What inspired this exhibition?

I was inspired by a monk's preaching. He said that we could find new creations within ourselves even when we abandon notions of what's good and what's not. The works in Motley & Me were created freestyle, without control or borders. I created them not because I wanted to create "good" art, but because they were what I really like and want to paint.

Tell us a bit about your previous shows.

I had two exhibitions last year, Natural Person and A Tale of Two Tribes. Natural Person was shown at Suvannabhumi Art Gallery in Chiang Mai. In that exhibition, I only displayed portraits of my neighbors to demonstrate the importance of grassroots participation as Myanmar is undergoing political change.

The exhibition A Tale of Two Tribes with Nguyen Quang Huy was at Thavibu Gallery in Bangkok. In these paintings, my inspiration was from Shan State. Colors are usually my main focus, but I wanted my works to reflect my art philosophy as well. 

What’s your daily routine like?

There is no routine. Sometimes, I just read without painting anything; sometimes I draw sketches for the whole week. If I paint, I paint a lot continuously. I like to listen to music, too.

What's your ambition as an artist?

I have the capability to create paintings with emotion, thought and skill. But I want to create works without any boundaries. My motto is: “Never stop painting till the day I die.”

Motley & Me is on through Feb 15 at Art Seasons Gallery.

What is sound art and why does it matter?

Bani Haykal and Joleen Loh: We’re glad you asked. What is important for us in this project is the recognition that the term "sound art" can be problematic for artists and constricting, and the dynamic range of sonic practices or usage of sound as a medium of expression in this exhibition will suggest that the debate of "sound art" versus "music" is less crucial than active listening. In our role as curators for this show, we sought to be attentive to sound’s specificities. It is durational and requires time from its audiences, for instance. It is also a medium that refuses simplistic signifiers and easy interpretation, and we’ve found it crucial to leave the interpretation of experience and meaning to audiences. More than anything else, it should be thought of as an open-ended concept. Sound contributes to our day-to-day life and shapes our perception and we often do not contemplate it enough.

What can we expect at the exhibition?  

Bani Haykal and Joleen Loh: There are 5 components to this exhibition: listening stations, sound installations, sound scores, sound performances, and an archive of sonic practices in Singapore developed by Mark Wong. Across these components, we want to share with audiences the joys and complexities of listening by artists who are completely in love with it, artists who are obsessed with experiencing it from different perspectives, and artists who have concerned themselves with what it means to listen, think about, and express with sound.

Bani, do you think your background as a musician matters when it comes to art?

Bani Haykal: As a musician, I would experience a visual work from a different perspective and, likewise, a sculptor will likely experience a sonic work from another perspective altogether. It is how an individual calls their sonic experience that matters, be it noise, musical, functional, emotional etc. Sound, in some ways, has been an unsung hero; from the traffic light sounds to sound design in film and music production, sound is a physical force first, which usually only gets remembered or acknowledged from an aural perspective.

How did you decide who to feature, and what was the process like?

Bani Haykal: We initially had a pretty long list, which surprised us. But even then, the selection began with folks whose practices we have interest in and who have been pushing the parameters of thinking sonically. It was quite a bit of going back and forth between Joleen and I, as well as with some of the artists we were hoping to involve in the project. It is through this process that we shaped our direction towards this "monster" that is sound art, and therefore stayed away from calling this an exhibition about just that. The conversations we had with the artists provided us with insight to not just their work, but also the attitudes inherent in their respective practices. These conversations shaped the exhibition significantly.

What do you think the perception of sound in the arts is like in Singapore?

Joleen Loh: In terms of art history and criticism in Singapore, sound and visual arts have often been regarded quite separately although this is not unique to Singapore. This happens for many reasons: The developments and key events related to sound often take place in unconventional or alternative venues and are easily overlooked or have little documentation to speak of, and art museums have been more visual arts-oriented and don’t have the infrastructure to accommodate sound works. These are just two of many reasons. Elsewhere, it’s somewhat more accepted and prevalent; take MOMA’s recent major exhibition Soundings and ZKM’s Sound Art. Sound as Medium of Art, for instance.

