If clutter is a sign of creativity and genius, then Zi Xi must be Singapore’s best illustrator-artist, bar none, judging from her moniker, MessyMsxi, and her belief that the process of creation is a spontaneous, and yes, messy one. Her belief and her work are validated by the amount of accolades that she has received: “Best Illustrator 2010” award by JUICE Magazine Singapore, “Most Inspiring Award” in the Great Women of Our Time 2013 by The Singapore Women’s Weekly, Gold award from the Singapore Creative Circle Awards 2015… and the list goes on. We find out what goes on in the mind of this talented one as she prepares for her upcoming exhibit, Out of Hand, Out of Mind.

Chris Ong: The journey from studying as an illustrator to a full-fledged career as an artist: How would you describe the journey? Were there ever doubts in your head as you pursued your passion? 

Zi Xi: Counting back, I have walked the path of an independent illustrator for almost 5 years. Like in any work, it is difficult to sustain a career without passion, and I think passion is the only factor that has kept me going this far. There were never any doubts in pursuing illustration, because I was constantly filled with excitement with every new brief and project I picked up. I enjoy solving briefs and trying out new mediums. 

CO: What kinds of challenges did you face?

ZX: Finding the balance of time between commercial illustration and working on my personal projects has sometimes proved difficult, especially since my illustration jobs are funding the expenses of my art projects and exhibitions.

CO: What about inspirations and aspirations?

ZX: My inspiration mostly dwells in ‘misadventures’ and ‘the grotesque’. I have a fascination with dark humour and tend to have a strange slant to most of my work when I push to exaggerate some of these themes. I am always intrigued by unusual experiences and the oddballs of society. Sometimes I pick up on interesting news articles or I come across some strange documentaries that lead on to more research and then I build a thought around that. My personal mishaps help shape the quirky humour in my work.

CO: Were there artists that you look up to? 

ZX: I am always so impressed to see how Yoshitomo Nara’s works translate from 2D to 3D sculptures. And I have a strong affinity for Louise Bourgeois’ work, her strong opinions and inventiveness that show through all her processes and works. Her passion and spirit were evident despite her fragility, having remained an extremely prolific artist till her passing.

CO: And are there milestones that you work towards to, like say, maybe a solo retrospective in a world renowned museum perhaps, somewhere down the road?

ZX: Not at the moment. Life is full of surprises, I would like to take things as they come. 

CO: Time to pick favourites – from your many works, which ones are the ones you fawn over, or which ones hold a special significance in your heart?
 
ZX: I think that would be one of my latest commissioned projects, ‘dododo’ for UNTITLED, Japan, which was created through traditional analogue processes and painted frame by frame with watercolour. After clocking in a minimum of 13 hours daily for 4 consecutive months, I was exhausted at the end of it, but immensely satisfied. There’s nothing to complain about when I can be the author of the work. Of late, I have moved away from doing digital illustration toward creating works with traditional mediums as I increasingly enjoy seeing tactility in my work.

CO: At the time when oil painting, photography, graphic design and, of course, also illustration, are converging under the umbrella of visual arts, do you still think there is still the need to discern between all these forms of creative work, and to reconsider the roles and ambits of – and I broadly term so – the designer and the artist? 

ZX: It can be both ambiguous and serendipitous, it’s all a matter of perspective.
 
CO: You have an upcoming exhibition in December this year at The Substation. We hear that there will be a surprise of Brobdingnahian proportions. Care to share some tidbits about the exhibition? 

ZX: The exhibited works consist of a 142 meters sculpture, inspired from a previous illustration I did in 2012. This piece of work is very much an experiment in translating what has always been my most comfortable medium, 2-dimensional works, into a 3-dimensional sculpture. The sculpture came about when I was mulling over the idea of creating a work to denote the state of mind I was going through — a cluttered mind, fear, mess. Alongside, some previously unseen drawings, printed matter, hand-made artefacts, digital prints and animation will be exhibited.

