Spotlight on Singapore’s Young Talent Winners

We asked all four of our Singapore’s Young Talent Programme 2015/16 winning artists (Chong Yanhong, Holeng, Justin Lim, Yeo Jian Long) the same question as soon as they found out that they had been awarded the unique opportunity to work with a Curator for 10 months to create an exceptional body of work ready for a three week solo show at ION Art. Listed below are their fascinating answers to the question:

“What drives you to create your artwork, and what would you like to achieve through the Young Talent Programme?”

With this in mind, make sure you don’t miss out on seeing the result of all four artists’ journeys through the Young Talent Programme, and the fascinating new portfolio’s of these emerging artists at ION Art Gallery (Level 4, ION Orchard) from 1st September 2016 »

Chong Yanhong

There are endless possibilities and a lot to discover in the process of making art. From the very beginning, experimenting with and developing the materials needed for my work that is very informative and reflective, to bringing these different materials together into a context to create something that appears complete and cohesive. The entire process can be very meditative, limitless and also at times challenging because the outcome cannot be predetermined which somehow motivates me to a great extent. In the process, the work will somehow speak to you and you just have to listen to it and go along with its flow. Getting lost in the moment and rediscover myself while creating art is something I enjoy doing most and it feels great when I’m fully engrossed in the process.

One of the most rewarding things about art is that you get to meet and connect with like-minded people as well as those of an opposite polarity. It also allows me to meet people of the same field and those of different spectrum to exchange individual views and perspectives. As I mature and go through different stages in life, I gain more life experiences and see things in different perspectives. These differences and developments are often reflected in my artwork. It serves as a record or a journal for my own growth and development as a person.

The solo exhibition at the ION Art gallery will be a good platform for me to reflect on my own art practices and personal development. The Affordable Art Fair Young Talent Programme and ION Art have provided excellent publicity and support in creating awareness for emerging artists for the past years and therefore I look forward to working with the team and showcase my work to the public. It is a good chance for me to get to know new people and build new connections and at the same time have access to a wider audience who could give me valuable input which would enable me to gain greater insight into my work, inspiring and propelling me to keep going.

HOLENG

Freedom. The decorum of being free has never been learnt, however adapted naturally. Some assumed it as the armada of innate, passion, survival or talent. Freedom is when you are not attached to anything and the notion of time does not exist. Why is being free from responsibility reeks oblivion to us? I compare my present state with this retrospective connection to my work with what is absent in today’s society, at any rate, it possesses no immediate certainty for me.

I am thankful for being selected for the young talent programme and chosen as one of the four artists presenting our solo show at ION gallery 2016. People came to see art is to see the raw side of humanity that only art could represent. That art releases us from our hidden anxiety by experiencing and by feeling. Without constraints or consents, touching on the edges of the real world, this draws us to see beyond borderlines and falsified images in our capitalistic society. One of my project’s priorities was to subject the system of modern photography into a detailed criticism of its practices and premises. I hope to unfurl a conversational and essayistic character in the coming solo show, where the public would read a discursive process of the struggling artist.

Yeo Jian Long

Primarily, I am driven by an urge to create. As a child I possessed an overactive imagination. Drawing became an outlet for it. In my current series of work, there is an element of play in my art making process. I do not have a preconceived image of the final composition; instead I allow my mind and pen to wander. It is akin to a form of automatic drawing. From the shapeless mass of repetitive marks made on the surface, images from my subconscious begin to materialize into forms both familiar and surreal. My influences come from diverse sources. I admire Old Master prints and Chinese landscape painting, and although these two artistic traditions are culturally different, they have helped to form my artistic style. As a student in Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, I was exposed to both Western and Eastern art practices and methodologies. On hindsight, it was beneficial to me. Although they might seem irreconcilable, I felt that there were similarities that I could explore in my own work.

Besides traditional art, I am quite intrigued by advancements in technology which have allowed us to view worlds which the human eye can’t see alone. I have noticed that there are similarities between a multiple tendril like structure of a cell, and the web of filaments in a cosmic nebula. Perhaps there is a higher order at work in shaping the elements; it is quite similar to the Chinese philosophical concept of li in Neo-Confucianism. (Li refers to the underlying reason and order of nature as reflected in its organic forms.) These thoughts and ideas are subconsciously reflected in how my drawings are formed. The multiple lines in my work feature intricate abstract patterns; from this mass a certain order arises as the drawing progresses. A group of subtle lines form a cloud, whereas loops of dark ink lines might resemble multiple cells.

As a form of art, drawing is perhaps one of the most direct mediums of expressing ideas and emotions, and it leaves a very personal touch. In a drawing, the artist leaves an inherent trace: the rhythmic swell of lines from thin to thick curves, the angle of the strokes as they go from left to right, or vice versa, and the surface of the drawing which is intentionally left blank but which, equally could suggest so many things: light, air and even space itself. The strokes the artist has drawn have become his signature: his artistic DNA. It is this directness which appeals to me as a practice, and as a form of artmaking.

Through the Young Talent Programme, I hope to be able to grow as an artist, and exhibit my works to a larger audience. The Young Talent Programme provides emerging artists with a platform to engage the public, and it is an opportunity which I am grateful for. With the length of time given to prepare for the solo exhibition in September 2016, I’ll be focusing on a strong thematic direction for my works. Through the process, I hope to bring my work to the next level.

Justin Lim

I think first of all what is most important is the passion of what we do and we can’t deny that for every artist. For me, it is constantly about challenging and questioning my practice. My research and works right now often questions and challenge our perception and what reality is. I wouldn’t call myself an artist today but rather: a practicing artist. I believe that to become an artist, one must reach the destination where you have found your own language. I often question myself “is the art that I am making the voice, the language that truly reflects me?” I haven’t come to answer yet of course, but I think that is the most exciting part and that is where the “drive” comes in. Perhaps it is the drive to find out what is truly my identity as an artist? Recently, a collector asked me a question: “What do you want people to remember you as an artist?” It hit me hard and I paused for a while and thought about it but unfortunately, I didn’t answer him at the end of our conversation. I think this question kind of sums it up? And of course besides all these, is my craft. Some people call me the “hyper-realist” or the “realist”. Haa, I don’t know how to feel about that. Whenever it comes to my practice, there are only two things on my mind: 1) is to make sure that the work I’m working on will turn out better than the photograph and how I expect it to turn out or die trying. 2) It must be perfect. Being a perfectionist by nature, by character is one of the most challenging things I face myself in my art making. But I thank god for it.

The Young Talent Programme has been really great exposure and it broadens my network a lot. Meeting new people, artists and collectors has really boosted my confidence level about my works especially knowing that they are well received. I hope to achieve as much experience through the Young Talent Programme such as working with different people, curator and the gallery. Getting as much advice, opinions and enjoying the whole process as well. There is a lot to learn from through this programme and I believe it will definitely prepare me for the crazy art world out there and my career path. I hope that the programme will help me better understand my research area and the subject matter that I am looking at. Perhaps my works will evolve into something else and I look forward to it.