“Little Red Dot”, is a term colloquially used to describe Singapore as a world powerhouse relative to its size. The exhibition celebrates the greater cultural influence, complexity and journey of its artists and their works. From peeking at the early history of Singapore through the anthropological lens of Khairulddin Wahab to the collective subconsciousness of yearning for sanctuaries within the urban landscape of Shen Jiaqi, each artwork bears, in its own way, the significant milestones made by each artist in this unique showcase.
Little Red Dot – London Edition includes works by Afiqa A’mran, Aisha Rosli, Faris Heizer, Israfil Ridhwan, Khairulddin Wahab, Marla Bendini, Shen Jiaqi and Vanessa Liem. Amongst the artists is Ruo-Hsin Wu, a London-based Taiwanese artist who joined the gallery’s residency programme as their first international resident in Singapore earlier this year.
About the Artists
Singapore-based artist Afiqa A’mran (b. 1995, Singapore) graduated from LASALLE College of the Arts. Her works focus on blurring the lines between reality and fiction as well as projecting how ironic it is that we are told to be ourselves; yet we are forced to present ourselves only in the ways that are acceptable by society’s standards.
Referencing 20th-century painters Francis Bacon and Egon Schiele, as well as contemporaries such as Marlene Dumas, Aisha Rosli (b. 1997, Singapore) works within the tradition of figurative painting and contemplates the representation of the female figure towards an embodiment of the psychological expressive. Her new exploration of the use of blue hue on the complexion of the characters calls to mind feelings of calmness, fondness and ultimately, the increased sensitivity to pain.
Faris Heizer’s (b. 1998, Singapore) works are based on personal observations of contemporary society and its structural workings revolving around capitalism and gender. His artistic inquiries often feature the white-collar worker in a range of imagined realities charged with intimacy, tension, and bewilderment.
Israfil Ridhwan (b. 1999, Singapore) graduated from NAFA with a Diploma in Fine Arts. An instinctive visual pleaser, Israfil’s paintings are an amalgamation of neo-expressionism and figurative elements. Rendered with modern and baroque references for the subjects in his paintings, Israfil captures universal concepts such as identity and human relationships through his lived experiences. Featured in The Straits Times after a sold-out solo show, Israfil will be joining the gallery’s residency programme.
Khairulddin Wahab’s (b. 1990, Singapore) paintings weave narratives drawn from anthropology, environmental history, and post-colonialism in Singapore and Southeast Asia and he creates visual tableaus that allude to our historico-political encounters with the natural world.
“Marla Bendini” (b. 1986, Singapore) started painting and making installations during her junior college education. Marla Bendini is also a cross-disciplinary artist and trans woman working in painting, text, sound and performance to articulate the infinitely faceted transgender experience on her own terms. Her current painting practice uses the female gaze through a combination of writing, drawing, painting, collage and printmaking to create layered 'documentations' of a unique woman's experience.
Shen Jiaqi’s (b. 1989, Singapore) practice examines themes of individual existence amidst perennial changes of the urban environment, and the culmination of routines within established boundaries. Drawing from the collective subconscious of yearning for a safe respite within the franticness of the city, her works evoke interpretations towards familiar yet fictional suggestions of spaces.
Vanessa Liem (b. 2002, Singapore) uses paint as her primary medium to explore the human condition through surrealism and alternative depictions of the human form, reinterpreting her subject matter in abstract terms. Vanessa’s fresh body of work reflects herself in variations of alien-like mortal figures in desolate spaces. This series of highly figurative works are surrealistic depictions of the oppressive weight of existence, particularly hers. Upon seeking escapism by situating herself in familiar and unknown spaces, she questions how this coping mechanism might lead her in circles of psychological destruction.
Guest Artist
Ruo-Hsin Wu (b. 1993, Taiwan) is a London-based Taiwanese visual artist who focuses on painting, drawing, and handmade animation. The innocent appearance of her work has often packaged uncomfortable feelings and potential threats. Ruo’s work is usually driven by her personal experience, dealing with time, space, and memory, especially her childhood. Each piece is a non-linear story made of fragments from the world around her. To create empathetic communication, she has developed an ambiguous narrative form, dealing with the junction between individual and collective memory.
Pictured: Shen Jiaqi, Nightriders, 2022, Acrylic on linen, 140 x 180 cm
