Thrilled

Cant help feeling thrilled to see my own write up of my art journey posted on the "Artist Illustrated" column of a monthly newsletter, thanks to the generosity of recognition at MyArtSpace

http://www.myartspace.com.sg/Pages/Newsletter/09sepnewslettercontent.html

Article

"In as far back as I can recall, I have always
somehow been inspired and awed by the
dramatic beauty of the human figure, in stasis and
motion, as portrayed in traditional mythological and classical
paintings, stylized in modern cinema, or recorded in
photographic detail.
This visual empathy with the contours and planes of the
human body, especially the face, compels me to capture and
document the image pictorially, which translated into myriad
portrait drawings, from the sketchy to the detailed. However, I
felt that these self studies of the human form were somehow
lacking and could not give full expression to the invisible pulse
and rhythm of life that emanate from human existence.
To extend my visual vocabulary to better articulate such
visceral sensibilities, I took up an introductory course in
drawing at My Art Space in October 2007. At the studio, I was
taught how to see objects differently, which helped me
delineate the complexities of transferring reality into two
dimensional images, through tonal charcoal drawings of clay
figurines and still life.
To infuse my art with vitality, I decided to continue my art
exploration with the studio in oil painting. The oil painting
classes opened up a multitude of exciting possibilities for my
art as I learnt color interaction, appreciation of brushstrokes
and the textural richness of the medium that help me to
recreate and distill the essence of the human form on the
canvas."
"My Art Space also encourages self learning through
browsing groundbreaking artwork of eminent contemporary
artists to find a personal idiom. Also art critique sessions
are held regularly to share artwork and opinions in a
convivial setting, which can be immensely insightful .
Having practiced at the studio for over a year, its
significance for me in my art exploration journey has
transformed from being a mere classroom to a community
of like-minded individuals seeking self expression
collectively.
I have been working in the finance industry for the past 4
years, pertaining to trade settlement and asset servicing
aspects of banking operations. For me, art helps to open up
new horizons in my visual experience of life and cultivate a
sensitivity for the aesthetic, as I learn to see and distill the
essence of things rather than focuson their utility. This
helps me learn to empathize with my peers better as a
result, which is important in building rapport at work.
Also, the many art movements created throughout the
history of art, and the resulting myriad of variations on the
same subject matter, opened up new possibilities of
seeing and this has a liberating effect on my approach
towards problem solving at work, as I continuously
challenge myself to exhaust all possible angles."

Where is my art going?

It seems a strange question to ask, but is not art a process, a vehicle of ideals unattained and the promise of greater images unmaterialized? It is impossible or perhaps wrong to try to define art, be it in terms of manifestation or purpose....
But I cant help feeling lost after looking back at my year's work thus far and perhaps feel a tinge of regret that I have not been pushing myself hard enough as an artist. (this was further corroborated by another's observation at a studio I paint); I was merely indulging my sensual preferences. 
Perhaps I have been too enamoured of the myriad of images that life and nature around had to offer, I was obsessively seeking proprietorship of those fleeting moments, trying to capture their essence in paint and transpose them on canvas that would make dainty decorative elements for my walls. I was being a documentarist, my oils were still too faithful to nature, nothing much new was created, merely reflective, perhaps slightly distilled, imperceptibly amplified...perhaps sporadically worthy of beauty, but only beauty outlined and observed, not beauty created from within into infinity...it annoys me to know that I have capitulated to photographic behavior instead of heeding the call for the triumph of painting...the truth hurts and the truth is I havent been a creator of much, instead, mucking around in craft apprenticeship.
But this new found awareness breathes new purpose in me. I have a goal to work towards, I feel reinvigorated, a little daunted perhaps, but I have my work cut out for me next year. My images will be less mimetic, more seeing will be done with my mind's eye, trimmed of illustrative elements, greater emphasis on sensation. I shall strive for the right equilibrium between the figurative and the abstract for emotive impact, to remain truer to my statement of finding form for these invisible pulses of life, the rhythm and cadence that nature has imprisoned or neglected in Man but thankfully equipped Him with the devices to resurface these energies...I aspire to an authorship of a new visual syntax, my works will try to be no mere image-emotion associations, but as if they exist on their own accord, as if they have assumed a life and right in our world to be seen...only thus would I come nearer to the notion of what creation is...

