Asian artforms and Asian Architecture - Link?

[Debbie]

What do you know about any Asian art form? What do you know about Asian arts and do you often feel like giving the Asian art galleries a pass when you visit a museum? Does Singaporean art intrigue you, or have you ever visited one of the museums, Asian Civilisations Museum, National Museum, Singapore Art Museum, NUS Museum, with the distinct intent to view a collection of Asian or Singaporean exhibition?

Why am I asking this? It's been a puzzlement of mine for some time that while, we're all eager beavers to Andy Warhol, Gordon Matta-Clarke, Matthew Barney (and I'm sure many other foreign artists), we hardly know a teaspoon of those in the local arts scene.

Maybe I speak for myself. Though I do not recall names from heart, gush over the Georgette Chen's heavy brushstrokes and textures as if though I've been following her work forever, I do adore gazing into the canvases of our older Singaporean painters - think Ng Eng Teng and Chen.

Something connects, something about this peaceful language of riverboats, the bold but sometimes waif calligraphic strokes, the pensive, doe-eyed coyness, the shy asian traditions, the batik imprints... does it move you?

Do we often study more about the global culture and foreign fads than draw from our heritage in art and architecture (no matter how pathetic we lament it to be)? Have we often shied away from really delving into the 'mandala plan' (think Johannes Widodo hehe), but visited the Borobudur or Angkor Wat and think, hey cool, *snap*.

Take a trip down to the museums today with an eye for something Singaporean, perhaps?

[Jiajun Yeo]

I think a nice precedent would be the Musee du Quai Branly by Atelier Jean Nouvel...although the work isn't European nor French it showcases art and culture from other continents like Africa and beyond, using somewhat unorthodox exhibition and curation techniques that are quite different from that of your typical high art, white box, MoMA-esque museum. I think this is something that the National Art Gallery should seriously consider thinking about. But alas, who's going to tell them?

JJ

[Amy]

I am hesitant to say that I like Asian art -- while I do know that culture underlies the influence of the expression of art, I am saddened that Asians (with the exception of a rare few) are quite restricted when they are expressing themselves. It seems like the only thing they know how to express are only what they see -- which funnily enough, seems to be the same ol' things that perpetuate (and punctuate) our Asian-ness. Bicycles, the hibiscus, orchids, wau, kereta beca, etc. I find it extremely disappointing that the artists here are finding new ways to regurgitate old material, instead of forging new experiences, going with the unknown and to open their minds to new possibilities.