LIGHTNESS OF BEING BY EVA ARMISEN
Spanish artist Eva Armisen, who is in her 40s, draws upon the child within to recapture the emotions of family, love and togetherness.
In a world full of bad news, she says her work (above) is about hope. "I try to be aware and keep my emotions alive. I am an optimist," she says in an e-mail interview with The Straits Times. "My inspiration comes from everyday life. I look to expressing emotions in the most simple and direct way."
Families also feature prominently in her works. "I often paint my family, but the messages it transmits is universal, and not so different from other families in the world," says Armisen, who is married with two teenage children.
She will also conduct free painting sessions at Ode To Art Gallery Raffles City on Dec 9 and 10.
WHERE: Ode To Art Raffles City, 01-36E/F Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Road MRT: City Hall WHEN: Dec 6 to 11, 11am to 9pm (Sundays to Thursdays); noon to 10pm (Fridays and Saturdays); Painting sessions on Dec 9 and 10, 2 to 3.30pm and 3.30 to 5pm ADMISSION: Free. For painting sessions, register by e-mailing info@odetoart.com or calling 6250-1901. INFO: www.odetoart.com
UOB PAINTING OF THE YEAR: WINNERS SHOWCASE
Thai artist Sukit Choosri, 40, clinched this year's United Overseas Bank (UOB) South-east Asia Painting of the Year award with his artwork, One Life, which depicts the transience of life. He said in an earlier interview with The Straits Times: "One Life focuses on religion and life. It reflects my views that life is uncertain and that it is continually changing from birth to death."
Also on display is artist Sunny Chyun's linen artwork, Dyspraxia which features embroidery and glow-in-the-dark paint. Chyun won this year's UOB Painting of the Year (Singapore) Award.
The 38-year-old Seoul-born Singapore permanent resident has dyspraxia, a condition that affects motor coordination in children and adults.
WHERE: UOB Art Gallery, Lobby, UOB Plaza 1, 80 Raffles Place MRT: Raffles Place WHEN: Till Feb 28, 9am to 6.30pm (Mondays to Fridays), 9am to 2pm (Saturdays) ADMISSION: Free
ANWESHA - BEYOND THE DARKNESS
Maya Dance Theatre's new work, Anwesha - Beyond The Darkness, revisits the tale of Hindu goddess Sita and addresses the issue of mental well-being amid the pressures of modern urban society.
The company's artistic director, Kavitha Krishnan, 45, drew on her own experience as an occupational therapist for the work, while the dancers got a chance to work with clients from the Singapore Association for Mental Health's Creative Hub.
Krishnan hopes the piece can increase awareness of the prevalence of mental illness and reduce the stigma attached to it.
WHERE: Drama Centre Black Box, Level 3 National Library Building, 100 Victoria Street MRT: City Hall/Bugis WHEN: Today, 8pm; tomorrow, 2.30 and 8pm ADMISSION: $30 and $25 (concession) from anweshabeyondthedarkness.peatix.com INFO: www.mayadancetheatre.org
CINERAMA: ART AND THE MOVING IMAGE IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA
Hand-drawn animation, films and immersive installations are showcased at this Singapore Art Museum exhibition, which features 10 contemporary artists and art collectives from the region.
The museum's director of curatorial, programmes and publications, Ms June Yap, says the exhibition highlights "the shifting boundaries between the moving image, film and art" and reflects the "dynamic and deft ways in which artists can transform the media, even as the media itself continues to evolve".
Korakrit Arunanondchai (Thailand) and Alex Gvojic's (United States) There's A Word I'm Trying To Remember, For A Feeling I'm About To Have (A Distracted Path Towards Extinction) intertwines personal memories with an imagined post-apocalyptic future of the planet. Their multidisciplinary work expands beyond the screen to incorporate an installation further blurring the lines between real life and simulation.
Featured local artists include Jeremy Sharma and Sarah Choo Jing.
WHERE: Singapore Art Museum (SAM at 8Q), 8 Queen Street MRT: Bras Basah WHEN: Till March 18, 10am to 7pm (Saturdays to Thursdays), 10am to 9pm (Fridays) ADMISSION: Free for Singaporeans, permanent residents, all children under six and for all every Friday 6 to 9pm and on Open House days; foreign adults $6; students and seniors $3 (20 per cent discount for groups of 20 or more) INFO: singaporeartmuseum.sg
