Spotlight on Singapore’s Young Talent Programme 2016/17

Affordable Art Fair Singapore’s Young Talent Programme winners for 2016/17 comprise of eight skilled individuals with unique works of different mediums. Of these, one to four artists will be awarded the chance of a solo exhibition in August/September 2017 at the ION Art Gallery.

The 2016/17 Winners

Chiang Lup Hong (Malaysia)
Eugene Koh You Qin (Singapore)
Harun Ak (Indonesia)
Jodi Tan (Singapore)
Le Thuy (Vietnam)
Leow Wei Li (Singapore)
Tay Ining (Singapore)
Santa Wai Zakaria (Indonesia)

Chiang Lup Hong

Born in Ipoh, Perak, 27 year old Chiang studied in Alfa College in Malaysia where he attained a Diploma in Architecture in 2010 and is currently living and working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Chiang Lup Hong’s artworks revolve around the theme of imaginary landscapes where it comprises of interesting subjects such as geese, butterflies, lotus leafs and much more. Most of the sceneries he incorporated in his works are collected from his amazing sightseeing trips. Fueled by his passion in imagination, he turns ordinary images into something quirky and bold. Chiang Lup Hong’s works can be described as visual performances, where it is intended to spark the viewers’ interest and impress them with its whimsical imagery, bizarre compositions and intricate details. You can view his other works’ on his Instagram

Eugene Koh You Qin 

No stranger when it comes to perfecting sculptures in various mediums, Eugene graduated in 2014 from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts with a Diploma in Fine Arts (Sculpture) as well as being awarded a Bachelor of Arts, 2^nd Class (Hons) in 2015 from Loughborough University. Eugene’s works are influenced by Constantin Brâncuși, a Romanian sculptor, painter and photographer and a pioneer of modernism.

Eugene creates his works with the balance and equality of power in mind. Following Brâncuși’s concept, he sees his work as an assembly of the mind, where it acts as both an intangible and tangible tool for the society. Eugene’s body of focus lies on examining the contrast on the economics of societal functions in the past, present and future.

Harun Ak 

A resident of Yokyakarta, Indonesia, Harun was born in 20 November 1985. He studied Visual Art in Indonesian Institute of Art (ISI) Yogyakarta for seven years from 2007.

As an artist that has held countless of group and solo exhibitions since 2004, Harun’s works encapsulates the idealism of human form as a way of life where humans are best described as individuals with very diverse thoughts. Harun believes that the various roads we take can sometimes reap the pros and cons by another individual. His works reflect a sense of accountability – each individual is responsible for his own actions and what we take to the hereafter. 

Jodi Tan

A Singapore-based artist born in 1990, Jodi has always been interested in the “visual”. She has been creating and re-creating images by establishing constants and variables that she continuously experiments with. She has been awarded The Winston Oh Travel Research award in 2011. To add on to her remarkable portfolio, Jodi was also the founding member of The Collective – a group of individuals with the same desire to execute artist-initiated projects.

With her interest in visual perception and cognitive interpretation of fundamental visual aspects, Jodi’s method of producing her works comes from various mediums ranging from painting, drawing, collaging and mixed media. She uses images from mass media as a reference to her particular artwork, taking in its specific color combinations, forms or compositions. The question, how does one create an image, has always been the focal point of Jodi’s works. The exploration of the juxtaposition of individual elements and the shifting of its contexts has always intrigued her.

Le Thuy

Born and raised in Vietnam, Hanoi, Le Thuy has since established herself as an emerging artist to look out for since 2012. Le Thuy’s works are presented at art collections in various domestic and foreign countries such as the Dogma Collection in Saigon, Vietnam and Elegant Team Development Collection in HongKong.

Le Thuy’s love and admiration for traditional silk material has always been the main medium in her creative process. Captivated by place and space, Le Thuy seeks answers to questions like “where is a place of peace?” and “where do people live true to their nature?” The relationship between spaces and people has led her to appreciate the true value of life more.

Leow Wei Li

As the youngest amongst the eight winners, Leow has accomplished many things at such a young age, such as exhibiting in her first group exhibition in 2013. She has recently exhibited her works at Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts and the Athens Digital Art Festival in 2016.

Leow Wei Li works with both paint and pencil where she spends her time broadening her knowledge of visual metaphors with digital software. Her works tend to lean on the conditions of urban living, particularly man-made infrastructures and plants. Urban plants are often placed as ornaments in leftover corners and curbs or wrapped around pillars to establish Singapore as a Garden City. The inability to see or notice plants in the environment led her to develop a curiosity for urban plants and where they are displaced, replaced and planted.

Tay Ining

As an artist who progressively explores the neglected creative potential of fabrication industries in Singapore, Tay Ining, a Singaporean born in 1988, has her heart set on addressing the linguistic and conceptual concerns with mechanical phenomena and depicted objects. Her interest in these areas peaked when she came across transformations of metals in the metalworking shop where she currently works.

Working in her family’s metal manufacturing business has allowed her to introduce something new, that goes against the existing industrial process in the factory. Tay Ining’s most recent works’ date back to 2014, where she dreamt and aspired to close the gap on conceptual art. Metal and its rustiness have always captured her attention, inspiring her to create works that are different and out of the ordinary.

Santy Wai Zakaria

An Indonesian artist who loves to paint, Santy pursued her interest in design and art studying Communication Design in Jakarta. Born and raised in Indonesia, Wai worked as a creative director for various foreign companies in the retail and commercial sector, and she now lives in Bali with her little family. She has since been exhibiting her works from the beginning of 2004. Wai recently exhibited a solo exhibition in Flux Lifeground, Kerobokan, Bali entitled “WONDER”.

The main focus in Wai’s work lies with humans in today’s world and their truth. Growing up alongside the people from the Chinese, Batak, Javanese and Balinese culture through out her youth, it has compelled her to be more observant and sensitized to human nature. The way we interact with one another and how our energies bounce to and fro from human interaction is important to her works as we are constantly challenging our surroundings and our inner selves. Her works captures the truths and substances of human nature and the mystery behind our existence.

To find out more about the Young Talent Programme, you can find the information you need here.