August Round-Up

Gajah Gallery, A+ Works of Art, Wei-Ling Gallery, Matca and IC Visual Lab, Yeo Workshop, Ateneo Art Gallery, ShanghART Gallery, ILHAM Gallery
By Vivyan Yeo

Kayleigh Goh, ‘SAP’, 2023, cement, acrylic and gesso on wood, 25 x 25 x 25cm. Image courtesy of Gajah Gallery.

Salutogenesis

Exploring the healing powers of painterly spaces, Kayleigh Goh’s third solo exhibition at Gajah Gallery looks to art as a therapeutic tool for soul-searching. The show takes its title, ‘Salutogenesis’, from sociologist Aaron Antonovsky’s studies on how people maintain their health and well-being while coping with stress, which is ubiquitous. Playing with positive and negative space, Goh’s architectural paintings combine warm tones with the formal qualities of wood and cement. They invite audiences to pause and consider the urban structures that protect and envelop us, encouraging a sense of peaceful solitude. 

‘Salutogenesis’ runs from 26 July to 6 August 2023 at Gajah Gallery, Singapore. Click here for more information.

Jo Tanierla, ‘Ang Mga Santelmo [St. Elmo’s Fires]’, 2022, graphite on paper. Image courtesy of A+ Works of Art.

Mother-in-Law & Nothing human is alien to me

A+ Works of Art opens ‘Mother-in-Law’, a solo exhibition by Hanoi-born artist George Burchett. It features human-like sculptures with unique stories informed by the artist’s travel experiences across Southeast Asia. In August, the gallery also presents ‘Nothing human is alien to me’, a group exhibition of eight Philippine-based artists: Christina Lopez, Eric Bico, Ginoe, Jo Tanierla, Krista Nogueras, Lesley-Anne Cao, Marlon Hacla and Saturnino Basilla. Curated by Carlos Quijon Jr., the show explores how ideas by humanity have expanded to include what was previously seen as alien, such as travel networks, modes of production and artificial intelligence. 

‘Mother-in-law’ runs from 3 to 6 August 2023, and ‘Nothing human is alien to me’ runs from 12 August to 23 September 2023 at A+ Works of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Click here for more information.

Wong Chee Meng, ‘Together Towards Growth’, 2022, acrylic on canvas, 122 x 183cm. Image courtesy of Wei-Ling Gallery.

Rasa Sayang

Titled after a well-known folk song in the Malay Archipelago, ‘Rasa Sayang’ is a solo exhibition by Malaysian contemporary artist Wong Chee Meng. It looks into the experience of living in Malaysia, a melting pot of diverse cultures and backgrounds. In appreciation of cultural unity and shared knowledge, Wong’s vibrant acrylic paintings overlay seemingly disparate images to form harmonious compositions. They also incorporate augmented reality components, and audiences can scan them to view animations that come to life. 

‘Rasa Sayang’ runs from 20 July to 19 August 2023 at Wei-Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Click here for more information. 

Citra Sasmita, ‘The Green Paradise’, 2023, antique wood carving hanger, fabric, acrylic on traditional Kamasan canvas, 165.5 x 117cm. Image courtesy of Yeo Workshop.

Atlas of Curiosity

The solo exhibition by Balinese artist Citra Sasmita at Yeo Workshop showcases a new body of work highlighting the historical and ceremonial importance of textiles in Bali. In ritualistic practices, fabrics are wrapped around the body to represent a cosmological union between the wearer and divine spirits. Foregrounding the significance of cloth for protection, Sasmita frames her paintings in textiles originally produced for Balinese rituals. She also includes the medium of hair as a symbol of karma, memory and reincarnation. The exhibition continues Sasmita’s long-term research project, ‘Timur Merah (The East is Red)’, which researches narratives around the Malay-Indonesian archipelago. 

‘Atlas of Curiosity’ runs from 29 July to 20 August 2023 at Yeo Workshop, Singapore. Click here for more information.

