Venue: iPreciation
50 Cuscaden Road, HPL House #01-01, Singapore 249724
Private Preview: Thursday, October 18, 2018 (By Invitation Only)
Exhibition Opens to Public: October 19, 2018 – November 3, 2018
iPreciation will be presenting a solo exhibition titled The Fisherman and the Woodcutter 「漁樵問答」featuring artist Tay Bak Chiang 鄭木彰. In this exhibition, Tay uses the guqin, also known as the seven-stringed Chinese zither, as an exploratory subject in his latest canvas paintings. Inspired by the classic guqin melody “Conversation Between a Fisherman and a Woodcutter” which serenades a carefree life amidst nature, Tay seeks comfort in the subtle and tranquil melodic tones. It echoes and serves as a metaphor that Tay yearns for as the way of life. Using elegant and minimalist contemporary aesthetics, Tay chooses to compose the interpretative layers he discovers in the subject matter of guqin through his own unique visual language. He presents intimate, unseen layers of meanings within the age-old oriental instrument in his paintings, which in fact mirrors his personal outlook on life.
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. Tay has always been inspired by the qualities of nature. To him, nature is perfection, balance and harmony. In recent works, he experiments with deconstructing and reconfiguring subject matters that intrigues him such as the traditional oriental instrument of guqin, portraying them with an aesthetic quality of minimalistic simplicity. He believes that his work should reflect the spirit of contemporary times, hence continues to push the boundaries and contemporise the genre of Chinese ink painting using canvas, as he recognises the limitations of rice paper as a medium.
This will be Tay’s third solo exhibition with iPreciation following the success of “From a Distance” in Art Basel Hong Kong, 2016 and “Cleavages Fractures Folds” in 2014. It witnesses Tay’s departure from his rock series and marks his progressive attempts to introduce newer and fresher perspectives of the guqin into his creations. To arrange for a private viewing appointment or more information on Tay’s paintings, please contact us at enquiry@ipreciation.com or +65 6339 0678.