STUDYING LIFE Exhibition @ Artistry
PUBLISHED August 21st, 2015 07:08 am | UPDATED May 9th, 2018 03:13 am
Studying Life is an exhibition that puts together a collection of work by three Singaporean representational artists. Each of them has been on a journey of intense academic training in the classical tradition, as practiced by the old masters of Europe.
Ever since the Renaissance, artists from all over the world have taken that journey back to Classicism to study the root of the craft of painting and drawing; For in order to create new life, one must study actual life. It is only from the root that one can grow to take on any path that one desires in their own expression of the world. This is what these three artists sought when they chose to take that pilgrimage to Classicism. Studying Life is the outcome of that pilgrimage – it is their exploration and study of what nature is, what beauty is, in its raw form, translated through individual eyes and hands. Through their craft, they seek to express this beauty, in better ways as they grow, knowing that beauty expressed will never twice be the same.
Studying Life puts together an array of representational works, including landscapes, portraits and still lives by artists Alvin Mark Tan, Sara Chong and Yanyun Chen. Each of them has been trained in acclaimed ateliers in Florence and Sweden for a period of one to three years.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Alvin Mark Tan is a realist painter living in Florence, Italy. He also illustrates in ink and watercolour. A graphic design graduate from Woodbury University in Burbank, California, Alvin began his graphic design career with the Ministry of Defence in Singapore. Later, at the Singapore Press Holdings, he branched out into advertising, environmental design and documentary making. Alvin also has an Animation diploma, with a focus in concept art. As his love for the traditional arts grew, he spent over 2 years studying Natural Realism at the Angel Academy of Art in Florence. Alvin loves drawing directly from nature, so he is often out on the streets urban-sketching or doing plein-air. His goal is to inspire people to live a fuller life through his creativity and art.
Yanyun Chen draws, and is driven by questions. Her practice is rooted in the craft and the silent contemplation of making drawings. As she paces between the object, the drawing, and the site of seeing, she attempts to open conversations and questions about what it means to draw, read, think, and see along the material surface. She finds her answers by the marks made in charcoal.
Sara Chong is a painter and illustrator from Singapore. Most of life leaves her feeling constantly perplexed and confused, so she finds solace in watching, observing, and learning. She loves studying and living in the ever-changing present – a love that has given (or cursed) her with restless hands and feet. She relishes in the tension between the fleeting and the eternal, and her fascination with the present gives her the patience to capture moments in various art forms, ranging from realistic paintings to illustrations, even to something as drawn out as a stop motion film.
ABOUT ARTISTRY
Artistry is a new art gallery and cafe located in a shophouse in the historic Kampong Glam district. Artistry aims to develop an intimate space for art and creative endeavour. It also seeks to provide emerging artists with a platform for their debut solo exhibitions and host talks, performances and events in our space. Serving up the locally roasted Liberty Coffee and artisan desserts, Artistry is a space for art practitioners and patrons to connect develop the creative community in Singapore.
This Exhibition runs from 15 September – 4 October 2015 at Artistry, from Tue-Sun, 10am to 7pm.
