The Photographer Who Saw The World Through Chinese Paintings
This is not a traditional Chinese painting. It is a photographic print. Yet it is not exactly a photograph. It is a photographic creation by world-famous Chinese artist Dong Hong-Oai. Using a style known by some as Asian pictorialism, classic Chinese motifs are framed and …
The Street Artist Of George Town
I have never been to Penang. Now, I have an interest to visit George Town. My interest began with this picture. I noticed it from a local newspaper. A painting of two children riding a bicycle. But the bicycle is real. Such a concept makes …
A Man For Chanel No.5
When asked in 1954 what she wore to sleep, Marilyn Monroe famously purred, “What do I wear in bed? Why, Chanel No.5, of course.” Her infamous answer made her the poster girl for Chanel No.5 and paved the way for celebrity endorsements of fragrances. Chanel …
The Scream
I wish I am in London. To be a part of art history. The only version of Edvard Munch’s iconic work ‘The Scream’ still in private hands, is being presented at Sotheby’s London, before heading to New York for Sotheby’s Impressionist and Modern Art evening …
Cai Guo-Qiang’s Latest Mirage
Cai Guo-Qaing’s first solo exhibition in the Middle East opened on the fifth of this month. Titled ‘Saraab’ at the Mathaf Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar, it is curated by Wassan al-Khudhairi and features more than 50 works, including 17 newly commissioned pieces, 30 …
Getting Into The Heart Of Justin Lee’s Art
I cannot remember exactly when I was first captivated by the art of Justin Lee. With my background in advertising and media, I am naturally drawn to art that has a conceptual approach. Justin’s concepts are instinctive and organic to his art; they are bold, …
Architect Of The Most Classic Designs
I am fascinated by classic interior designs. Recently this fascination led to a rediscovery of architect and designer Arne Jacobsen. Both his buildings and products combine modernist ideals with a Nordic love of naturalism. He believed that the design of every element of a building …
Cai Guo-Qiang’s Homecoming
Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art has announced an exhibition of new and recent works by Cai Guo-Qiang from December 5, 2011 to May 26, 2012. ‘Cai Guo-Qiang: Saraab’ will be the artist’s first solo exhibition in the Middle East, as well as the first …
Coming To Terms With The Chinese Seventh Month
For the longest time, I have harboured very guarded feelings towards the Chinese seventh month, bordering on fear when I was a child, and dread as an adult. Growing up in a Chinese household, my childhood and teenage years were filled with images and stories …
The Coming Together Of The Fuchun Mountains
Almost as a new sequence shot for ‘Zu Warriors From The Magic Mountain’, two mountains from ancient China have literally moved towards each other. From June 1st till September 25th, a historic reunion is taking place at Taipei’s Palace Museum. A 14th century Yuan Dynasty …