Exhibition: Out of Hand, Out of Mind by MessyMsxi
Dates: 11 – 21 December 2015
Opening reception: 10 December 2015, 7.30pm-9.30pm
Venue: The Substation Gallery, 45 Armenian Street, Singapore 179936
Hours: Monday to Sunday, 12-8pm

As gallerists, many of our clients have asked us regularly about the best way to enjoy and make full use of an art fair, given the recent proliferation of art fairs not only in Singapore, but also the region. Having participated in our share of art fairs – and given one of the biggest art events in Singapore, the Affordable Art Fair, takes place this month – we thought it opportune for gallery director, Weiren Loh, to share his experience to art fair attendees:

1. Know your needs. It’s good to know what your starting point is. Are you looking for a specific space in your house to fill, or are you just browsing? Do you know the measurements of the painting you would like? What type of pieces you are looking to purchase – South East Asian or European; by emerging or established artists?  Have you got a budget in mind? Getting these preliminary questions out of the way pave the way for a productive day at the fair.

2. Do your homework. It’s always worth looking at the website of the fair before you visit it to find out more about the fair and its exhibitors. You’ll know how many galleries will be participating in the fair, the regions they come from, and the type of art they carry.  Do remember that different fairs cater to different buyers, so it’s best to know what to expect before you step in.

3. Attend the VIP Previews. Most fairs have a VIP Preview night open to exclusive guests and collector invitees. The best pieces by the top artists tend to go quickly on these nights. If you know what you already want, this would be the time to move quickly. For example, at the Affordable Art Fair in Hong Kong, the 2 largest pieces by our up-and-coming Monica Dixon sold within an hour of the VIP Preview to 2 very important collectors. But if you’re not sure about what you want, and you wish to take your time to browse the fair leisurely, then attending on a quieter weekday may suit you better.

4. Make full use of the activities. To encourage audience participation and to attract visitors, most fairs organise talks for their attendees. These talks are often given by someone with expertise or experience in the field, and are a good way to bolster your knowledge, whether on art history or the art market. Fairs like the Affordable Art Fair regularly host “speed dating” sessions that introduce fair attendees to 5 participating galleries, all of which would give a 5 minute talk on various art topics – it’s hard for us to think of a better crash course to learn and expand your horizons!

5. Don’t be afraid to ask. With a wide selection of galleries, an art fair is one of the best places for you to ask questions you were always too afraid to ask. Each gallery will bring with it its knowledge and experience in its respective art market. For example, we have received inquiries on the background of our artists, requests for a crash course in Spanish art history and questions on what makes us different from other galleries. And don’t worry, most galleries are approachable and are always happy to help!

To wrap up, while this may seem like a little bit of a cliché, art should always be fun – whether you are a veteran or newbie to collecting. Nothing beats the exhilaration of being surrounded by thousands of beautiful art pieces, or the moment when you fall in love with your first piece. While an art fair is perfect for learning and browsing, just remember that, at the end of the day, it’s the enjoyment of the experience that matters most.

Barnadas Huang is at Stand 3D-21 of the Affordable Art Fair Singapore, Fall Edition. The fair runs from 12 to 15 November 2015, with the VIP Preview taking place on 11 November 2015, at the F1 Pit Building on Republic Boulevard, Singapore.

Whoever said that print is going the way of dinosaurs will probably have to eat their words now. Come November, homegrown independent bookstore BooksActually will celebrate 10 years of fighting for the right for local writers to be read and heard, for their right to publish, and to ensure that books will always remain a part of our lives. Christ Ong, Programme Manager at The Substation, speaks with founder Kenny Leck and the people behind BooksActually about their upcoming commemorative exhibition 10 Years of BooksActually, their past highlights, and future aspirations.

Chris Ong: Congratulations on your 10th year anniversary, and on having an exhibition to celebrate and commemorate this significant milestone! What can we look forward to seeing in this exhibition?

BooksActually: In this exhibition, we will aim to recreate the past five locations of BooksActually: Yong Siak Street (current), Club Street, Ann Siang Hill, Telok Ayer Street, and even before we had a brick-and-mortar, the NUS AS6 Walkway. We are also taking this opportunity to exhibit all the old books and memorabilia collected in the last decade and even have some of them on sale. As we are currently aiming to buy a permanent home for the bookstore, we will be selling original artworks and merchandise to raise the money.

