Raymond Yap,  2023,  New beginning,  acrylic on canvas

Event details

Dates: 28 – 30 April 2023 (3 days, Friday to Sunday)

Opening time: 12pm – 6pm

Admission to the exhibition is free

The Culture Story has adopted The Red Pencil (Singapore) as its charity and is supporting their fund-raising efforts with a unique pop-up art exhibition. Over 40 artworks donated by more than 30 of Singapore’s young and established artists will be featured in the exhibition, including the likes of Genevieve Chua, Dawn Ng, Boo Sze Yang, Milenko Prvacki and Han Sai Por.

“Art to Heart: A Charity Art Exhibition” is the first of its kind since The Red Pencil (Singapore)’s inception in 2011, to raise funds to provide creative arts therapy programmes for children, families and seniors in Singapore. Through the funds raised from this event, The Red Pencil (Singapore) aims to provide free or subsidised creative arts therapy services for the less privileged in Singapore, ensuring they are not deprived of the opportunities for clinical interventions that can enhance their mental well-being and resilience to overcome life challenges. The funds will also help the organisation to intensify its outreach efforts to raise awareness of the professional help that individuals can access when faced with mental distress and trauma.

For media inquiries, please contact Ning Chong at ning@theculturestory.co

Details about Donation:

Support this fundraising initiative by making an outright cash donation of any value to The Red Pencil (Singapore). Patrons who donate above certain amounts will receive the exclusive donated artworks as a token of appreciation. All donations are eligible for 250% tax deduction.

About The Red Pencil (Singapore)

The Red Pencil (Singapore) is an Institution of Public Character and a registered charity founded in Singapore with a mission to bring the benefits of art therapy to less privileged children, adults and families who have been through overwhelming and traumatic life circumstances such as life-threatening illness, violence and abuse, for which they may have no words.

Since its founding in 2011, The Red Pencil has been transforming lives through creative arts therapy. To date, we have empowered 17,600 beneficiaries through the 18,170 art therapy hours that we have facilitated, particularly among children, youth, women, elderly and families in Singapore. Visit www.redpencil.org/singapore for more information.

Participating Artists (as of 17 April): 

Ang Kian Hoe, Marla Bendini, Boo Sze Yang, Jon Chan, Mark Chan, Chen Chong’en, Chen Yi Quan, Yoko Choi, Chua Chon Hee, Genevieve Chua, Matthias Chua, Yen Chua, Irina Forrester, Han Sai Por, Ho Sou Ping, Law Shu Na, Lynn Lim, Leo Liu Xuanqi, Loi Cai Xiang, Ben Loong, April Ng, Dawn Ng, Ng Joon Kiat, PHUNK, Milenko Prvacki, Kelly Ser, Shen Jiaqi, Wyn-Lyn Tan, Rosalynn Tay, Khairulddin Wahab, Wong Keen, Andy Yang, Raymond Yap, Yeo Tze Yang

Shi Hu, Untitled, 1997, mixed media on canvas, Collection of Yeap Lam Yang

An artist, a model, and a collector surround a painted nude. In an instant, a meaningful silence engulfs a passionate encounter. A locked gaze, a trigger pulled: a body collected.

Collecting Bodies : A short story about art and nudities in Asia gathers stories, histories, and encounters between 26 artists, 31 artworks, and 10 private collections. Presented by The Culture Story and curated by Dr Yanyun Chen, the exhibition considers the intricate and nuanced relationships between the act of representation and the act of collecting. Nudities, in all its plurality, serve as carriers of stories. They ask the artist, the collector, and the viewer: how is the image of a body held; how have we held our bodies in their image, and how have we carried the bodies of others?

Presented by The Culture Story, the exhibition opened from 10 December 2022 till 14 April 2023. 

Read Dr Yanyun Chen’s curatorial statement and abridged here. The short story written by Dr Yanyun Chen is available on here.

