Tay Bak Chiang 鄭木彰 (b. 1973)

Tay Bak Chiang (b. 1973, Malaysia/Singapore) graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore in 1995 and studied at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China, in 1997. He was awarded the First Prize in the Chinese Painting category in the 19th and 22nd United Overseas Bank Painting of the Year Competitions (2000 and 2003 respectively). In 2002 he received the Young Artist Award from the National Arts Council of Singapore.

Tay has always been inspired by nature. To him, nature is perfection, balance and harmony. He also believes his work should bear the imprint of his environment and reflect the spirit of contemporary times, even if it is rooted in Chinese ink painting. Hence, he often interprets new nature themes familiar in Southeast Asia, such as heliconias, banana and palm trees, stones and lotus ponds.

Earlier in his practice, he experimented with deconstructing and reconfiguring nature motifs. More recently, he has attempted to move away from representational forms, abandoning motifs that may bear his feelings and points of view. He interprets lotus flowers as minimalist forms; stalks as thick, unembellished strokes; and stones as aloof, silent silhouettes, creating vistas that invite viewers to imagine and discover nature for themselves, just as nature intends for us to do.

In his recent works, he continues to push the boundaries and contemporize the genre of Chinese painting through the use of acrylic and pigments on canvas. It encapsulates the artist’s enquiry into classical Chinese ink art, introducing new perspectives in the portrayal of nature in order to evoke a sense of poetry and inner emotions. For the Stone Series, Tay states “I was first inspired on a walk in the Bukit Timah nature reserve some years ago. I chanced upon some rustic, unrefined granite rocks that stood with an imposing, dignified spirit amid the greenery. I thought they were like hermits, reclusive from the material world. They seemed to emit a cool quietness, an air of indifference”. Similarly, for his guqin series, though Tay does not play the 7-stringed instrument, he appreciates the traditional Chinese instrument, guqin as an iconic symbol of Chinese high culture and one of the most expressive forms that capture the essence of Chinese music.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2022 |《五味雜成》Flavours of Life, iPreciation Gallery, Singapore
2018 |《漁樵問答》The Fisherman and the Woodcutter, iPreciation Gallery, Singapore
2016 | From A Distance, iPreciation, Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong
2016 | Revisit, Yidian Space, Beijing, China
2015 | The Chivalrous Hero by Tay Bak Chiang, Serindia Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2015 | Blue White Vermilion, Chan Hampe Galleries, Singapore
2014 |《斧劈皴》Cleavages, Fractures, Folds, iPreciation Gallery, Singapore
2014 |《石头记》The Story of the Stone, Art Projects Gallery, Hong Kong
2014 |《顽石》Sentience, Chan Hampe Galleries, Singapore
2013 |《剑气》The Breath of A Blade, Jendela, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Singapore
2012 |《且听风吟》Hear the Wind Sing, Art Projects Gallery, Hong Kong
2011 |《天工》Ingenuity, Chan Hampe Galleries, Singapore
2010 |《呼吸之间》Between Breaths, Artfolio Gallery, Singapore
2003 |《法自画生》Fa Zi Hua Sheng, Plum Blossoms Gallery, Singapore

Selected Group Exhibitions

2018 |《唤风》Beckoning of the Breeze, Visual Arts Centre, Singapore
2018 |《岩石裂缝》In the Cleft of the Rock , Pontone Gallery, Taichung, Taiwan
2018 |《磊》Moving Mountains, Artsembly, The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, Singapore
2017 | Singapore – Japan Ink Painting Exchange Exhibition, Visual Arts Centre, Singapore
2017 | Impressions, Oriental Art & Cultural Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2015 | 45^th Anniversary Exhibition of Siaw-Tao Chinese Seal-Carving Calligraphy and Painting Society, Singapore
2015 | Portable Art Week, iPreciation Gallery, Singapore
2013 | Made in Singapore – Three Quarters of a Century, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore
2013 |《床事》A Thing or Two about the Bed, FOST Gallery, Singapore
2013 | Cascadence – Singapore Redux, iPreciation Gallery, Singapore
2013 | Crisis of Monumentality, Chan Hampe Galleries, Singapore
2012 | Cityscapes Unbound, OCBC Centre, Singapore
2012 |《墨》Mò, Jendela Visual Arts Space, Esplanade, Singapore
2010 | Now and Next – Modern Arts of Korea, Japan, Singapore, National Museum of Gwang-Ju, Korea
2010 | Space + Imagination, Korea Singapore Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition, Jeollanamdo Okgwa Art Museum, Korea
2010 | Celebrating Asian Art, Artfolio Gallery, Singapore
2010 | Live Our Dreams Community Paintings, The Arts House, Singapore
2009 | Nanyang in Paris, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Gallery, Singapore
2009 | Nanyang – 70 Years After, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Gallery, Singapore
2005 | Singapore Art Show, Singapore Management University, Singapore
2004 | Internationale Cite des Arts, Paris, France
2004 | Siaw-Tao Chinese Seal-Carving Calligraphy and Painting Society Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Awards

2003 | First Prize (Traditional Chinese Medium Category), 22nd UOB Painting of the Year Competition, Singapore
2002 | Young Artist Award for Visual Arts, National Arts Council, Singapore
2002 | Distinction Award, Chinese Painting Category, Dr Tan Sze Chor Art Award, Singapore
2000 | First Prize, Traditional Chinese Medium 19th UOB Painting of the Year Competition, Singapore
1999 | First Prize, Singapore Turf Club Art Competition
1999 | Distinction Award, Chinese Painting Category, Dr Tan Sze Chor Art Award, Singapore
1995 | 16th Shell Discovery Art Award, Singapore

Selected Public Collections