Yang Zhongda (b. 1988, Singapore) graduated in 2015 from The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, majoring in Western Painting. Yang’s acrylic paintings first made an appearance in When Space Dissolves into Luminosity; Where Flowers Bloom Amidst Rocks, a group show in 2017. Soon after, he forged a newfound affection for pastel and he made this medium a definite choice for his later creations. His fondness for drawing as a form of expression and the appealing nature of pastel pigment application created a special visual for his paintings. However, the virtuosity shown in his visualisations would not have been possible without his meticulousness and introspective personality.
Yang’s keen eye for detail allows him to consistently find meaning in the overlooked corners of the urban scene, often zooming into the quintessential, producing photography-like works. His rigorous approach to art has produced an exceptional visual diary of the contemporary, a fascinating take on everyday observations.
The artist’s oeuvre is a poignant revelation of the evanescence nature of our modern society. He often captures desolated spaces and commonplace subjects often occupied or routinely used by humans yet also mostly go unnoticed and unappreciated. In the absence of living objects, these neglected infrastructures and features took centre stage, imbuing a whiff of bleak emptiness in an oddly familiar setting.
By negotiating an entity’s existence in space, Yang investigates the intimate connection he shares with his subjects and his identity in relation to society which extends to the universal theme of the human-environment relationship. Constructed with fragments of his personal memories and sympathetic observations of our surroundings, the quaint stills encapsulate small moments of actuality and invite viewers to contemplate and find opportunities to reconcile with the mundane someday, some time.
Yang Zhongda plans to further create a captivating series depicting the relationship between toys and society. Its first piece, The Cavalry, created in 2019, is a distorted version of a popular videogame character.
Selected Group Exhibitions
Selected Group Exhibitions
- 2020 | Living in Still, iPreciation, Singapore
- 2017 | When Space Dissolves into Luminosity; Where Flowers Bloom Amidst Rocks, iPreciation, Singapore
- 2017 | Portable Art Week, iPreciation, Singapore
- 2013 | Affordable Art Fair, Singapore
- 2012 | Expression, Dahlia Gallery, Singapore
- 2012 | Primeval: A Group Exhibition, Goodman Arts Centre, Singapore
For the full list of exhibitions, please contact the gallery at enquiry@ipreciation.com
Artwork Images