpture form the basis of his connotations from Chinese philosophy to modern-day life. He often uses words as imagery and plays with their meaning of duplicity and irony.

I-Ching is one of the most important series of Huang Rui’s artistic career. Huang Rui began exploring the I-Ching (Book of Changes) in the early 1980s, and he has since interpreted the divinity symbols in the I-Ching in a variety of visual forms. These works have been determined by time and place and have included two-dimensional, sculptural, performance, and installation works. For the performance held at The Opposite House, Huang Rui invited 64 volunteers to participate in the interactive art installation representing the different possible combinations of the symbolic hexagrams found in the I-Ching using black and white yin yang umbrellas.

The sculpture installation will be complimented by three-dimensional representations of the Chinese characters for ‘woman’ and ‘all for one.’

“I-Ching Together” (2011) Performance at The Opposite House through March 31, 2012

The Opposite House atrium
No. 11 Sanlitun Road
Building 1 The Village
Tel: +86 6417 6688

Image copyright By The Opposite House Beijing

The Steinway Gallery Singapore, together with Bank Julius Baer, is proud to present the Steinway Youth Piano Competition in Singapore. Targeted at talented pianists under the age of 17, one participant will be selected to represent Singapore at the Steinway Youth Piano Competition Regional Finals, and could go on to represent Asia at the International Steinway Festival in Hamburg, Germany! Registration forms can be obtained from the Steinway Gallery Singapore at Palais Renaissance, and registration closes on 20 Feb 2012.

Singapore Steinway Youth Piano Competition
Registration now open until 20 Feb 2012
Registration forms available at the Steinway Gallery Singapore, Palais Renaissance, 390 Orchard Road, Singapore 238871
Nearest MRT: Orchard
Website: www.steinway-gallery.com.sg
Contact number: 65 6838 0525

The Steinway Gallery Singapore is on the hunt for young pianists aged 17 and below to take part in the Singapore Steinway Youth Piano Competition! Part of the International Steinway Festival held in Hamburg, Germany, this is the first time that it is presented in Singapore and is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young pianists to perform on a professional level. Represent Singapore in the Steinway Youth Piano Competition Regional Finals and stand a chance to represent Asia at the International Steinway Festival. Registration is now open to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents and forms can be obtained at the Steinway Gallery Singapore. For more information, visit the gallery or call 6825 0525.

The result of having passion in framing one’s views and doodling one’s thoughts brought together 17 photographers and illustrators/designers in this fun and happy collaboration – Chasing Dreams: The Remaking of Tiong Bahru.

“Chasing Dreams: The Remaking of Tiong Bahru” is an exhibition organised by FLABSLAB, White Canvas Gallery and The Orange Thimble. The organisers themselves are collaborated too! You have the design firm, a gallery, and a café!

The theme simply revolves on-site the nostalgic Tiong Bahru. Marrying the idea of old and new; viewing the sights and sounds through the photographers’ eyes, and tagging on the illustrators’ wildest imagination, we see the interesting remaking of Tiong Bahru.

The collaboration has a bit of game twist. The photographers and illustrators do not know each other. They were invited to create this project, and the photographers went on their clicking trip around Tiong Bahru first. The photos are then sorted and allocated to the selected illustrators. The illustrators will then work on the photographs. It is a silent collaboration, no communication between the two artists. The organiser was surprise to see some of the finished works, how the ideas gel together, or created an unexpected view.

The group of talented artists involved are Alicia Ling, Alvin Wong Twei, Casey Chen, Chia Aik Beng, Dan Yeo, Edwin Tan, Eeshaun, Erene Ng, Jeffri Natasastra, Joanx, Kuanth, Naomi Tien, Pam Yee (Papergirl), Pigologist (Diana Goh), Teck Lim, Twisstii and Wanton Doodle (Mas) – (*in alphabetical order. some artists are not in the photograph)

I was glad that I get to meet some of them for a chat and hear their thoughts.

Wanton Doodle’s protagonist was in prim and proper office attire at the opening. He is not “wanton” at all, but he sure doodles a lot. He has an important, serious day job that requires him to be in many long meetings. That is how he develops his talent in doodling and getting the office to buy more pens and pencils. He shared that he started doodling on post-it pad which he handed to his co-workers with important tasks notes written on. They kept the notes even after the tasks have been completed. The notes became artwork on their desks. We are glad to know how art can influence people, and people with important, serious work.