Bani Haykal: Despite all Joleen said, I'm not sure if it's something we should concern ourselves with. I'm more interested in sharing new experiences and allowing individuals to formulate their own thoughts and truths after their encounter. That's far more interesting.

SOUND: Latitudes and Attitudes is on from Feb 7-Mar 16 at Earl Lu Gallery, LASALLE College of the Arts.

When did you become interested in transgender and transsexuality?
I had read about the subject when I was in France, where I came across an article on Bugis Street and grew curious about it.

Tell us the story behind this collection of portraits.
When I arrived in Singapore in February 1981, I was dreaming of becoming a professional photographer. I bought a Nikon camera and began to spend my nights in Bugis, in a neighborhood of old Chinese houses. There, I met Anita, a Malaysian transsexual, who then introduced me to her community.

What was your relationship with the community like?
I was 23 years old then and most of the girls were about the same age, so little by little we grew closer. They liked having me photograph them and would pose like stars. I wanted to show their femininity. I was fascinated by their ambiguous identity and inner strength living as outcasts on the edges of society. There was always a sense of melancholy—for the old lives they left behind, and for the injustice of their new, hard lives.

What do you like most about the photos?
I love the beautiful night lights, a mix of artificial lights that result in strange colors. The girls’ poses also add to that feeling of cinematographic artificiality—it reminds me of the atmosphere of Wong Kar Wai films. Maybe I was drawn to Bugis Street because it looked to me, unconsciously, like a film set.

What do you want your audience to get out of the show?
An open window to Singapore during the eighties. Bugis Street’s nightlife was world famous at the time. Even though the scene has made way for consumerism, it’s still part of Singapore’s history.

Bugis Street is on from Jan 30-Feb 17 at Objectifs, 56A Arab St., 6293-9782, www.objectifs.com.sg.

The Rain in Spain
You’d think Dempsey art newcomer Barnadas Huang would lose steam after their grand debut of diverse contemporary European art last year, but in fact the current exhibition Blazing City (through Mar 1) is just as impressive, if not more so. Spanish painter Ulpiano Carrasco transforms Singapore’s cityscapes from hygienic blandness and well-engineered precision into bursts of lurid color and light.

Comings and Goings
This year’s Mosaic Music Festival (Mar 7-16) at the Esplanade is the tenth and also the last. Yeah, it’s hard for us to forget high points like Aphex Twin and Grimes too, but dry your eyes—there’s still lots to catch at this year’s edition. We’re super excited about alt-folkster Neko Case and genre-bender Olafur Arnolds who has opened for Sigur Ros. Another don’t-miss fest is the inaugural Singapore Rock Festival, with heavies like Rob Zombie and Korn.

Art for Living
If you liked Archifest, don’t miss the upcoming SingaPlural (Mar 12-16). The islandwide event celebrates design—especially homegrown—through a host of installations, exhibitions and talks by top names like Tim Power and Claudio Colucci. With all genres represented, from urban planning to fashion, we’re expecting to see our favorite people in the local design scene getting some well-deserved attention.

Tell us about the exhibition.
I created three fine ink paintings and three large charcoal drawings that look like ocean waves, river currents and waterfalls from a distance. However, upon closer inspection, you can see that each image is made up of strands of hair that represent my identity.

What was the inspiration?
I’m inspired by the natural environment of the Pacific Ocean (as experienced in California, where I lived for seven years) and the Yellow River in my homeland, China.

What’s the process like?
It’s very time consuming, especially for the large scale charcoal drawings. I always begin with a small study first and work on a larger size second. I also take pictures of my own hair as reference to get detailed information. For large works, I start with a light composition and then work on sections with details and darkness.

How does your current exhibition relate to your past works?
I have been working with hair imagery since 2000. In my early work, I used the disembodied image of long, straight, black hair to represent my own identity through a series of large scale charcoal family portraits. Then I combined my hair with everyday objects to create a second series of small graphite drawings and oil paintings that evoke different emotions through a surrealistic approach.

What aspects of your art are you most proud of?
My work is a mix of traditional skills with contemporary ideas. It’s a combination of craftsmanship—I’ve trained in Chinese ink medium and use charcoal on a monumental scale—and a modern hair/water concept that explores identity.

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