BMW Young Asian Artists Series III [3 parts]

12 November – 17 December 2011 | STPI Gallery | Free admission

BMW Asia and STPI are proud to present “The BMW Young Asian Artists Series III [3 parts]” featuring artists, Genevieve Chua, Lyra Garcellano and R.E. Hartanto led by curator, Heman Chong (an artist who participated in the debut BMW YAAS series), in collaboration with curators, Joselina Cruz and Agung Jennong.

Initiated in 2005, BMW YAAS III is one of the longest arts partnerships between a corporate entity and a non-profit arts organisation in Singapore enabling young, promising Asian artists to make their mark. This platform empowers artists to push their conceptual developments and produce fresh, innovative works of art with the support of curators and STPI’s workshop expertise.

Genevieve Chua is a Singaporean multi-disciplinary artist who investigates the psychology of fear in her work. Chua’s new series are stunning photographic etchings of botanicals on paper with sheer, fluid colours on black and white photography. Chua’s experimental approach with printmaking render a different character to these monochromatic still life prints, composing a haunting beauty that serves as a surface for our imaginations.

Manila based artist, Lyra Garcellano’s art is one of disclosure, using her life events as inspiration to project her hopes and dreams while traversing environments conditioned by social conventions, nationality and gender. Garcellano’s intimate, ethereal portraits embellished with motifs of antique frames or topographical maps, create contemplative moments evoked by the abstract self in space, emphasising the manifestation of memories in our projected selves.

R.E. Hartanto is an Indonesian artist who currently lives and works in Bandung. His portraits capture vivid facial expressions of his subjects – some are locked in cryptic suspicion while others are in a state of shock at unknown sources from beyond the drawing board. Underlying these unsettled portrayals is the artist’s reflection on disconnection in contemporary society which triggers and perpetuates these anxieties.

At STPI, the artists were given the opportunity to explore the print medium and further expand their creative boundaries and produce works that none otherwise could had been achieved alone.“This series has become a springboard for young artists who are going to shape and prescribe the future of contemporary art in Asia,” said Emi Eu, Director, STPI. Chief Curator, Heman Chong adds, “This project steered by co-curators Joselina Cruz and Agung Jennong spanned different geographies and nationalities expanding the creative merits of BMW YAAS.”

BMW Asia is an active partner in the Singapore government’s efforts to build and nurture a design industry here. Its generous sponsorship and support gave STPI full confidence to forge ahead with this project and help young artists achieve the breakthrough they are looking for. Artists were given free reign to exercise their imagination and explore printmaking as a powerful means of projecting their ideas and visions – as encapsulated in this exhibition.

“Over the past 40 years, BMW has always been supportive towards the sponsorship of cultural programs ranging from architecture and design, classical music and jazz, and most of all, contemporary art. We are pleased to have been able to support Asian artists over the past six years through the BMW Young Asian Artists Series, which has uncovered countless talented artists during this time,” said Mr Sethipong Anutarasoti, Corporate Affairs Director, BMW Group Asia.

STPI (Singapore Tyler Print Institute) is a catalyst and an advocate for new ideas, dialogues and trends for contemporary art in print and paper. It collaborates with emerging and recognised artists from all around the world to create artworks with its exceptional print-, paper-making facilities and expertise.

Established in 2002 with the support of the Singapore Government, STPI is a not-for-profit organisation that presents innovative exhibitions and programmes to a broad audience, where works on paper and print by contemporary artists can be discovered in unique and engaging ways.

Source: BMW Asia