Art beyond the canvas with Botero, Southeast Asian Artists at SAW2018
SINGAPORE — On its eighth edition, the Singapore Art Stage remains a strong draw for collectors and art enthusiasts the world over.
Now merged with the Singapore Art Week, the Singapore Art Stage, which featured the best art of the drew crowds at of the Marina Bay Sands and Expo and Convention Center from January 26-28.
Art Informal was the sole gallery from the Philippines, representing JC Jacinto and his exhibit "Independent as the Sun", but the works of Filipino artists Geraldine Javier, Leslie De Chavez, Ronald Ventura, Jigger Cruz, Jose Santos III, and Rodel Tapaya were also on view via the Tiroche DeLeon Collection.
The grand selling from the Tiroche DeLeon Collection was a first for Art Stage Singapore. It was conceptualized by collector Serge Tiroche, who acquired the pieces in previous editions of Art Stage.
Among the most prominent pieces on display is "Baston ni Kabunian, Bilang Pero di Mabilang" by Tapaya, which won the triennial Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Signature Art Prize in 2011.
The installation work by Javier, Santos, and Ventura stood in contrast with "Boterismo" sculptures done by Art Stage Singapore's Honorary Invited Artist, Maestro Fernando Botero. This distinction is another first for the fair.
Although the sampling of the renowned Colombian artist's work is at the heart of SAW 2018, the contrast served to show the leaps Southeast Asian Art has made in the last decade alone.
"Boterismo" refers to the Maestro's fondness for depicting plump or fat figures of people and birds among others. Much like him, Southeast Asian artist are embracing their own aesthetic and developing a unique style.
Alongside Botero's signature sculptures were works by emerging and established artists from the region, including Handiwirman Saputra (Indonesia), Kamin Lertchaiprasert (Thailand), and Lee Kuang-Yu (Taiwan).
Saputra's "Tak Berakar, Tak Berpucuk- No 7" (No Roots, No Shoots - No. 7), Lertchapraisert's "The Timeless Moment", and Kuang-Yu's "The Bullfighting Series" are part of the 16 special presentations and public artworks meant to "accentuate the visitor's experience."
Singapore Art Stage and the Singapore Art Week concluded on January 28, but works by Filipino artists will still be on view at Gillman Barracks and at the Singapore National Gallery.
"Street Mining: Contemporary Art from the Philippines" runs until March 2, while "Between Worlds: Radah Saleh & Juan Luna" runs until March 11. — LA, GMA News