Chris Ong: It must have been a journey of trials and tribulations for yourself and your team in the past 10 years. Can you recount some of your most memorable moments running the bookstore?

Kenny Leck: Rescuing three cats, setting up our publishing arm Math Paper Press, the endless stream of books we got to read, the many friends that we have made over the past decade, and meeting my future wife.

Chris Ong: After this 10-year milestone, what are your future plans and goals for the next 10, 20, or dare we say, 50 years? And what are your aspirations for, and predictions about the literary scene here in Singapore?

BooksActually: BooksActually was built in a competitive city obsessed with winning, a society that views ambition as a ladder one must climb to reach monetary success. A child who has read and loved Philip Pullman, an adolescent who was inspired by the life and work of Nikola Tesla, or someone who has abandoned a career to write full-time, should not be considered eccentrics. For ten years, the bookstore has been striving to convince the nation that inventing your life’s own meaning is allowed, being different does not make you a subversive, and success can come in the form of courage and creativity.
We believe this to be a lifelong struggle, and we will probably never enjoy the fruits of our labour in this lifetime, but as long as it continues to be part of the bigger tapestry, the bookstore will keep at it for as long as it takes.

Exhibition:     10 Years of BooksActually
Dates:     18 – 21 November 2015
Opening:    Wednesday, 18 November, at 7.30pm
Venue:     The Substation Gallery, 45 Armenian Street, Singapore 179936
Hours:    12noon – 8pm daily, closed on public holidays. Free admission.

City in a Garden #04 by Zen Teh (2012)

For its inaugural Art and Science Open Call, The Substation presents the work of photographer Zen Teh in Sensing States: Healing Spaces. After a year-long research process in collaboration with a science professional, Zen aims to explore notions experiencing nature in the context of urban Singapore. Sensing States: Healing Spaces will be a three part immersive experience that hopes to lead visitors on a journey that will inspire them to reconnect with nature. Lee Weng Choy speaks to Zen about this process of collaboration.

Lee Weng Choy: Is the Art and Science Open Call your first time attempt at trying to meld the arts and the sciences?

Zen Teh: Actually prior to that I had been trying to do some arts-sciences collaborations with teachers in school – biology teachers or chemistry teachers – just so that I could understand more about the scientific process. When I was in secondary school, I struggled with choosing my O-Level subjects: should I just choose arts or should I choose science? I was about to drop arts actually, but my art teacher said she would not approve it. So I decided to continue studying art, but I still had an interest in the sciences.

LWC: What are some of the things you hope to achieve through this project?

ZT: For me I am just hoping that the outcome, the work, the exhibition can help to build more understanding about our relationship with nature. This could be through an artistic or scientific perspective of how nature is portrayed. I hope that the show will provoke questions about perception of nature, lead them to develop an interest in the subject.

LWC: When you think about the question of process and research, do you feel that there’s a difference between them?

ZT: Yes, I think there’s a difference. The term ‘research’ does sound a bit more scientific. To me, it seems like that is a process that is quite clearly structured and transparent, whereas the term ‘process’ seems to refer to something more spontaneous.
For myself, I don’t know if I can distinguish between research and process in what I do. For me this is something pretty organic, something that interests me, something that is relatable to my life. The whole purpose of this project, to investigate our relationship with nature is because this is my interest, and this is what I think about on a very regular basis.
For example, I have been a vegetarian for about 13 years. It’s a part of my lifestyle, and a part of everything I do. I guess the process does sort of involve some form of research in a sense that I need to find out more about certain areas. And that is why this collaboration with a science professional is so important.

Exhibition:     Sensing States: Healing Spaces
Dates:     10 – 27 October 2015
Venue:     ArtScience Museum, 6 Bayfront Ave, Singapore 018974
Hours:    10am – 7pm daily

