Part lion, dragon and phoenix, the Pi Xiu is featured prominently in ancient Chinese architecture as auspicious guardians that can be found guarding the roofs of imperial residences and tombs. Its voracious appetite for wealth – which it consumes and retains due to a lack of an anus – makes it a significant Feng Shui wealth attractor and preserver, and is much valued and sought after by modern day collectors.

Xiao Qing is one of the first Chinese artists to paint the Pi Xiu. She brings out the creature’s dominating essence by using bright and bold colours with a gentle edge. Combining this with western oil painting techniques and the use of peony flower and lotus as accompaniments to the Pi Xiu, her works exude the oriental charm. Accentuating its relationship with wealth in her collection of 16 paintings, Xiao Qing surrounds the Pi Xiu with jade accents, a colour that is considered as a colour of wealth.

Glorious Legend Of Chinese Pi Xiu runs from 12 January through to 12 February 2012. The gallery is open from 11.00 am to 7.00 pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11.00 am to 5.00 pm on Sundays and public holidays and is closed on Mondays. The exhibition is held at Element Art Space at 140 Hill St. MICA Building #01-10/11/12 Singapore 179369. Contact number: 6883 2001. http://elementartspace.com.

Crafts Bazaar 2011 organized by Kala Tarang, is an exhibition and sale of handicrafts made by rural and tribal communities from various parts of India. Items ranging from pottery, figurines, wall hangings and rugs to shawls, stoles and folk paintings will be handmade in one or more of these crafts. The products are made with natural raw materials extracted using sustainable processes, with a range of colours created with simple things like leaves, bark, fruits and mud will boggle your mind.

So Go Green without going drab!! See Kala Tarang Facebook page for more details.

Details are as below:

PR Contact:

Hong Yuelin, Kim

Watermelon PR
Singapore
Phone: + 65- 622 62754

Email: kim@watermelonme.sg

One of the most influential genres of contemporary visual arts, pop art’s impact as an interdisciplinary visual language, with globalisation and the proliferation of information technology, continues to be a creative influence that extends across graphic design, video art, graffiti, new media art and photography.

New Pop New World explores the new terms and categories that impact the interconnected global visual art world in a collaborative exhibition of 25 artworks, ranging from paintings to digital prints. Reflecting a change in visual trends influenced by popular culture in Indonesia and Singapore’s contemporary art scenes, the artists explore themes previously regarded as taboo to present their own narratives on politics, religion and tradition, through their depiction of the ironies of everyday life.

Curated by Alia Swastika, the exhibition features established names in the Singapore art scene including: Vincent Leow who through his use of vivid colours that reverberates with pop art explores the idea of kitsch through his paintings, drawings and three-dimensional objects; Lee Wen, a recipient of the Cultural Medallion for his contribution to the local contemporary art scene; David Chan, known for his lurid, part-comic, part-eerie human-animal hybrid paintings that are widely interpreted as a tragicomic take on society’s collective split personality; and :phunk, a contemporary art and design collective that uses a highly skilful display of fresh and exciting images to depict how pop art is very much affected by comic visualisation.

The impressive lineup of contemporary artists from Indonesia include that of Agan Harahap, photographer and digital imaging artist whose works often combine the parody and satire of human life, looking at how religions have become a commoditized object in the mass media and the entertainment industries; Switzerland-based Eddie Hara, one of the pioneer pop artists in Indonesia who has influenced many artists of the following generation whose works display a solid dose of irony and humour, often populated by mutant women and strange animals despite serious themes in his art (politics, sexism, racism etc.); Arief Tousiga, who works with various mediums and probes with realist forms to communicate his ideas through visual illusions and Wisnu Auri, who elaborates intimate personal stories through a semi-autobiographical approach based on his daily experiences.