Participating Collectors

Lito and Kim Camacho, Cheryl and John Chia, Chong Huai Seng, Jimmy Chua, Linda Neo and Albert Lim, Angie and Ong Yew Huat, Diana and TK Quek, Guy and Henny Scott, Jackson See, Yeap Lam Yang

Artists’ Names

Nhek Dim, Cambodia, Gong Lilong, China, Liu Bingjiang, China, Shi Hu, China, Pucuk Cemara, Indonesia, Mangu Putra, Indonesia, Basuki Abdullah, Indonesia, I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih, Indonesia, Hashiguchi Goyō, Japan, Itō Shinsui, Japan, Kitagawa Utamaro, Japan, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Japan, Ahmad Zakii Anwar, Malaysia, Bagyi Aung Soe, Myanmar, Leo Abaya, Philippines, Federico Alcuaz, Philippines, Elmer Borlongan, Philippines, Cheong Soo Pieng, Singapore, Vanessa Liem, Singapore, Jimmy Ong, Singapore, Theo Meier, Switzerland, Jian Yi-Hong, Taiwan, Liu Hsin-Ying, Taiwan, Ni Jui Hung, Taiwan, Nguyễn Quốc Dũng, Vietnam, Nguyen Van Cuong, Vietnam

Exhibition View

18 May 2022

TCS was appointed by Chelsfield Asia Ltd. and ARA Asset Management to undertake the project management and arts PR for the Golden Monkey installation. At 14m tall, the Golden Monkey has made its appearances on other notable buildings like the Opposite House in Beijing and the H Code Building in central Hong Kong. It will be making its final pitstop on the facade of the newly renovated Lazada One building from now till 21 August 2022. This marks Australian artist and ecologist Lisa Roet’s debut monumental inflated public artwork showcase in Singapore.

Positioned 5 storeys above ground, the Golden Monkey takes the form of the endangered Snub-nosed Monkey found only in parts of China, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Lisa hopes that the Golden Monkey is not only created as a wonder for people to enjoy, but also as an artwork to evoke discussion and debate on climate issues like global warming and deforestation.

As a testament to Lazada One building’s green certification and in line with Lisa’s passion for sustainability and making a positive impact, the artist has engaged RMIT University to calculate the carbon footprint of this project. Supported by Chelsfield, the project will purchase carbon credits to benefit the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve in Borneo.

Find out more about Lisa’s inspiration behind the Golden Monkey on her website.

Photo credits: Chelsfield Asia Ltd and ARA Asset Management

22 April 2022

TCS was delighted to host Australian artist and ecologist Lisa Roet to share her insights into her practice and preoccupation with apes, primates and the natural world has transformed her to become a passionate advocate for climate change and environmental sustainability. We welcomed 30 guests comprising of art collectors, art lovers and representatives from the Victorian Government Trade and Investment – South East Asia.

14 April 2022

Ning Chong was invited by National Heritage Board Singapore to participate in a closed-door event to discuss the emergence of NFTs as part of their discussion and plans about growing the National Collection. The event was attended by representatives from Singapore’s leading art institutions and museums. Alongside her fellow panelists who included Dr David Tan (Professor at NUS Law and Deputy Director of the Centre for Technology, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and the Law), technologist Mr Carlos Nicholas Fernandes, art writer and founder of @NFTAsia Ms Clara Peh and NFT artist Speak Cryptic, Ning shared her perspectives on NFTs as a collector, art consultant and gallerist.

SAW Dialogues 2022 – In Retrospect: 10 Years of SAW

On 21 January 2022,  Founder Ning Chong will be moderating the panel “In Retrospect: 10 Years of SAW” as part of the SAW Dialogues 2022. Alongside Ning is Emi Eu (Executive Director, STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery Singapore and Project Director, S.E.A. Focus), Low Eng Teong (Deputy Chief Executive Officer, National Arts Council), and Magnus Renfrew (Founder of ARTHQ Group, Co-Founder of ART SG).

This panel discussion will reflect on the past ten years of SAW, discussing Singapore’s position as a vibrant arts hub in a regional context. From a commercial perspective, three leading art professionals will share their insights on what makes a successful art week. Who benefits most from Art Week; how do we strike a balance between quality of art versus quantity of programmes; is the current model sustainable? In this pandemic-era, how will Art Week evolve and what can we look forward to in future?

Watch the Livestream on SAW Digital.

Find out more at: https://www.artandmarket.net/saw-dialogues-2022-panel/in-retrospect-10-years-of-saw

Garden Of Internet Delights, 2021 (Artwork credit: ZXEROKOOL/ Jonathan Leong)

“Meme, Myths and Machines” is digital artist Jonathan Leong aka ZXEROKOOL’s first solo exhibition in Singapore. The show comprises three major new NFT pieces in limited editions coupled with a physical manifestation in the form of an exhibition held at The Culture Story.