Michaelangelo - The creation of Adam

Oil Portrait # 10 : Lady in green

(H) 60cm X (B) 50cm

Year 2009


Artist's Inspiration : This is a piece of painting that I am personally proud of, as it is one of the few works that seem to come off on its own and command its own presence and seem to have a life of its own, as most figure painters might aspire to, with everything sort of falling into place as my brush would dictate, and where it doesnt, the accidental results harmonize with my intentions. It truly feels like a creation, and not mere illustration, as I have successfully painted her as I "see and feel" her to be, rather than mimetic portrayal of physical appearance. In trying to paint her as a royalty, my admiration for her finds itself encapsulated in her sideway glance, as if reciprocating the viewer's gaze is disdainful to her taste and beneath her. I like it that the picture seems to imbue in her a matriarchal-like attitude, reassured  and comfortable in her own being, as signified by the relaxed manner with which her left hand rests loosely on the armchair, suggesting a life that asks only to be served. (Although, this is most certainly untrue, being a fiercely independent woman who would insist on doing anything on her own where possible, I had deliberately painted the hand in the manner to signify a parallel life that she is more deserving of, after all the hardship that she's been through. Yes, I am being a sentimental maudlin here..guffaws).
The fabric that she dons is painted loosely and forcefully, to enhance the vigor of her image, by infusing it with an elemental like form, not unlike the aura of optimism she wears in real.
The color scheme and transition also seemed to work on my senses alot better than my previous works and I hope this is a precursor of better paintings to come.
I am especially grateful for how chance has assisted me in painting the face so that it seems to have assumed a life of its own and comes closer to what I aspire to try and paint "the invisible rythm and impulses" of nature in Man. (See detail below)
 

Face Detail of Lady in Green

 

UE Square Wall of Fame : "You and Me" Exhibition

My Self Portrait 2 selected for the Exhibition

My creation amongst others

It was exhilirating to have my self portrait exhibited. Seeing a portrait of myself hung on a public wall evoked self congratulatory sensations of celebrity status. The surrealistic experience was made all the sweeter knowing that my work would be steal a private moment from someone elses' routine and precipitate an emotional dialogue through quiet contemplation.....

Oil Portrait #9: Man and Child

(H) 60cm X (B) 50cm

Year 2009

Artist's Inspiration: This picture is motivated by a compelling need to paint my fascination with the myriad interpretations of "Adoration of the Magi" and "Virign and child" by the Old masters; the beatific images of Mother Mary looking dutifully and compassionately upon her blessed child.
It was a chance occasion where I had the opportunity to snap a picture of my uncle holding another's child, and caught them in a pose that had that timeless verisimilitude to the old masterpieces.
I decided to do a contemporary take on the subject matter, which allowed me to  confront my intrigue on canvas, with how a gentle tilt of the head and a slight upturn of the lips that belie a shy smile could summarize so powerfully and eloquently an emotion such as compassion. The picture was set up as an index of contrasts, of old age vs youth, where dark brown colors don the Man's face, to resemble the barky sturdiness of a tree trunk, from which the fruit of youth hangs delicately in its vibrant and robust peachy colors, of strength vs vulnerability, of awareness vs oblivion, framed in the adult's focused obsession with the beauty of the young child in his perambulator's brace, while the infant takes in greedily the visual feast offered by his new found world, unaware of the meaning of unconditional love that has yet to touch his conscience.
The halo is added on as I thought it might help to give the painting that traditionalist, timeless sheen...
Perhaps only time will tell if it is justified..

