Feng Xiaogang’s Aftershock Is Not What You Expect
I went into the screening of ‘Aftershock’ expecting to be overwhelmed by scenes of people trapped in rubble and the heroics of rescue workers. Much like how the news footage of the recent Sichuan earthquake overwhelmed me. I was overwhelmed. Not by scenes of the …
Cai Guo-Qiang And His Wolves
Cai Cuo-Qiang’s wolves appear to move with all the slow-motion majesty of a John Woo gun fight, and like the heroes in his movies, they are all destined to die in style. His installation is not just visually stunning. The whole idea of wolves going …
Father Of Modern Chinese Painting Wu Guanzhong
Wu Guanzhong did not want a funeral. He died in Beijing last Friday at age 90. His eldest son, Wu Keyu said: “He believed that if people wanted to pay their respects to him, the best way to do it would be to appreciate his …
Breach Over Troubled Water
While Singapore was still recovering from flash floods, I messaged Jahan – Oliver Fricker was sentenced to 5 months’ jail and 3 strokes of the cane. The judge had ruled that ‘the offences were planned and carefully executed. These were not impulsive displays of youthful …
When The Maid Is Family
Siti came to Singapore 7 years ago. She was only 20 years old when she left her hometown, her family, her husband, and her son. She would not be there to see her son grow up. She would be a distant daughter to her ailing …
Mother’s Day
Some of us have a love hate relationship with our mothers. A constant struggle to keep the peace. I am lucky. I have made peace. Now I count everyday I have with her as a blessing. My mother is frail. Sometimes I feel she is …
Is Lee Kuan Yew The Next Mao In The World Of Contemporary Art?
There were media listings on an exhibition simply titled Harry, Lee Kuan Yew. The picture was a painting of Lee as a boy. The resemblance to the man is remarkable. In fact, at the exhibition, in the paintings of Lee as a baby and a …
A Singular Sensation!
I watched A Single Man last night. As usual, it took effort from usual routine to make it to the theatre. As with some good films, it was well worth the effort. Ford art directed this movie straight into our hearts. A moment by moment …
The World Changed. I Changed.
The opening decade of the 21st century draws to a close. In a few hours it will be midnight and 2010 is here! At the turn of the millennium, the Y2K bug fear turned out to be a non event, even a let down, as …
Daniel Yun Has Left The Building
Walking down the stairs, getting into the car, driving out of the Radio Gate, the feeling was – so this is it! No strong feelings. The last few weeks were all pretty routine. Farewell lunches, shaking hands, well wishes and a lot of emails. Planning, …