2017 April Singapore Art Events Calendar

The first quarter of the 2017 seems to be the busiest months for the art scene in Singapore, with a whole list of events that went on- Singapore Art Week  that comprises of Art Stage Singapore, Singapore Biennale, Art after Dark, Aliwal Urban Art  Festival, ARTWALK Little India and Singapore Design Week, etc.

If you have missed these, don’t worry, here are some events you can visit in this coming month of April!

Affordable Art Fair 
7-9 April 2017 (Fri-Sun)
F1 Pit Building, 1 Republic Boulevard; Singapore 038975

Whether you are a long-time art collector or just interested in taking the first step of owning your first art piece, the Affordable Art Fair is a great place to start.

Boasting ” thousands of works on offer in all shapes, styles and forms, from over 300 exciting emerging talents and well-know established artists” from “over 40 exhibitors from around the region and beyond’ , you will most likely be able to find something that suits your taste.

If not, you can always feel free to just walk about and take in the diverse range of artworks all in one space.

Opening hours:
7th April (Fri) 12-6pm , 6-10pm #ArtHappyEvening
8th April (Sat) 11am -8pm
9th April (Sun) 11am-6pm

Admission:
Single entry (public days)
Advance tickets (Till 6th April 2017) $15 / Door $18

#ArtHappy Evening (Friday 7 April, 6pm – 10pm.)
Advance tickets (Till 6th April 2017) $20 / Door $25

Concession ( For Senior citizens aged 60 and above, and full-time students.
Please bring proof of concessionary status with you to the fair.) -Door $10

Children under 16 (accompanied by an adult)- Free

* Booking fees apply.

ARTBOX SINGAPORE
14-16, 21-23 April 2017 
(Fri- Sun) 3-11pm
Bayfront Event Space, beside Shoppes Marina Bay Sands
(Nearest MRT: Bayfront MRT Station)

Thailand’s largest creative Artsy Pop-up Flea market, ARTBOX is coming to Singapore.

Showcasing over 300 fashion and food stalls, featuring handmade creative goods from Thai, local and South East Asian young designers and self-designed brands, beauty products, handmade crafts and jewelry, lifestyle products, delicious street food and more, it is set to be a fun event to explore and chill!

Great for all of you who want a fix of Thailand, right here on our sunny island.

This video by ShopJJ offers a perfect glimpse of what to expect there!

Free Entry

MAAD (Market of Artists And Designers)
7 April 2017 (Fri)
5pm-12am
28 Maxwell, Red Dot Design Museum

An ongoing monthly event held at the Red Dot Design Museum that showcases creatives works and talent, this will be the final session of MAAD before the building undergoes into a period of refurbishment.

Drop by to get your portrait drawn by the artistic community at the Organisation of Illustrators Council’s , browse and shop handmade crafts and goods, and enjoy live music by our local musician Andy Yang.

Free Entry

Gillman Barracks Art & History Tour
1 & 8 April 2017 (Sat) 4pm
Gillman Barracks (outside Block 9), 9 Lock Road, Singapore 108937
( Nearest MRT Train Station is Labrador Park)

Public guided tours presented by the Friends of the Museums (FOM) held weekly, covers a selection of Gillman Baracks art galleries and the Centre for Contemporary Art (NTU CCA).

” Uncover exciting contemporary art whilst getting an introduction into the history of Gillman Barracks. An opportunity to appreciate artworks by established and emerging local and international artists, learn about their practices, techniques and what inspires them.”

Free Entry
Registration is required here.

X Alex

(Image credit: affordableartfair, Artbox Thailand, MAAD , gillmanbaracks)

2017 Back to the writing!

Hi everyone! How have you been? It has been almost 2 years since my last entry. In this time, so much has happened and so many things have changed.

While evaluating the things that I do now and the things I used to do, I realised one of the things I have always enjoyed was writing.  This website fashionartisan.com, started in 2010 with my good friend Sybil was one of the ways that we constantly kept updated about the latest arts and fashion events , happenings, collaborations, designers and artists was just an overflow of our interest in the design world.

Now after a 2 year hiatus, I decided that I would like to continue writing, as a way I could add value to the world, share my findings and hopefully engage in a two way conversation with all of you guys who are just as interested in the design world as I am. So please, feel free to leave your comments and I’ll do my best to reply every one of them!