Oil Portrait# 8: Sleeping Man

(H) 50cm X (B) 60cm




Year 2009


Artist's Inspiration: As a fledging artist with limited resources, there is little original material to work with, hence another document of a familial relation. My father deep in slumber, head rested on his convenient pillow which he uses for his siestas. However, on this occasion, the expression that his visage countenanced seems to animate his lifeless body with frightful urgency, as if fending off some imagined disturbance. It affected me profoundly that sleep was not merely a restful pastime but also a redemption activity through which one's suppressed difficult emotions are purged. I felt it necessary to document this visual fact and painted the picture as a still life practice, finishing it from a photo reference.
However, quite strangely, by some mysterious alchemy of oil painting, the finished painting had a different effect from my original intention. It was a glorious beast of Nature, deep in sleep, yet self aware of its power. And by virtue of the painting's perspective, it sets up a predator-prey relationship in the world of imagery, and it had the double effect of transforming the mighty animal into one held in captivity...empowering the stature of the artist in the relationship with the painted. This helped for me to appreciate coiled tension inherent in the picture, like a carousel spinning on the axis of the predator/prey argument, an unexpected endowment, but certainly pleasant for my appreciation of the work.

“BREAKTHROUGH ART: CREATIONS II GROUP EXHIBITION

Me and My Exhibit

It was fantastic to be part of this group exhibition, hosted by "fill your walls" art gallery, which was held in conjunction with the Singapore Art Show organized by National Arts Council.
This was an affirmative result that I have been seeking as a fledging artist, as the exhibition showcased only works selected by experienced advocates in the industry, from more than 200 hopeful submissions.
I definitely relished the acknowledgement of my work being displayed along with established artists such as Rosihan Dahim (Surrealist) and award-winning local artist Sarah Choo.
I certainly hope this would be the first of many more opportunities for my works to be exhibited.

Opening Night

Star Struck

A4 sized autographed pastel portrait of Rui En.

(Top Left: Shaun Chen's, Bottom right: Rui En's)

Year 2008

A pastel sketch of Mediacorp actress, Rui En, in anticipation of meeting her at myartspace studio, where a segment of her drama serial, "The Dream Catchers", was filmed and I had volunteered myself as a TV extra.

It was not so much the prospect of being on TV as the opportunity to meet the cast in person that enticed me into this venture, something which I would not usually be game for.

Seeing the stars in flesh as opposed to watching them do their stuff on TV was an experience akin to admiring artwork in the galleries instead of the reproductions.

You could not escape their hypnotic presence. I may be dramatizing it, but it was as if they were almost unreal, like fallen celestial beings, beautiful and untouchable objects made to be appreciated from a distance.

It felt like being at a gallery where you have the gilded masterpieces on display, and you would just stare and immerse yourself in the grandiloquent visual language of sweeping brushstrokes and coloured textural tactility.

I was somewhat perturbed by my reaction, but more disturbed by the observation that TV actually dilutes the aura of the actors despite it being the device with which one's celebrity status is judged and created. But maybe it was the expectation that the actors belong to the goggle box which somehow mythologized them, that made it momentarily unacceptable to see them as only our human equal. In any case, I surprised myself by getting Shaun Chen and Rui En to autograph on the portrait instead of presenting it as a gift to Rui En as I had originally intended.

Perhaps I too, could not fight off the spell that one too many fan has fallen prey to in the presence of celebrities, to rub off some star dust in an inexplicable desire to immortalize the experience....

Oil Portrait # 7 : The Schizophrenic Primate

(H) 75cm X (B) 60cm

Year 2009

Artist's Inspiration : The painting aspires to be a philosophical allegory of the tragic human condition, accursed by Man’s reflective consciousness that has shadowed His existence since time immemorial.
He crouches in resigned acknowledgement of His predicament, condemned to being an indeterminate and ambiguous entity that cannot be truly liberated in His animalistic corporeality which His self-consciousness demands to negate, nor be fully actualized in transcendental being. Man can live only as an appearance of temporal possibilities, a continual process of self-surpassing, a twisted rope of fictional reason convoluted by the opposing forces of Animal and Self-awareness. It is precisely this continual self-negation that His existence is predicated upon, an infernal curse that even centuries of civilization offer no protection against.
This internal struggle is evident in the pervading sense of disenfranchisement in the individual and sporadic pockets of societal violence around the world today, manifestations of Man’s innate need to destroy and reinvent Him-self, a Sisyphean task that Man is bound by, even as His shadow of self-consciousness struggles to escape, to transcend….

