FairitizeMyArt Collage - FairitizeMyArt
Ten local illustrators will be exhibiting their work in Singapore at the tcc "The Gallery" on Circular Road, now through June 30, 2011.
A unique exhibit based on childhood fairy tales, chosen and interpreted by the 10 artists individually, is now on display at the tcc "The Gallery" in Singapore. The illustrators involved in this exhibit are: Antz, Chia Wing Fee, KILAS (Zahir Sanosi), Ng Ling Tze, Shawn Siow, Shawn Ye Zhongyi, Sheryo, Sloth, Sum Kah Fai, xiaobaosg.
Most of the paintings and digital prints for this display, which opened on April 10, 2011, are included in a series of works by the individual artists that total 20 pieces. The fairy tales and folklore are retold in a local context, using only black and white with some dashes of color. Some of the illustrators and their works are discussed below:
- Ng Ling Tze's very first fairy tale she ever read was the Brothers Grimm story entitled The Six Swans. For this reason she chose this story, admitting she enjoyed the tale as a child and was inspired by a sister trying to help her brothers, as stated in a personal interview on April 14, 2011. Interpreted a bit differently by Ng, the illustration switches the children with cats, while the swans are represented by hummingbirds. Through the complex use of acrylic, pen and ink, the minute gray details of Ng's five paintings took two weeks to complete and include splashes of bright colors which help to bring the work alive. Ng currently specializes in pet portraits and can be contacted at the above link;
- Antz based his work on Journey to the West, a Chinese classical folklore tale from the 16th Century about a monkey's pilgrimage to the West. When asked why he chose to do this story, Antz replied that it's "a reflection of my childhood, present and maybe future," he stated in a personal interview on April 14th. Like himself, Antz continued, the monkey in the story is rebelling and causes a lot of trouble. He used both Chinese ink and digital ink for his cultural and mischievous pieces. Antz made this exhibit happen, bringing the artists together after being a part of the previous show at tcc entitled PantoneMyArt. His future plans include making a trip to New York this fall, where he recently got commissioned to paint Vespas. "I love to travel, love to see how they [people in other countries] react to Chinese culture," he stated;
- Shawn Siow's series of digital prints and drawings were adapted from two stories: Peter Pan and the Wizard of Oz. Believing one can never grow-up, Siow chose these popular fairytales from the past . "I hope to bring childhood memories back to the viewer," he stated in a personal interview on April 14th. For his Wizard of Oz illustration, Siow was "captivated by the situation of the tin man looking for a heart," he continued, “he's a soul-less man looking for a soul.” Siow has also recently published a graphic novel in Singapore with Wan Siow entitled Project Red [Wan and Shawn Siow, 2010]. In this novel, he combines Asian drawings with American style comics. The additional blending of local legends and Malay stories is what distinguishes this from other comics, and;
- xiaobaosg's Urashima digital print is from his "Panda Revolution" series. This particular piece represents a Japanese legend about a fisherman that rescues a turtle and is allowed to visit a palace under the sea. xiaobaosg's works are very popular in Asia, especially in China, which has led to an increased violation of the copyright on his works through numerous on-line and product reproductions (on t-shirts, ect.). These items are top sellers and although money isn't everything, xiaobaosg is more than likely owed quite a bit of money for the continuous violations. His attempts to stop the reproductions are answered by violators that say "he ought to be happy with it."
Copyright Julie Maggiacomo Carrera. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.
Julie Maggiacomo Carrera - Julie's writing career began back in college in the 1990s. However, she considers herself a new writer since she has put this profession ...