Browsing through the past entries, I realised a lot of the images are now shown as a blank icon, which is really quite an eyesore. I will be replacing them or taking the images down (given I probably can’t remember what that exact image used to be) to make browsing this site a more pleasant experience.

Sybil has given me the go-ahead to write without her, so I’ll probably be flying solo. No one to edit my writing this time round, so do forgive me if I commit any grave grammatical sins.

Looking forward to writing!

X Alex

 

 

Singapore Art Week 2015

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope 2014 had been kind to you and that 2015 holds countless amazing experiences for all of us!

Since 2015 is the year of golden jubilee celebrations for Singapore, my home country, I thought I would focus my first entry on some of the exciting events in Singapore coming up this January!

Singapore Art Week 2015 is coming right up!
The event happening from 17 – 25 January 2015, will include an amazing line up of art exhibitions and openings:

Art Stage Singapore 2015
Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
( Vernissage: 21 January 2015, Fair dates: 22 – 25 January 2015)

Check out Art Stage Singapore 2015, now in its 5th edition. The art fair presents the largest international showcases of Southeast Asian contemporary art, focusing on Southeast Asian art scenes (Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar).

Art After Dark @ Gillman Barracks
9 Lock Road, Singapore 108937
23 January 2015, 6pm till late

Gillman Barracks, formerly a colonial barracks, now houses 17 galleries. Look out for this outdoor party, with artist talks, live music performances, food and drink pop-ups, docent-led tours and a chance to explore CCA’s artist residency studios.

Be sure to also check out DRIVE, Gillman Barracks’ first festival of curated public artworks and its finale event. An interactive outdoor project featuring wall murals, sculptures and multimedia installations of local and international art.  Another highlight is Re-tracking, a curated movie screening featuring clips from Singaporean films with a live soundtrack created by local musicians and artists, and organised with LUSH 99.5 FM.

Aliwan Urban Art Festival
Aliwal Arts Centre, Kampong Glam
17 January 2015, 7pm to late

Look out for art inspired by international street culture – from graffiti to graphic art, rock to afro-beat, skateboarding to breakdancing.

Singapore Art Week at Singapore Art Museum (SAM)

Singapore Art Museum, 71 Bras Basah Road, Singapore 189555
16 January – 25 January 2015

A whole series of events held as part of Art Week Singapore 2015. Look out for film documentaries, late night live music in the SAM courtyards, talks by guest artists and art personalities and an art market.

Prudential Singapore Eye Exhibition
ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018956
17 January – 28 June 2015
( Admission charges apply)

Celebrating the 50^th anniversary of Singapore’s independence, the Prudential Eye Programme, in collaboration with ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands, will present Prudential Singapore Eye where an estimated 25 artists will be exhibited.

Keep a look out for the Prudential Eye Awards, a red carpet evening which recognizes the best emerging Asian contemporary artists as well as the leading exhibitions, galleries, institutions and art critics working to promote Asian contemporary art.  The Awards will be held at the Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands on 20th January 2015.

That’s all for now. Seems like an exciting year for Singapore’s arts scene!

X Alex

(All information & images from the respective sites as per linked in the titles. Photo credits to respective sources.)

Punk by agnès b., not Vivienne Westwood

Always a nice surprise to see exhibitions by fashion labels. The last one I visited was Chanel’s The Little Black Jacket and that was more than a year ago!

One would immediately associated punk with Vivienne Westwood and perhaps be pleasantly surprised by this agnès b. exhibition. In reality, agnès b. has been collaborating with various art mediums including photography for decades. I’ve always been fascinated by the agnès b. CINEMA in Hong Kong and I applaud their support for the arts community.

Agnès worked closely with photographer Sheila Rock to launch this travelling exhibition, which began in London and Paris in 2013 and is making its rounds across Asia this year. With a last name like Rock, it’s no wonder she is able to capture the unpretentious, raw and creative energy of the punk movement in her photographs.