Oil Portrait #6: Birth

(H) 40cm x (B) 50cm

Year 2009

Artist's inspiration : A newborn is a violent encounter of formless consciousness and corporeality, an anthropomorphic geyser spurt of unadulterated prismatic possibilities, and relentless in asserting the purity of its presence. Birth is a bloodcurdling scream of pain that resonates with life’s immanent cry of despair, suggesting a prescient knowledge of both physicality and futility. Perhaps, birth being just as difficult as death, makes life merely an unnatural habit that we have grown accustomed and cling to.

Oil Portrait # 5 :Beauty in Authenticity

(H) 50cm X (B) 60cm

Year 2009

Artist's inspiration:This painting is inspired by the graceful pose of my Mum in slumber.




Sleep unfetters Man from Ego and false notions of Self, a respite from the conformist demands of social judgement and obligations that are his passport among his peers. In this blissful oblivion, Man is authentic, free from hypocrisy, and transforms into a conduit for the expression of nature’s mysterious and invisible pulsations, not unlike those that have found form in the flourish of flora and fauna. It is the beauty of dramatic human form dancing with the metamorphic fluidity of the dreamscape that the picture tries to portray, in its ambition to be a clarion call for Man to unravel himself and return to a more natural state of being.

Artist Statement

Beyond the vanity of self-expression, Art is also a unification of differentiated consciousness through creation and contemplation. With this notion, Art for me is a natural means of communicating personal convictions and observations of the contemporary human condition and also functions as a vehicle of inquiry into its conundrum.
As my primary subject matter is anthropological, human forms or objects of anthropomorphic quality are predominant in my works. Oil painting is my preferred medium with its fluid malleability and versatile color palette that renders the tactility of forms more effectively for me.
Notwithstanding the importance of the subject matter itself, I believe an artist’s gestural approach to painting is just as crucial in conveying the force of the image. In this respect, I am partial to bold brushstrokes painted in impasto, for its textural versatility and sculptural attributes that allow the eye to dance freely with the movement of paint on the canvas.
Without a proper art education, apart from the guidance of MyArtSpace, my aesthetic sensibilities are also cultivated by browsing the works of renowned contemporary figure painters. Other than my admiration for their individual idioms of expression, Lucian Freud’s unrelenting attention to detail, Francis Bacon’s devotion to the raw image and Edvard Munch’s lurid colors of existentialist anxieties have also largely influenced my artistic journey.Besides visual research, I am also an avid reader of existentialist philosophy which I believe has a profound effect on the themes investigated in my paintings. I work with the conviction that eventually, my oeuvre of artwork would be more than just an illustrative autobiographical diary of my emotional experiences but also as a device that inspires self contemplation and criticality in the consciousnesses of both society and the individual. It is important that my art transcends benign illustration and escape decorative notions. Ultimately, my art should succeed in painting the invisible forces of life and humanity, its imagery seizing the viewer like a violent cough that convulses the body and reverberates in his consciousness.

Oil Portrait #4 : Self Portrait (II)

(H) 40cm X (B) 50cm

Year 2009

Artist's Inspiration:
This portrait is an instinctive reaction to salvage myself from the state of oppression that I felt was suffocating me, having realized that for the most of my life, it has been arranged to oblige, hardly anything conducted out of self volition could be documented about my quotidian existence thus far in my actions and decisions as an individual. However, I felt helpless to change things, acknowledging my limits as a mere statistic, as much as my dependence on the working principles of society, in spite of my dissatisfaction. This ambivalence gnawed at my heart like worms burrowing through it. The disgust I felt for myself gave form to this vengeful attitude in the portrait, an explosion of bestial energy that dissipate in the act of chewing on the bloody rag of a heart, enshrouded in a miasma of flaming hatred. I felt remorseful though, after the act of painting this portrait, because in some way I felt like I have selfishly violated art, degenerating it to a mere vent for my perverse tantrums.

