Yayoi Kusama: Recent paintings
Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama's latest works, a selection of which are on show at Ota Fine Arts, are a departure from her earlier works. Unlike the candy-coloured canvases that were shown at the National Gallery Singapore's 2017 retrospective, the 15 paintings here are all in stark monochrome.
Also part of The Eternal Soul series, these 100 by 100cm works are quite recognisably Kusama with familiar motifs of eyes, profiles and the inevitable infinity nets. The black and white canvases are intriguing as it brings to the fore her obsession with painting negative spaces.
Some of the patterns recall Zentangles - a method of creating repetitive curved patterns - except her works offer more organically chaotic shapes.
Also on display is Clouds, an installation of 90 mirror-finished steel forms which undulate across the floor like oversized frozen mercury droplets.
Where: Ota Fine Arts Singapore, 02-13, Gillman Barracks, 7 Lock Road
MRT: Labrador Park
When: Till March 6, Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 7pm; Sundays, 11am to 6pm
Admission: Free
Info: Visit the Ota Fine Arts website
Oedipus
Nine Years Theatre takes on Sophocles' great family tragedy in its return to the theatre. The staging will be contemporary but the themes - fate and choice, hubris and regret - are eternal in this Greek play.
The city of Thebes is suffering a pandemic and President Oedipus (Hang Qian Chou) consults an oracle to find the solution. He is told to hunt down the murderer of the previous leader, Laius, but the investigation uncovers horrific secrets in his own family.
Director Nelson Chia has always managed to plumb Western classics in thought-provoking ways and it will be intriguing to see how this production responds to a contemporary crisis.
Where: KC Arts Centre, 20 Merbau Road
MRT: Fort Canning
When: Feb 5, 7.30pm; Feb 6, 2.30 and 7.30pm and Feb 7, 6pm
Admission: $38, $42 from Sistic (call 6348 5555 or go to Sistic's website)
Info: Visit Nine Years Theatre's website
Ah De's music trivia
This new music trivia miniseries has launched just in time to offer some context to the familiar favourites that get played in malls in the run-up to Chinese New Year. The Singapore Chinese Orchestra's resident conductor Quek Ling Kiong, togged out in coolie costume, offers a compact music history lesson in bite-sized video clips.
The first song to be featured is Full Of Joy, which did not start out as a Chinese New Year song but has become a seasonal classic due to its festive arrangement and bright tonal colours.
There will be four videos in this series, uploaded on the SCO's Facebook page and YouTube channel every Wednesday at 5pm.
Where: Singapore Chinese Orchestra's Facebook page or their YouTube channel
Admission: Free