Of course, there is a pop-up store and you may find me hanging out (permanently) there! Punk+: A Photo Exhibition by Sheila Rock is presented by agnès b and opens today at the Substation Gallery at 45 Armenian Street, Singapore 179936. The exhibition runs through 26 October and is open daily from 12 noon to 9 pm. Admission is free.

x Sybil

(Image from sagg)

Kenta Matsushige: Clean, intellectual, minimalistic

Kenta Matsushige’s designs first caught my eye when he was shortlisted as one of the finalist of HYÈRES 2014.

Clean, intellectual and minimalistic, the designs are in a neutral palette of different shades of white and grey.

Based in Japan, Matsushige graduated from the Chambre Syndicale De La Couture Parisienne .

” A work installed within a bucolic setting orin a small provincial town, will have more presence than lost in a city. My collection aims to be urban and modern whilst respecting hinabi, pastoral beauty, which is in opposition to miyabi, urban beauty ”
– Kenta Matsushige

What caught me was the impeccable workmanship and the simple lines that highlighted the dramatic shapes in an understated and muted way. I especially enjoyed the element of surprise in the contoured button hole details and the attention to detail in the use of the swarovski elements.

It is no wonder that he beat 300 other applicants and won the Hyere’s 2014 competition. I find it impressive that he managed to impress with such a small collection and I’m truly looking forward to what he will come up with next!

X Alex

(Images from chasseurmagazine)

A new silhouette for the Asian women: PHUONG MY

One of the most polished brands I’ve seen at BLUEPRINT is PHUONG MY and the SS2014 collection showcased at the trade show left a deep impression. The designer may be young but the brand targets sophisticated women who can afford luxury and enjoy the finer things in life. The simplicity and elegance of the designs shines through and I find the designs very refreshing amongst those featured at BLUEPRINT.

Aged 26, Tran Phuong My is born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and studied at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Her attention to detail is immaculate and again, this can be seen in her works. It also dawned on me that the fabric used for SS2014 is very unique; a beautiful pastel coloured organza silk, and I’m impressed to learn that fabric production is exclusively outsourced to the brand’s partners in Paris, Milan and Hong Kong.

PHUONG MY’s brand vision is to share the beauty of the modern Asian women with the entire fashion world; a truly inspiring statement. According to the brand profile, “PHUONG MY’s greatest inspiration comes from the exquisite virtue of Asian women, who are at the same time fervent and feminine, bold and delicate. Behind their dainty grace, there lies brilliant compassion and admirable strength. With beautiful, striking silhouettes and made from the most exclusively luxury fabrics, designs of Phuong My always embrace the feminine figure of the Orient and make women feel confident about themselves.”

The latest PHUONG MY SS2014 collection is titled Summer Scent which the designer calls “a special treat for women who want to feel feminine, elegant and gorgeous”.

 

Inspired by various element of nature during summer time, sweet pastel colours such as light and baby pink, chartreuse, mint and grey are applied in PHUONG MY’s signature cutting-edge designs.  The brand’s trademark puffed waistline is a prominent feature while the use of laser-cut floral appliqués is added to create a sophisticated 3D visual effect.

The collection centers on creating a diverse spin to the usual cocktail beat by applying a thoughtful selection of fabric and colours. The use of premiere silk, signature wool silk and luxurious Korean polyester organza creates a unique texture and silhouette to the pieces.

Their FW2013 collection celebrates the Asian women by crafting fabric structures and forms that embrace, with rhythm and harmony, the feminine figure of the Orient. The silhouette is further defined by dresses and outer pieces such as coats. While short-sleeved blouses and dresses hug and reveal the female form, the outer pieces carve out visually structural contours, think sculpted shoulders, large collars, and cocoon shape or straight form jackets.

I’m not so much into dresses but there’s no doubt I’ll be waiting for the designer to expand her range of offerings to include pieces that’ll fit with the rest of my wardrobe. I can’t wait.

 

x Sybil

(Images from PHUONG MY)

Alexandre Vauthier: Sleek Sharp Dangerous

I was browsing the web when I came across the works of Alexandre Vauthier. Sleek, sharp and dangerous were the first three words that popped into my mind. I was grabbed by that look of the femme fatale, the confident show of skin and that luxurious glamour.

Having worked at Thierry Mugler’s studio and Jean Paul Gaultier couture’s team, he definitely have an impressive set of credentials. I especially love his bold and dramatic take on fashion, for that sexy, glamourous confident woman.

