If you are still high from the recent art fair buzz and suffering from withdrawal symptoms. You can get your fix at the on-going FreshAir Fine Art Festival, happening at the Luxe Art Museum till this Saturday, 30th November. The arts festival features artists from various countries namely the US, South Korea, Spain, Indonesia, Belgium and Austria. Not forgetting its host country, the festival also showcases Singaporean artist Siew Hock Meng who was the Guest of Honour for the opening reception.
Visitors at the FreshAir Fine Arts Festival will be treated to rare works by Mr Siew Hock Meng. The low-profile second generation Singapore Fine Art artists showcases his rare works of still life, landscapes and portraitures at the Luxe Art Museum. The soft-spoken and humble artist is widely sought after in Indonesia and was taught under Cheng Soo Peng and Chen Wen Xi. And if you are a fan of classical still life paintings, this would be your chance to collect one of his works.
Showcasing along side Mr Siew Hock Meng is young emerging artist, Danya Yu. Danya hails from China but have been living in Singapore for more than 10 years. One wouldn’t know she isn’t Singaporean even when you speak with her as she is a frequent traveller who have lived in several countries with her parents as a child. The artist has recently showcased her works at the earlier Affordable Art Fair and her paintings were all sold within days.
Showcasing her latest series of three paintings, titled Beware Of The Bears, Danya’s paintings portray the lost identity of a frequent traveller and the painful truth of what globalisation has done to the world. In the paintings, a girl is either sitting precariously at the edge of a building or running towards a car. These dangerous actions by the subject represents the inconveniences the conveniences has brought us. Inspired by a Singapore shophouse in Geylang that was rebuild by a local architecture firm, the three paintings connect with one another vertically in a semi-abstract and surrelist manner. Almost maze like where the young girl in the painting, which represents the artist, symbolises the shift of identity that one has become a stranger in one’s homeland as we constantly move to different countries.
From still life to semi-abstract acrylic paintings by two Singapore artists, another treat guests to the FreshArt Fine Arts Festival will receive is works by well known Korean artist, Kyunglim Lee. The artist is well known for her architectural and landscape artworks created out of cardboards, a method similar to the traditional Korean patchwork compositions called Jo-gak-bo. The flexible material allows the artist to play with depth and texture on her artworks. Juxtaposing the soft rolling hills together with the stiff and box-like buildings which is a village in Busan.
One wouldn’t know that within these calm and simple villages that Kyunglim Lee portray in her colourful and cheery artworks, there are many stories of hardships as these villages in Busan survived the war.
Apart from works of landscapes and buildings, Kyunglim Lee is also inspired by classical instruments that can be seen in the smaller scaled artworks at the festival. Although small in size, the geometrical artworks doubles up as a fashion accessory as you can remove a piece from the frame and wear it out.
This is the third time that the artist’s works are showcased in Singapore. And like Danya Yu, Kyunglim Lee’s works were showcased and sold out at the recent Affordable Art Fair Singapore. So if you have missed out on the two artists’ works at AAF, pop by The FreshAir Fine Arts Festival at the Luxe Art Museum at 6 Handy Road, before it close this Saturday, 30th November.
Guests are invited to their closing event this Saturday. There will be a line up of flute, violin, cello, guitar and opera performances by classical musicians, Flutist Jasper Goh, Soprano Sérine de Labaume, Pianist Beatrice Lin, Violinist Siew Yi Li, Cellist Lin Juan, Guitaritst Alfie Gonzales, Guitarist Melvic Atienza. So breathe a breath of fresh air and soak up your senses at The FreshAir Fine Arts Festival.
Festival closes this Saturday, 30th November.
FreshAir Fine Arts Festival at The Luxe Art Museum
6 Handy Road
Singapore 229234
View more photos of the FreshAir Fine Arts Festival.