“Memes, Myths and Machines” is representative of the artist’s experiences growing up from a time before the advent of digitalization, social media and meme culture. His art aims to rationalise a world that is evolving faster than ever before; where society is in flux, we are constantly switched on yet look fondly at the past. ZXEROKOOL is influenced by his childhood memories of dial-up internet, Nokia phones, retro video gaming culture and pop culture from the 1980s – 90s till present era, which serve as timestamps along his journey as a digital creator, which has now taken him deeper into the Metaverse. This exhibition aims to attract art lovers, aspiring NFT collectors and people who are curious about digital art and NFT crypto art.

More information about the NFT series (including the essay by Clara Peh) – www.memesmythsandmachines.com.
NFT drop can be found here – rarible.com/zxerokool

The show will open 14 – 23 Jan, 11AM – 6PM, after which visits will be by appointment only from 24 Jan – 20 Mar.

Wong Keen, Pink Lady, 2010, acrylic on canvas

Of Human Bondage – a relationship with Nudes

Showcasing 38 works from 22 artists from Asia and beyond; comprising of drawings, mixed media and Chinese ink on paper, oil on canvas and sculptures.  

After a prolonged hiatus this year due to COVID, The Culture Story is delighted to announce an exclusive display from the Chong H.S. art collection, most of which has not been publicly displayed before. Centered around the theme of “nude”, Mr Chong personally curated 38 works of various sizes and medium by 22 artists from Singapore, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, China, Australia, Britain, USA, Mexico that were acquired and collected over the last 30 years.

Inspired by the great British playwright and novelist William Somerset Maugham (b. 1874 – d. 1965) who wrote the semi-autobiographical novel “Of Human Bondage” in 1915. Inspired by Maugham, Mr Chong borrowed his masterpiece Of Human Bondage as the title for the exhibition. “This exhibition represents one area of my collecting interest over the past thirty years. Like Maugham in Bondage, I like to share stories of my collection journey, many of which are personal, humorous and if I dare say so entirely memorable. This is therefore not an essay about the artists but a chronicle of how and why I acquired their art. Of particular interest would be seldom seen nude paintings from our Singapore artists including early works by our senior artists, such as Lim Yew Kuan, Chua Mia Tee, Tang Da Wu, Wong Keen, Siew Hock Meng, Tan Chor Tee, Lee Boon Wang and Teng Ngee Cheong.” – Chong H.S.

The exhibition is accompanied by an English and Chinese essay written by Mr Chong.

English Essay_Of Human Bondage

Chinese Essay_Of Human Bondage (translated by Jocelyn Koh)

Installation View

Artist Names

Agus Suwage, Armando Amaya, Ben Cabrera, Chen Junde, Chloe Ho, Chua Mia Tee, Fu Lei, Greg James, Huang Lijuan, Kathy McNally, Lee Boon Wang, Liu Bing Jiang, Long Rui, Rajesh Kargutkar, Robert Kipniss, Siew Hock Meng, Sydney Harpley, Tan Choh Tee, Tang Da Wu, Teng Nee Cheong, Tew Nai Tong, Wong Keen

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In conjunction with SEA Focus (20 – 31 Jan 2021), we held SEA Focus VIP guests on Saturday 23^rd Jan 2021.

Close to 70 art collectors, gallerists, artists and enthusiasts joined us on 18 Jan to hear Pak Zain share on his art journey and approach to collecting artists work.

Pak Zain is one of Malaysia’s most respected art collectors of modern and contemporary Malaysian art, The Azahari Collection stands at over 1,000 pieces and is acknowledged to be one of the most significant private collections in Malaysia.  Widely known to be a private and low-profile individual, we were privileged to host Pak Zain and Haslinda who shared their insights behind the Azahari Collection, the vision for Galeri Z which was set up in 2015 and their personal endeavours to publish 3 books so far.

The event launched “Hati & Jiwa: Volume 3 (2019)”  featuring over 500 artworks, by Malaysia’s old masters and 50 contemporary works from younger Malaysian artists and around the region. Volume 3 comprises of four books, thematically categorised as Landscape, Figurative, Abstract and Other Regions with artworks dating from the 1920’s to the present day.