EXHIBITION
v.atas



by Zhang Fuming

12 Sept — 9 Nov 2019




RELATED EVENTS



Art Appreciation Club: Printmaking 101: Using Woodblock


Wed 25 Sept 2019,
6:30pm — 8:30pm


Faciliated by Zhang Fuming


Click here for more details ︎

Telok Ayer Arts Club is pleased to present v. atas, a solo exhibition by young Singapore artist Zhang Fuming on the middle-class pursuit for a lifestyle that seems to come straight out of Monocle, putting forward an conspicuous image of success. On exhibition are all new works of largely black and white woodcut prints and a functional photo booth installation depicting anonymous men in suits and luxurious interiors. The word "atas" is a Malay preposition similar to "above", and has been adopted by our status-conscious society into colloquial usage to refer to something as expensive or someone with a taste for such expensive things.

Zhang Fuming is a consummate printmaker trained in printmaking at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore. Currently, he largely works with woodcut as his art medium, favouring the physically direct and immediate process of carving, and the intimacy with the material that it entails. Working closely and alongside the variable characteristics of the wood block, Fuming’s prints often reveals rather than obscures its grains and imperfections. Labour is a recurring theme in many of his works and is mirrored in the rough uneven marks from strips of islands left to stand in the recessed areas of the block, hinting at the unseen labour of gouging away un-inked surfaces.





about the artist


Zhang Fuming (b.1989) is an artist trained in the disci- pline of Printmaking and work with mediums largely of traditional origin. He favours the direct and physical nature of the Printmaking proccess as it allows him to focus on the creation of imagery as a means to uninter- rupted communication with his audience.

Harnessing the direct, efficient usage of black-white narratives in expressing critical social messages, he create works reprising the role of social realism.

An early series of work entitled “Rice Bowl” (2010) anchored his concepual oversight – The term Rice Bowl being an analogy referencing the staple means a person earns his or her living. Since, the representation of men within their genre of livelihood have continued to be a reoccuring inspiration and central theme for his work. His developed bodies of works reflects societal expecta- tions and biasness, granting placid observations with the comprehensions of social commentary.

In 2014, Zhang was formally awarded the Young Talent Programme Solo Exhibition Prize and present- ed his debut solo exhibition, “The Quest: The Exquisite Rice Bowl”, in Ion Arts Gallery on September 2015. He had since showcased his second solo exhibition, “Poised for Success” in late 2016 at AC43 Gallery.

Amongst his selected group exhibitions include “Daydreams + Nightmares” (2014) at The Substation Gallery as part of the Singapore Night Festival, “Presence and Distances” (2015) at Flaneur Gallery, “You Don't Need 100 Editions” (2018) at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, and more recently, “Bon A Tirer” (2018) at AC43 Gallery.

Abroad, Zhang has participated in artist initiated showcases such as Buku Mini in Jogjakarta (2017) and have been selected the Singaporean representative in The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Art Week in Xiamen, China, 2016.

Zhang’s creations are held in various private collections with notable patrons such as Mr Koh Seow Chuan and the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, amongst others.







for enquiries

contactus@telokayerartsclub.sg



               

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