This is a long overdue post but I must share with you all the lovely pieces which I saw at Affordable Art Fair 2011 (Singapore). I came across many wonderful works by talented artists the previous year (see my blog post on Affordable Art Fair 2010), and the 2011 show had so many more beautiful pieces.
1. Rat Hat by Taeko Maezawa
I love the whimsical and quirky mixed-media pieces by Taeko Maezawa. The child-like colors and storybook subjects make these perfect for a nursery, imo. :p
2. Birds of a Feather (series) by Janiz Chan
From her early statuesque figures of women posing with flowers or fruits or chatting with friends. Janiz Chan’s female figures metamorphosed into serene yet dynamic women. In her recent paintings, her women show interior peace “shalom” as an inner disposition towards the exterior landscape of peace and prosperity, freedom and equality.
3. Spyra by Chris Wood
I was very drawn to this artwork made of holographic glass slices. Even though it is a minimal piece, I think there’s a lot of energy bursting out of the spiral formation. I also like that under different lighting conditions, the piece gives off a slightly different look each time due to varying light refractions and shadows.
Chris is interested in restoring the lyrical properties of glass and how we engage with its ability to captivate. Her sculptures are simple arrangements of optically coated glass, which create kinetic patterns of reflected and refracted coloured light, from both natural and artificial sources.
4. Pollywobble by Ruth Waller and Lee Hewett
The Pollywobble wall panel is suuuuuuuper duper cute and very fun. I like that it’s an interactive piece and welcomes everyone to reach over, run their hands through the adorable pompoms and watch them quiver playfully.
Ruth Waller and Lee Hewett’s showstopping “Pollywobble” panels appeal at once to lovers of abstract art and to the child within all of us. These sculptural and highly tactile pieces feature small felt spheres attached to fine, flexible steel pins and vibrate in response to movement close by.
5. The Reason She Sleeps by Yurie Watanabe
I was drawn to this because it depicts my sleeplessness. I have difficulty falling asleep most nights as the mind wouldn’t stop churning all forms of idle thoughts, and they hover above me… not unlike the school of gold fish in the painting. Most of the thoughts don’t serve me, but I often come across my genius ideas (heh!) during this time. Btw, I’m also a light sleeper, I guess that comes from being a kitty mommy.
6. Takahiro Hirabayashi
I love these paintings. I know they are borderline morbid; at first glance the one of the girl w)th blood dripping down her mouth looked like she just ripped a human heart off and was squeezing it in her hand. Upon closer inspection, she wasn’t holding a bloody heart but a very ripe pomegranate and juice was dripping down her cheeks, staining her white blouse. Naruhodo ne~~~
Takahiro Hirabayashi keeps a distance to observe his models and survey his or her psyche. They are often portrayed as wounded individuals, either physically or psychologically, and inhabit a scenery and elegant attire that is a projection of his reading of who the model is.
7. Passionaography #326 by Shane Martin
Created using engraving techniques, and the application of finely ground intense transparent pigments, all lay beneath a deep layer of crystal clear glaze to give an incredible depth of colour and life to each piece. With a 3D like quality, these works transform their appearance depending on the angle of light reflection, to create an interactive experience for the viewer.
Artist statement: “My wife Shirley was the inspiration for the first “Love” piece. I wanted to create something simple in concept, but also containing a message, the theme of love, and incorporating all the emotions associated with it – passion, respect, honour, truth, desire, intimacy and integrity. Each individual piece is hand engraved, then hand coloured and hand polished. I still get a buzz each time that ‘Wet Look’ shine evolves during the polishing process, showcasing deep, almost edible, Toffee Apple Red colours.”
There were indeed plenty of nice work and these were the ones I faved on the first day alone. I went back again for the second day and ended up bringing several pieces home. First- time art buyer!!! *Excitement-ness* :)
[ Continue reading Part 2. ]
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