New Pop New World runs from 6 August through to 6 September. The gallery is open from 11.00 am to 7.00 pm from Tuesdays to Saturdays, 11.00 am to 5.00pm on Sundays and public holidays and is closed on Mondays. The exhibition is held at Element Art Space at 140 Hill St. MICA Building #01-10/11/12 Singapore 179369. Contact number: 6883 2001. http://elementartspace.com.

Presented by INSTINC

‘The Great Expression’ is intended to create what Laudi sees as an expression of Singaporean society whereby individuals are free to express their thoughts on boards similar to the ones people used in the 1930s during The Great Depression. In true ‘Pop Art’ style, Laudi’s screen-prints on rice paper show her subjects in a more intriguing cultural context and a reflection of her surroundings throughout her residency.

LAUDI ABILAMA, Bon Voyage, 2011, Silk-screen on Rice Paper

Artist Laudi was born in England and spent much of her life there before returning to Beirut, Lebanon several years ago. Orientalism and Arabism have greatly influenced Laudi’s works. Laudi’s work is currently showing in Sotheby’s bond street London, ‘Al Bab: A gateway to contemporary Arab Art’.

Exhibition Visitor Info

Dates/ Duration:
Opening reception 29 July 2011, Friday 7pm-9pm
*Artist will be present at the opening reception*
Exhibition 30-31 July 2011, 11am-6pm by appointment only (Admission is free)
INSTINC
Address : 12 Eu Tong Sen Street #04-163 soho2@central
Singapore 059819 (Clarke Quay MRT station)
Phone : (65) 6227 9487
Web : www.instinc.com
Email : enquiries@instinc.com
INSTINC Opening hours
Mon-Fri: 11am-6pm (By appointment only)

Source: www.instinc.com

 Presented by INSTINC

Baa Baa Black Sheep

- A solo exhibition by Zak Yeo Zhixiong

13 July 2011 - 29 July 2011

Opening Night - Tuesday 19 July 2011, 7-9pm

1 The larger than life paintings in Baa Baa Black Sheep… by Zak Yeo depict character driven narratives, drawing from the artist’s acutely personal memories. Through the jovial referencing of comic strips and inspired by traditional Chinese Ink paintings, poster art, and western art history, Zak engages the viewer with his observations of the world as a strange contradictory place.

2 Baa Baa Black Sheep embodies Zak’s preoccupation with the use of paint to re-invent reality through the use of a new visual language. The narrative in Zak’s artwork is presented in the form of satire, such as the gloriously colourful cattle in Baa Baa Black Sheep… that the artist has used as a modern day analogy or parable.

3 Baa Baa Black Sheep runs from 13 July, 2011 until 29 July, 2011 at Chan Hampe Galleries @ Tanjong Pagar, which is located at 21 Tanjong Pagar Road.  The exhibition is open from 10am – 6pm on weekdays (closed on Wednesday) and 11am – 4pm on weekends.  Admission is free.  For enquires please call +65 6222 1667.

About the Artist

4 A recent graduate from the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London (BA Fine Art 2009), Zak was the recipient of the Most Promising Young Arist Award, UOB Paintng of the Year Competition (2001) and the Melvill Nettleship Prize in Fine Art, Slade School of Art, University College London (2007 and 2008).

5 Zak’s painting practice is heavily influenced by poster art, graffiti, and pop art traditions with a smattering of kitsch for good measure.  His work in the Slade Degree Show, University College London (2009) was described as “really great shonky paintings” (artmills.blogspot.com).
About the Gallery

6 Chan Hampe Galleries aims to create a platform for East-West cultural exchange by exhibiting and promoting contemporary art with a primary focus on Singaporean artistic practice.

7 Since the gallery’s inception by Angeline Chan in the Tanjong Pagar cultural district, opportunities have been provided to numerous emerging artists with the intention of developing their careers and advocating investment into the Singaporean visual arts community.

8 With a second location in the esteemed Raffles Hotel and partnership with Benjamin Hampe, Chan Hampe Galleries will continue to exhibit a diverse range of Singaporean artists and introduce an international program in alignment with the highest professional gallery standards.