Here are some looks from his SS2014 Couture collection:

 

Definitely someone to watch out for.

X Alex

(Images from Alexandre Vauthier and Style.com)

Perfectly Paired: Where I See Fashion

If there is a website that perfectly mirrors our vision and inspiration, it’ll be Where I See Fashion, a tumblr created by Bianca Luini, a 22 year-old fashion design student studying at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Her tumblr, like ours, is about fashion and everything that inspires it, from art, design, nature to photography.

She started matching great works of fashion with images that she feels relate to them, either through form, texture, colour or concept, and she hasn’t stopped since. According to Bianca, “Sometimes a fashion picture reminds me instantly of something and I go look for it, sometimes it’s a random picture that makes me think of an outfit or editorial. Occasionally it happens that by chance I see two pictures near each other on my dashboard or in a random blog that perfectly go together.”

 

Details backstage at Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2012 | Terraced rice fields in Yunnan, China

Issey Miyake RTW Spring 2014 | Interior of the Caixa Forum art gallery in Madrid, Spain

Kadi Haute Couture Spring 2013 | Lava flow in Hawaii photographed by Johan Elzenga

Yiqing Yin Haute Couture Fall 2013 | Mountain Lake by Michael Creese, 2014

Yiqing Yin Haute Couture Fall 2012 | The black coast of Vik during heavy rainfall in Iceland by Stefan Forster

The works of fashion alone are beautiful but pairing them with an artwork or an image of a landscape provides an imagery that’s even more striking. It’s almost as if Bianca has discovered the story board behind each piece of design. In a remarkably straight forward manner, she has managed to create a direct dialogue between two works of art. No doubt this will be a website we return to again and again.

x Sybil

(Images from Where I See Fashion)

Making Make: a celebration of artisanal craftsmanship

I’ve been meaning to check out the National Design Centre and I’m glad I finally did! In addition to visiting Kapok (always a pleasure!), I chanced upon an exhibition showcasing the works of students from the NUS Division of Industrial Design. The good news is you can buy the works and support new design ideas! The bad news is the exhibition ends this Sunday.

Making Make is a design platform, led by Hans Tan at the NUS Division of Industrial Design, to explore the artisanal charm of handcrafted products and the beauty of the creation process. Fourteen students were each tasked to create instruments to aid a small batch production of artisanal products; products with qualities otherwise unthinkable with mass production techniques. Some of the works show a sense of maturity that I did not expect to find.

Crinkle by Han Xi

Crumple by Kelly Yap

 

The students will be at the National Design Centre to interact with visitors and explain their design concepts this weekend on 24 and 25 May from 11am to 6pm. Drop by to show your support or you can buy the handcrafted artisan wares from haystakt.

National Design Centre is located at 111 Middle Road, Singapore 188969. It is open from 9am to 9pm daily.

 

x Sybil

(Images from Haystakt)

Asia Fashion Summit: The Korean Showcase

Asia Fashion Summit is usually spread across three days with two days of talks and one day of workshop. This year, however, the programme consists of one day of talks and two days of workshops, which is a pity. Sometimes you get the usual sales pitch, i.e. our country is great for producing your designs or our departmental store has everything you need, but you usually find gems within the programme. These are speakers who give real insight to new trends or retailing strategies and there is Colin McDowell, because who doesn’t want to have a chat with him?

The unofficial ‘Korean showcase’ turned out to be the highlight of the Summit. Rick Yoo, Managing Director of Lotte Global Fashion Division and Jay Anne Jin, Executive Director (Business Development) of LF Corp presented the dynamism of the Korean retail industry and building a solid, long-lasting organizational capability respectively. What’s interesting is that they did not focus on their successful business models but instead discussed key issues within the Korean fashion industry and Korean culture. This ability to self-critique and self-reflect is probably why they are so successful. They understood that Korea’s development and growth in the industry has exceeded healthy limits and that traditions and quality are being compromised. Nonetheless, there are lots to learn from the Koreans, especially their sense of patriotism and loyalty to Korean brands; something we can definitely take a cue from. Time to prove yourselves at this weekends’s BLUEPRINT emporium!

 
x Sybil
(Image from Textile & Fashion Federation, Singapore)