“Touch” is a joint exhibition by Singaporean artist couple, Lim Soo Ngee and April Ng Kiow Ngor. Sculptor Lim Soo Ngee presents his series of wood sculptures, while April Ng, a printmaker, showcases her latest collection of intaglio works. This is their first duo exhibition together in their art careers that have individually spanned almost three decades. “Touch” is a celebration of the seamless integration of philosophy and technique in the works of both artists, who have tenaciously developed their skills and innovation in their respective medium over the years.
Soo Ngee’s latest series portrays common people as superheroes and angels – or Street Heroes and Winged Portraits as he calls them; a humorous yet truthful expression about how we overcome life’s obstacles and struggles in our daily life, that are in many situations, super-human feats in themselves. He is also conveying a simple idea that every man has a kindness in him, regardless of his appearance. We are all one another’s angels.
Carving each personality from a single wood block and hand-painted, Soo Ngee imbues a playful, almost childlike quality in each character, dressed in simple everyday attire that are adorned with superheroes insignias. The winged portraits have angel wings that are at first glance barely noticeable until you turn around to look at the back of the sculptures; highlighting the thought that angels exist in our midst but are usually not immediately seen or recognized.
Soo Ngee’s sculptures exude charm and common touch through its unveiled and truthful portrayal of the various characters, with subtle details such as their physical attributes, attire, accessories, postures and facial expressions that allow a reading of their personality and inner thoughts and with the intention to provoke different thoughts and feelings in its viewers. The chiseled textures on the wood add to the depth and character of their personalities.
April’s approach in her artistic practice is a reflection of her attitude to life – simplicity. Her works are inspired by nature; nature distilled to its simplest forms and shapes; re-imagined as abstract landscapes that exuberates an atmosphere of calmness and meditative silence.
Movements and forms are captured in the layering of chromatically rich textures of the printmaking processes. They demonstrate a mastery of the print medium and an understanding of intricate relationship between dots, lines, forms, colours and space.
In her current works, the incorporation of embossing techniques leaves almost non-visible marks and traces on the paper bringing forth the concept of interdependence, while adding depth and tactile quality to her works. There is tangibility within seemingly nothing; the works focus on the inter-reliance between people, and between Man and Nature. To truly co-exist with nature, Man has to tune his sensory system to be more aware of the relative positions of their bodies to other non-visible organism within the same space.
Lim Soo Ngee graduated from the Edinburgh College of Art – Heriot-Watt University in UK with a Master of Fine Art in Sculpture in 1997, and from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Singapore with a Diploma in Fine Art (Sculpture) in 1989. Throughout his art career, he was won numerous awards and grants as recognition of his talents. As a thought leader in sculpture art, Soo Ngee has been actively in his participation of related workshops and symposiums all over the world to share his experience and exchange ideas with fellow practitioners. Having participated in group and solo exhibitions in Singapore and overseas, Soo Ngee’s works are in the collections of esteemed public and private institutions all over the world.
April Ng graduated from The Slade School of Fine Arts (University College of London) with a Higher Diploma in Printmaking (of equivalent status and standard to an Master in Fine Art) in 1993 and from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts Singapore with a Diploma in Fine Art (Painting) in 1989. Since 1988, she has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Singapore and internationally. An award-winning artist, April Ng’s works are in corporate and private art collections worldwide.
《觸》是由新加坡藝術家夫妻檔林序毅及黃嬌娥， 繼他們倆藝術生涯近30年以來的首度雙人展。資深雕塑家林序毅將展示一系列木雕，而版畫家林嬌娥則將展示她最近期的凹版作品。是次展覽《觸》，展出的作品體現了哲學與技術的完美結合，也是他們多年來，在自己創作媒介的領域裡，堅持發展自己的技術和創新的成果。
林氏的最新系列作品將普通人刻畫為超級英雄和天使 – 他稱之為街市英雄和人間天使；以幽默的手法，真實的表達我們如何克服日常生活中的困難與鬥爭，在這過程中，往往很多時候，它們本身就是一個超人的壯舉。通過作品，林氏只是想表達一個簡單的想法，凡人都有善良的一面，不關長相美丑身材怎樣，大家都是彼此的天使。
林氏從一個單一的木塊雕刻每個人物，再經過手繪，將人物繪上附有超級英雄徽章的日常服裝， 把每個角色都注入了俏皮、近乎童心的性質。“人間天使”的一系列作品，塑像都有一雙天使的翅膀，咋看之下幾乎不顯眼，直到你轉到雕塑的背面；突出了即便通常不會立即被看見或認可，天使仍存在於我們之間的這種想法。
林氏利用細微的細節，如身體屬性，服裝，配飾，姿勢和面部表情，揭開了各種人物的真實寫照，容許人們可以滲透塑像的個性和內心的想法，試圖激發觀眾對作品的不同想法和感受，另其作品散發著無窮的魅力和共通的觸覺。木材上的鑿子紋理更增添了他們個性的深度和特徵。
版畫藝術家黄嬌娥的一系列作品，源于對簡單生活的追求及平凡事物的觀察。以個人主觀的意念把自然景物還原到簡單的形體，並在構圖上推敲安排，再變換成心中抽象的物景組合。
簡單直接的構圖，強烈展現于觀者眼前，通過版畫的製作過程，在那色彩豐富的紋理分層中，使作品在抽離、靜瑟、沉穩中，增添了幾許躁動與生息。作品充分體現了版畫創作技巧的掌握，以及對點、線、形式、顏色和空間之間那錯綜複雜關係的理解。
在黄氏的近期作品中，應用版畫凸版壓印法，使紙面隱約的凸痕效果帶出相互依存的概念。 看似無物卻是有形，作品著重於人與人, 人與自然互相依賴和並存的共生關係。要真正與自然並存，人類就必須調整他的感官體系，以便更多地了解他們的身體，在同一空間內與其他不可見生物體的相對位置。
林序毅生於1962年，1997年於英國愛丁堡藝術學院 - 赫里瓦特大學，獲雕塑美術碩士學位；1989年畢業於新加坡南洋美術學院並取得藝術（雕塑）文憑。在他的藝術生涯中，他曾榮獲了無數的獎項和獎學金，以表彰他的才華。作為雕塑藝術的思想領袖，林氏一直積極參與世界各地的相關工作坊和研討會，分享他的經驗，並與同行交流意見。曾參加新加坡和海外的聯展和個展，林氏的作品備受世界各地受人矚目的公共和私人機構收藏。
黃嬌娥生於1963年，1993年畢業於斯莱德美術學院（倫敦大學學院），獲版畫高等文憑（與美術碩士學位同等學歷）；1989年畢業於新加坡南洋美術學院並取得藝術（繪畫）文憑。自1988年以來，她曾在新加坡和海外各個國家，參加過多個個展和聯展。身為一個屢獲殊榮的藝術家，黃氏的作品備受世界各地的企業和私人藝術藏家收藏。 |