‘Moksha’ by Sheetal Agarwal
Mixed media and acrylic on canvas, 2015

Sheetal Agarwal

The spectacular world of image-making has been Singapore-based Sheetal Agarwal’s realm of creative expression and visual articulation since childhood. In order to comprehend and internalise her individual perspectives and contexts in art-making, it is imperative to acknowledge the fact that she is an artist, a photographer and an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Sheetal has been presented with the 2008/2009 Biennial Global Awards by the Triangle Media Group for her contribution to Film, TV and Drama in the Asian region. In addition, her documentaries have won numerous international awards, which include the Michael Moore Award Best Documentary Film at the 44th Ann Arbor Film Festival and the Best Documentary KODAK Award at the 20th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. With this momentously significant affiliation towards the intensely ocular facet of art, Sheetal has advanced through a natural and essential tendency to mellifluously integrate the experiences she had acquired from her three-faceted creative pursuit, within her art-making process. And in order to allow the flow of such a fascinating amalgamation, Sheetal is in absolute synchronisation with the mighty influence of context and perspective in deciphering an image.

With pleasant enthusiasm, she affirms, “As a photographer and a documentary filmmaker, I have always used images to tell stories, and my experiments in those fields have been around the placing of images in different contexts, to tell different stories, in multiple narratives. This is a profound aspect of using images (still or moving). The context of the image-placement changes its meaning. And the context is entirely created by the artist. Images, in whatever context, will also mean different things to different people. So while I, as an artist, might wish to say something through the use of images, the viewer might go away with a different meaning.”

As a spontaneous extension of this intention, Sheetal has created ‘Moksha’, a recent series of pulsating mixed-media paintings that gleam with resplendent hues of an authoritative temperament. In the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions, the term ‘moksha’ is used in reference to the release from the human cycle of re-birth and death. However, it is more conveniently and conventionally referred to as a state of self-realisation or enlightenment on levels that are emotional, spiritual and intellectual in occurrence. This intriguing series, accentuated by its intuitively thought-provoking title, is based on images of Gautama Buddha in popular contexts. Sheetal opines that the Buddha, in current times, “is as much a commercial icon as Coca Cola or any other brand, and I juxtapose that insight with the thought of the Buddha being the path to moksha. Also, we need to overcome many layers of obstacles to reach that unity with our divine selves, which is what I mean by achieving ‘moksha’.”

Equipped with a vivacious sense of colour and conceptual universality, Sheetal has exhibited her paintings globally in Singapore, Spain, Germany and London.

It is difficult to deny the premise that an artist is indeed an elevated soul who is unquestionably on the path to ‘moksha’. And Sheetal, as an undaunted creative being, has embarked on a significant and alluring symbiosis of the re-contextualisation of existing meaning and the appropriation of popular images, without compromising on the presence of aesthetics.

Written by Vidhya Gnana Gouresan

To view artworks by Sheetal Agarwal, visit www.facebook.com or email to Gnani Arts via gnani_arts@yahoo.com.sg, or call 6735 3550.

Art should not be thought of in a vacuum, but rather seen as an expression of our humanity and the unique product of carefully honed craftsmanship and latent creativity. And, more than that, art pieces need not be expensive. You can purchase a Damien Hirst piece for a few million dollars, but you can find equally beautiful and thought-provoking pieces from emerging artists for a fraction of the price. 

Having established that art need not be expensive, we then move on to the topic of art collecting and why people tend to think of it as a hobby for the well-heeled. We are aware that, even if you spend $5,000 on a piece of art, collecting 10 pieces will inevitably mean that you would have spent $50,000 altogether. Having said that, there are other ways to build a cohesive and sustainable collection in manners that would assist you in balancing your budget with your desire to own and collect art.

If you are new to art collecting, then purchasing a piece from an emerging artist would be significantly less expensive compared to a piece by an established artist. The difference between an established and an emerging artist is that the latter is usually very young, and sometimes they start creating and producing outstanding works even when they are still in school. Some of them sell their art to pay for their school fees and others do so to start making a name for themselves even before they are approached by a gallery that wishes to represent them. In either case, pieces by emerging artists can start at a very low price and you will have the opportunity to watch as they gradually hone their talent and grow to become a master in time.
Prints are a good way to purchase the work from a master whose art pieces are so expensive that there is simply no way you can afford an original artwork. You can rest well knowing that a hand-printed lithograph with a limited edition, which has been numbered and signed by the artist, has extrinsic value of its own. For example, lithographs made by masters like Dali and Picasso now sell in the auction markets for hundreds of thousands of dollars, although you shouldn’t expect every lithograph you purchase to increase drastically in value to such an extent.