Roots & Worlds. Image courtesy of Matca and IC Visual Lab.

Roots & Worlds 

Co-designed by Matca and IC Visual Lab, Roots & Worlds is an alternative photography school that prioritises collaboration and interdisciplinary engagement. Via an open call, the school will select eight emerging Vietnamese photographers to participate in an online three-month programme comprising workshops, individual mentorship and group feedback sessions, followed by a one-week creative lab in Hanoi, Vietnam. Participants will each receive a production fee of VND6,000,000 to create new work around the theme of ecological encounters. Tutors and guest contributors of Roots & Worlds include Alejandro Acín, Founder of IC Visual Lab and Director of the Bristol Photo Festival; Ha Dao, Managing Editor at Matca; Singapore artist Robert Zhao Renhui and more. 

Entries for Roots & Worlds are open from 28 July to 31 August 2023. Click here for more information. 

Jose Tence Ruiz, ‘Si Erding Erdrayb at Ang Kanyang Palasyong Agaw-Tanaw (Erding Erdrayb and his Eye-Catching Palace)’, 1980, acrylic on plywood assemblage, with found objects, acrylic moulded sculpture and papiermâché sculpture. Photo by Clefvan Pornela. Image courtesy of Ateneo Art Gallery.

Litanya, 1972-2022: The Works of Jose Tence Ruiz

Ateneo Art Gallery presents a solo exhibition by Jose Tence Ruiz, a prolific multimedia artist and Ateneo de Manila University alumnus. Spanning 50 years of art-making, the show surveys his career as a painter, sculptor, graphic designer and performance artist. Its title, ‘Litanya, 1972-2022: The Works of Jose Tence Ruiz’, references the idea of a litany–a long list of recurring socio-political tribulations. While revealing the hardships of daily life, his comedic artworks spotlight archetypal characters of the hero and the corrupt. The exhibition complements Ruiz’s book project of the same name, available at the Ateneo Art Gallery Museum shop. 

‘Litanya, 1972-2022: The Works of Jose Tence Ruiz’ runs from 8 May to 2 September 2023 at Ateneo Art Gallery, Manila, The Philippines. Click here for more information.

New artwork by Tang Da Wu, 2023, wood, metal, and mirrors, dimensions variable. Image courtesy of the artist and ShanghART Gallery.

3, 4, 5, I Don’t Like Fine Art

Singapore artist Tang Da Wu’s first solo show at ShanghART Gallery features new sculptural installations created with unconventional materials such as wood, metal and mirrors. A pioneering figure in Singapore’s contemporary art scene, Tang co-founded The Artists Village in 1988 and has taught at the National Institute of Education for the past 20 years. Drawing upon his experiences as an artist for over five decades, he continually seeks to create thought-provoking artwork inspired by local mythology and art history.

‘3, 4, 5, I Don’t Like Fine Art’ runs from 29 July to 1 October 2023 at ShanghART Gallery, Singapore. Click here for more information.

Nirmala Dutt, ‘Self-portret (WIP)’, 1999, photograph and acrylic on canvas, 40.5 x 40.5cm, Collection of The Estate of Nirmala Dutt. Image courtesy of ILHAM Gallery.

Nirmala Dutt: Statements

Featuring over 77 artworks created over forty years, ‘Nirmala Dutt: Statements’ at ILHAM Gallery is the first survey of works by the late Malaysian artist Nirmala Dutt. The exhibition presents her major series as statements against the social injustices of her time. Incorporating photography, painting, collage, silkscreen and found materials, they address issues such as pollution, the displacement of communities, the commodification of culture, racial violence, perceptions of womanhood, climate change and more. The show is jointly curated by Beverly Yong, Ellen Lee, Rahel Joseph and Snow Ng. 

‘Nirmala Dutt: Statements’ runs from 18 July to 24 December 2023 at ILHAM Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Click here for more information.