"We’re all quite mad here. You’ll fit right in." - Mad Hatter, Alice in Wonderland
You have stumbled into the domain of an unlicensed artist.
Here, you will experience the wonders of madness in creativity.
I implore you to step inside, have a look around.
Experience creativity the way I do.
The Unlicensed Artist.
UOB SEA Gallery Highlights
0. INTRODUCTION
Housed in the former Supreme Court building, the UOB Southeast Asia Gallery presents over 300 artworks that trace the shared artistic impulses across Southeast Asia. Starting in the mid-19th century, the exhibition navigates the art history of Southeast Asia as one that is characterized by a continuous encounter with the new as the regions artists negotiated the meaning of art and sought to reinvent vernacular expressions and aesthetics.
Presented in a largely chronological sequence and punctuated by key turning points in artistic sensibilities, the exhibition also identifies how art is inseparably linked to the region’s tumultuous social and political history.
1. TOUR EXPERIENCE
The tour took us deeper into the halls of the former supreme court and city hall where the gallery is located. Similarly to the DBS gallery, this gallery sections off art pieces according to the era of which they were painted, from the late 19th century to early 20th century, the post-war years and finally, the transformation from modern art into the contemporary at the end of the 20th century. One thing that I had noticed about the tour was how much more diverse the paintings were, as compared to the DBS Gallery. The UOB Gallery showcased paintings throughout South-East Asia as compared to the DBS Gallery, who mainly focused on Singaporean artists. What I enjoyed about the tour was how art in SEA transforms into a different phase, with a different stylistic approach and focus on subject matter, as history enters a new era. Throughout the course of the tour, the docent had also shared about the history of the supreme court and its construction and eventual conversion into an art gallery.
1.1 Late 19th to Early 20th Century
The Late 19th century and early 20th century paintings focused heavily on scenes of mountains, paddy fields, ports and the countryside. The vibrant and colorful cultures of South-East Asian countries were a look into the ‘exotic’ nature of the land in contrast to the urban modernity of Europe.
Louis Rollet, Market at Marmot, 1940
Oil on board
Louis Rollet's Market at Marmot shows a lively and bustling picture of a wet market where various types of meat, vegetables and fruit are being sold. Historians believe the location of this depiction to be Memot, a district in Tboung Khumum province in Cambodia, due to the artist likely misspelling Memot for Marmot.
1.2 Mid 20th Century
The mid 20th century, or Post-War era, was a turning point for South-East Asian art after the conclusion of World War II. Depictions of picturesque landscapes were replaced by Social Realism, in which most subject matter consisted of the struggling working class and of those that lived in poverty. A documentation of the socio-political and economic circumstances at the time. Artists began to make art that conveyed their nation’s developing sense of nationalism and struggle for independence from their colonial rulers.
Chua Mia Tee, Epic Poem of Malaya, 1955
Oil on canvas
The development of a 'Malayan' culture in post-war Singapore was seen as a way to unite society and gain independence from colonial rule. This can be observed in Chua Mia Tee's Epic Poem of Malaya, where a determined and impassioned man reads to his audience while a storm gathers in the distance, a symbolic representation of the turbulent trials of the era. Such depictions of the 'Malayan' culture can be seen in National Language Class, albeit less intense in tone.
1.3 Abstract Popularity
The mid 20th century also saw a rise in popularity in alternate ways of expression in art. Artists broke away from capturing idyllic and exotic images of the early 20th century and began to focus more on other increasingly experimental forms and methods, one of which was abstract expressionism.
Hernando Ocampo, Dancing Mutants, 1965
Oil on canvas
In his response to the horrors of the atomic bomb, Hernando Ocampo's Dancing Mutants depicts a malformed, humanoid figure, formed from shapes that resemble tongues of flames, its eerie and sickly green tones being a symbolism of the repercussions caused by radiation poisoning from the atomic bomb. The shapely cube-like rhythm and minimal presence of varying colors but utilization of tones to create complexity in his compositions are a trademark of Hernando Ocampo's abstract style.
1.4 Late 20th Century
At the turn of the 20th century, art has now shifted towards a more experimental phase where artists focused on questioning the ways in which art was made and received. The experimentation of alternate mediums, rather than just stylistic approaches in the 60s appealed greatly to this contemporary era of art. The use of ordinary materials to convey, as opposed to sophisticated paintings and sculptures appealed to many artists as well.
Edgar Talusan Fernandez, Kinupot, 1977
Molded canvas over wood armature
Kinupot by Edgar Fernandez is a commentary on the abductions of political activists by the military or paramilitary during Philippine President Marcos' under martial law rule. A combination of the words, Kinuha (got) and sinupot (bagged), Kinupot was partly inspired by the form of the artist's pregnant wife, referring to the censorship of dissent that was taking place during the president's rule.
Montien Boonma, The Pleasure of Being, Crying, Dying and Eating, 1993
Ceramic bowls, wooden tables, cloth and brass
This installation is a reflection of the artist's Buddhist worldview and expression of grief over his wife's illness and following demise. Referring to the cyclical, transitory nature of human life. The title of the installation refers to the Buddhist belief of the stages of life that one goes through. Pleasure (eating) and suffering (crying) from birth (being) and death (dying), and then rebirth.
2. CONCLUSION
Many familiar names such as Chua Mia Tee, Fernando Zobel and Hernando R Ocampo appear in the gallery’s collection of paintings as well during the tour. This was arguably one of the most comprehensive tours I have attended thus far due to the docent's willingness to bring me throughout the expansive gallery and touch on each and every era of SEA art despite having gone past the allotted timeslot for the tour.
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