Oil Portrait # 3: Self Portrait (I)

(H) 60cm x (B) 50cm
Year 2009

Artist's Inspiration:
This self portrait was done during a period of intense introspection. The process of self reflection was a strong impetus behind this project as I contemplated the short history of my existence, the origins of my identity, the roots of my individuality, the progress of my emotional development and my current constitution. There was a deep sense of emotional upheaval, even as I immersed deeper in the realization that there is nothing I could truly call my own. I felt disoriented, ex-communicated and lost from the emptiness that stared back at me like a dark abyss as I looked inwards. Hence, the detached head to convey a sensation of one having lost his bearings, the duality of dark crimson and bright orange tones to illustrate the transition from hope to despair, the face carved out in shreds of sickly colors to emphasize this brutal self-confrontation. However, at the end of the work, somehow my spirit felt rejuvenated and inspired, and I felt an intense urge to redeem the portrait from utter desolation and started swiping thick green hues in illogical and unstructured strokes by the side to articulate this nascent but inexplicable breath of renewed hope.

Oil Portrait #2 : Michael Schumacher

(H) 60cm X (B) 50cm

Year 2008

Artist's Inspiration:
This is a portrait intuited by admiration for the man’s obdurate faith in his ability to triumph over seemingly insurmountable obstacles and his indefatigable ardor for victory in every challenge that his ego condescends to take up. I especially like the power of the hand gesture that seems to acknowledge another but demands obeisance and recognition of his own superiority.

First Oil Portrait attempt (Sweeney Todd)

(H) 60cm x (B) 50cm

Year 2008

Artist's Inspiration: This portrait is inspired by adoration for the subject’s unyielding determination to seek revenge on the society that brought about the collapse of his once ordinary familial life. The portrait aims to capture the menacing quality of tenacity and cunning grit in the persona that nourish the insatiable thirst for justice to be restored.

Random thoughts on contemporary human portraiture

The idea of portraiture has changed for modern man for he has come to realise that he is no longer in ownership of his image, that his appearance is a perceived phenomenon that is distorted by social devices such as convenient stereotyping and personal opinions formed of conflated memory and documentary fact. Man's appearance has become a blended brew of image associations that arise out of reactions to his presence.
Acknowledging this would give the artist greater freedom and license to freely interpret his experience and knowledge of the sitter via more innovative artifices.
These are indeed exciting times to re-explore the human form and expression in portraiture....

Artist Biography

Born in 1979, Singaporean

In retrospection, I would like to think that my formative years as an artist date back to my childhood days.



I would venture to assert that my puerile self amusement with toy figurines probably developed sensitivity toward sculptural forms and dramatic postures, and regular indulgence in the rich visual imagery of cartoons suggested the possibility of an alternate reality to me. In moments of privacy, I would lapse into playful impersonations of screen heroes and also draw inspiration and courage from histrionics to approach life’s problems. “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life” as Oscar Wilde once postulated, became my gospel.


Unfortunately, these proclivities hibernated when the practical demands of adult life took over and my undernourished soul held captive by the lethargy of daily grind. It was only two years ago that a serendipitous encounter with some fine works of human portraits when I felt something awakened within. An incomprehensible but deeply palpable sense of affinity for the human form intensified as I became obsessed with rendering the facial planes and figurative contours in two dimensions, seeking to recreate and distill the sensations and emotions aroused in me from the parallel reality of fallen heroes in Japanese Anime and tortured protagonists in Greek tragedy. This conviction for the human form impressed upon me the urgency of my vocation as an artist to be a conduit for the expression of the invisible pulses and rhythm of life.


To extend my visual vocabulary to better articulate such visceral sensibilities, I took up an introductory course in drawing at “myartspace” studio in October 2007 and moved onto painting exploration classes in April 2008, and currently experiment with various idioms of expressing the human condition. Reading art history and voracious browsing of various artists’ works either through printed reproductions or gallery exhibits supplement my self- study.


I aspire to progress from a mere Sunday painter to a full fledged artist and it is my ambition that eventually, my oeuvre would be able to succinctly portray the mystery of the ineffable human condition and rejuvenate Man’s interest in himself as a phenomenon.