Experimentation with media is another way you can start building an art collection on a budget. To do so, you can consider purchasing items like sculptures or photographs. While the photographs you purchase need not necessarily be from top photographers, whose limited edition photographs can cost above $10,000 per piece, you can sometimes find a beautiful piece by a professional photographer starting to make his mark in the market. Photographic pieces are also good to mix your collection up with so you build diversity in media.  

Sculptures are an art form that many people do not consider purchasing. However, sculptures can sometimes be cheaper than a painting and easier to care for as well. Because sculptures can come in a vast range of media – from cardboard to plastic to bronze to ceramic – you can sometimes find beautiful and complex sculptures in a non-traditional medium at a lower price than an art piece. From our experience, as art collectors grow in the process of collection building, their acquisitions become more eclectic as they slowly discover their personality and individual taste. Sculptures are a good and, sometimes, less expensive way to vary your collection.

The purpose of this article is to let you know that building an art collection can give you the world without costing you the earth. An art collection gives a type of insight into the thoughts and personality of each collector, and many collectors are proud of the pieces they own: they remember the memories, history and process behind each acquisition, and are able to tell you the stories underpinning, and connections they feel with each piece.  

What we don’t believe is that art collecting is only for ultra-high net worth individuals with tens of millions of dollars in income. It isn’t, and it certainly should not be. Art, like a reflecting glass, is an expression of our soul and humanity. And, for that reason, art collecting is a process that can and should be democratised so everyone can enjoy it.

The artist in a tree, April 2014, Image credit: Robert Zhao

Inspired by the felling of the trees at Fort Canning Rise, Robert Zhao’s latest work, The Tree That Fell, will deal with issues of ecology, disappearance, and loss. This installation will take place in The Substation Gallery, and is one of the events to mark The Substation’s 25th anniversary. Robert shares a little about his thoughts behind the work.

Chelsea Chua: What is The Tree That Fell about, and what informed your approach to the work?

Robert Zhao: The Tree That Fell talks about all the trees that were removed behind The Substation. There is one that was transplanted and will be replanted in the future (The Banyan tree that was in The Substation’s garden). My work has always been about man’s relationship with nature. In trying to understand and grasp nature, a lot of fiction and myths are created. This may be through different cultures and even science. These are just ways we try to understand nature. I am also looking more at nature from a more dormant point of view. Animals seem like an easy way to talk about nature, so I looked at the weather and I looked at plants. The removal of the trees at The Substation seemed like a good place to look at how people experience nature in Singapore.

CC: Why did you find the cutting down of the Banyan tree/trees behind The Substation so compelling? Do you think the tree has played a significant role in The Substation’s history?

RZ: Old trees have the tendency to play a significant part of the histories of the people who had close contact with them. A Banyan tree, like the one that was transplanted, demands attention. It is impossible to ignore a Banyan tree as it grows. It devours and blankets everything in its path with its aerial and grappling roots. In the process I think many things and stories get embedded in its roots. There is something romantic about the resilience of the Banyan Tree. It is an opportunistic plant and can grow well in cities, a sure sign that nature can survive with us, with or without our help. 

CC: Do you have any personal stories to share about The Substation Banyan Tree?

RZ: An old Banyan tree makes a lot of difference if you can spend time with it. I am not sure if art is the best way to talk about my experiences with the trees behind The Substation. I tried my best to build a deeper understanding of the tree by camping underneath it. I found out that there was a new wilderness inside its roots. There were lots of insects and birds, much more than in the neighbourhood park at where I live. I begin to ask myself if the artificial natural parks we see all around Singapore really do support much life or maybe nature has her own plans in making a comeback in our concrete city. I saw a beautiful black iridescent beetle that I am sure I’ve never seen in my life. It only stayed among the aerial roots of the tree. I went back again last week and the beetles are still there. Isn’t that amazing?

Exhibition: The Tree That Fell
Dates: 28 August – 20 September
Venue: The Substation Gallery, 45 Armenian Street, Singapore 179936
Hours: 12pm – 8pm daily, closed on public holidays.
Admission: Free
Web: www.substation.org