Untitled XIV
Edwin Tan and Wanton Doodle

The work “Untitled V” and “Untitled IV” by Alicia Ling and Casey Chen shows a group of superheroes stirring a fight in the back alley of Tiong Bahru. Looking at it certainly puts a smile on anyone. We love black and white alleys that have a power to quietly elude a nostalgic scent. Alicia Ling’s photograph shows the modern feel of Tiong Bahru, where the windows are all shut (because most people have installed air-conditioners, maybe?) and it is quiet. Designer Casey Chen came by and added the whimsical drama that we all missed – a back alley fight! He painstakingly scanned all his collections of superheroes comics and pictures, clean up the edges, re-position them to fit the perspective, one-by-one.

Untitled V
Alicia Ling and Casey Chen

Untitled IV
Alicia Ling and Casey Chen

Some of the works are one-piece only as the illustrators have chosen to do the illustrations by hand, manually instead of digitally. For Indonesian-born photographer Jeffri Natasastra and illustrator Pam Yee (aka Papergirl), it was not a blind date to start with, for their piece “Untitled III”. Both of them are good friends and Jeffri explained that they went on the walk-around Tiong Bahru together. In this piece, the photograph presented a sharp contrast of the darkness and whiteness of a window. Pam made use of the whiteness and fill them like a canvas. Her illustrations dance freely and happily in a free-flow movement, alike to her mood on that particular day. On closer observation, you can read her journey that day too, and share the visuals of what she saw and who she met on the way. They told me an Auntie scolded them for being there taking photographs, and it was memorable for them. Find the Tiong Bahru Auntie in their work.

Untitled III
Pam Yee (aka Papergirl) and Jeffri Natasastra

Most of the photographers and illustrators met for the first time at the exhibition opening. It’s like a blind date, and a surprise, pleasant meet up after. The cosy venue of Orange Thimble Café made the gathering more intimate but casual. Everyone was smiling, and happy. The gracious café boss shook hands with me and informed that he wants to leave the lime-light to the artists. It is great news to know that there is such a cosy, humble space for Art, in the charming Tiong Bahru neighbourhood.

The artworks are there till 20^th Feb 2012.

Untitled VII
Chia Aik Beng and EeShaun

Untitled XVI
Teck Lim and Twisstii

Untitled XVIII
Teck Lim and Naomi Tien

Untitled XI
Edwin Tan and Kuanth

Untitled I
Jeffri Natasastra and Alvin Wong Twei

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Date: 20^th January to 25^th February 2012
Venue: The Orange Thimble
Blk 56, Eng Hoon Street, #01-68 – Tiong Bahru

Café Opening Hours
Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday 8am to 9pm
Friday to Saturday 8am to 10.30pm
Close on Mondays

Enquires: 97503989
www.theorangethimble.com/

Here are some photos we at Artitute would like to share with you and here’s wishing everyone a Happy and Prosperous Year of the Dragon.

恭喜发财，万事如意

Dragon souvenirs are everywhere

Windmills for good luck

Traditional Chinese New Year goodies

Traditional waxed meats

Yes, please wash your hands elsewhere

The first preview event at West Kowloon Cultural District took place at the M+ Bamboo Theatre, celebrating the traditional craft of Cantonese opera, taking it back to the streets with a large outdoor stage on its construction site, decorated with beautiful banners on each side done digitally by local veteran artist Gaylord. There were Cantonese opera ipad applications, a whole cooking counter featuring the traditional egg waffles and even a Peking duck carving station doing mini wraps!

The full project is slated to open in 2020, and this is just a taste of what’s to come. So far, so good, I’d say.

I loved the idea of the bustling street atmosphere, revisiting the old traditional form of street entertainment and making it accessible to the younger generation with a modern twist. Tickets for the live Cantonese opera sold out online in hours, but not to worry, there will be a free movie screening marathon on January 24 from 2pm-10pm, the 2nd day of the lunar new year—the perfect activity for Hong Kong family outings. Featured films: Princess Chang Ping, Let it be, Spooky Bunch, The Sorrowful Lute and The Dutiful Daughter Zhu Zhu.

Great portraits by Michael Wolf

Giant lantern made contemporary by Chu Hing-Wah

Check out more of Juliana’s blog 

More infor for West Kowloon Cultural District: M+ preview Bmboo Theatre