This is the next installment under the Untapped programme by the Visual Arts Development Association (VADA). This group exhibition by young emerging artists is on from 10 June to 2 July 2017 at Chan Hori's Shophouse5 at Geylang.
The artists:
1. Kayleigh Goh - three works using cement (very thin layer) and acrylic depicting corners of a room/house. Thoughtful pieces. She has improved from the Emergence exhibition and is progressing nicely.
2. Justin Lim - one charcoal/graphite piece and two photographs of driftwood. Nice to look at, but perhaps some room for improvement, in technical terms. Saw his previous works under the AAF Young Talent Programme, and he needs to work harder to excel in drawing - off the top of my head, there are quite a few other artists who are better in this field.
3. Ben Loong - four pieces using drywall plaster with resin. You've got to see them in person rather than in photos, otherwise you'll miss out on the texture and the rather arresting quality of the works. It's easy to lose track of time examining the works from different angles.
4. Quinn Lum - photos of cross sections of trees. Not sure I like the style though - grainy, out of focus and desaturated pictures, his intention? Could do with more work on visual dynamics, focal points, composition, colours (think of Rudolf Arnheim's visual perception) to turn them into something more impactful and emotionally triggering than neutral, decorative pieces. Art should make you happy, pissed off or trigger something else other than 'that's nice'.
5. Faris Nakamura - three wood pieces showing hidden corners and stairs, and a pillar with a 3D model floorplan of an apartment of sorts, wedged between two vertical pillars. Very interesting idea, and the pillar with the floorplan is quite a conversation piece.
6. Ong Si Hui - one piece made of 1800 transparency sheets (remember the OHP transparencies of the 80s? - yup, those!) stacked on top of each other; and another piece with sandpaper and stencilled words from mothballs. Creative and conceptually interesting. Wish she did more pieces for the exhibition.
Points for collectors: strong potential for all artists. I can't wait to see how they develop and what else they come up with. I wouldn't say all of them have a buy rating, but all should be put on the Watch-Closely list.
The artists:
1. Kayleigh Goh - three works using cement (very thin layer) and acrylic depicting corners of a room/house. Thoughtful pieces. She has improved from the Emergence exhibition and is progressing nicely.
2. Justin Lim - one charcoal/graphite piece and two photographs of driftwood. Nice to look at, but perhaps some room for improvement, in technical terms. Saw his previous works under the AAF Young Talent Programme, and he needs to work harder to excel in drawing - off the top of my head, there are quite a few other artists who are better in this field.
3. Ben Loong - four pieces using drywall plaster with resin. You've got to see them in person rather than in photos, otherwise you'll miss out on the texture and the rather arresting quality of the works. It's easy to lose track of time examining the works from different angles.
4. Quinn Lum - photos of cross sections of trees. Not sure I like the style though - grainy, out of focus and desaturated pictures, his intention? Could do with more work on visual dynamics, focal points, composition, colours (think of Rudolf Arnheim's visual perception) to turn them into something more impactful and emotionally triggering than neutral, decorative pieces. Art should make you happy, pissed off or trigger something else other than 'that's nice'.
5. Faris Nakamura - three wood pieces showing hidden corners and stairs, and a pillar with a 3D model floorplan of an apartment of sorts, wedged between two vertical pillars. Very interesting idea, and the pillar with the floorplan is quite a conversation piece.
6. Ong Si Hui - one piece made of 1800 transparency sheets (remember the OHP transparencies of the 80s? - yup, those!) stacked on top of each other; and another piece with sandpaper and stencilled words from mothballs. Creative and conceptually interesting. Wish she did more pieces for the exhibition.
Ben Loong
Ong Si Hui's "Patiently"
Ong Si Hui's "Fluorescent Grey"
Quinn Lum
Kayleigh Goh
Justin Lim
Ben Loong's "Fault"
Ong Si Hui - close up of "Patiently"
Points for collectors: strong potential for all artists. I can't wait to see how they develop and what else they come up with. I wouldn't say all of them have a buy rating, but all should be put on the Watch-Closely list.
