EVENT CALENDER

ARTIST's CORNER - Shia Yih Yiing

What is the central concept that governs your work?
The synonymous in the show-off Generation Me and super ego of super hero.

What inspires you? What do you do to get inspired? What inspires your work?
Playfulness. Interaction with my children. Their material world & thoughts.

What engages you as an artist? What issues engages you? Does it drive your direction of work in any particular area?
My interest and will to express and show independently. A Malaysian Chinese in relation to the mother country and world. It inspires me to look into the world of social, politic, design & entertainment.

In your opinion, do you consider yourself a contemporary artist?
No, still learning and exploring.

What do you think is the role of a contemporary artist in society?
Create work strategically to engage the audience to respond, read, interact and trigger their sense and heart.

Do you think art education plays a big role in shaping our future generation/nation building? If yes, how?
No.

What is the most recent book you’ve read?
David Wand’s essay on Chinese authors from Peking, Shanghai, Taipei and Hong Kong.

Do you have a favourite superhero? Who?
Yes. My son, ‘The Flash’.

What would you be doing if you were not an artist?
Adult and children art instructor.

ARTIST's CORNER - Vincent Leong

What is the central concept that governs your work?
I HOPE THERE ARE NO CENTRAL CONCEPT THAT GOVERNS ME OR MY WORK. EVERYTHING CHANGES. MY WORLD AROUND ME, MY WORK AND ME. NOTHING STAYS THE SAME.

What inspires you? What do you do to get inspired? What inspires your work?
I AM INSPIRED BY EVERY DAY LIFE. BY WATCHING PEOPLE AND OBSERVING SOCIAL CONDITIONS. POPULAR CULTURE CURRENTLY FEEDS MY IMAGINATION BECAUSE FOR ME IT REFLECTS CONTEMPORARY CULTURE.

What engages you as an artist? What issues engages you? Does it drive your direction of work in any particular area?
DIFFERENT ISSUES INTEREST ME AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN MY LIFE. MY WORK IS A REACTION TO THE WORLD AROUND ME, AND IS DIRECTLY EFFECTED BY MY LIFE, AND VICE VERSA.

What do you think is the role of a contemporary artist in society?
AT THE MOMENT, I FEEL THAT CONTEMPORARY ART IS (AND SHOULD BE) A MIRROR TO CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY AND ITS VALUES ON CULTURE.

Do you think art education plays a big role in shaping our future generation/nation building? If yes, how?
DEFINITELY. PENDIDIKAN SENI IS ONE OF THE RARE SUBJECTS IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT ALLOW/ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO CREATE AND FORM THEIR OWN THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO THINK FOR ONESELF AND NOT JUST ACCEPT WITHOUT QUESTIONING.

Who’d you like to meet (passed on/alive) if you had the chance to?
MARILYN MANSON AND ZHANG ZIYI.

What is the most recent book you’ve read?
THE LIFE OF PI.

Do you have a favourite superhero? Who?
YES. TERESA KOK.

ARTIST's CORNER - Low Yi Chin

What is the central concept that governs your work?
I observe different life forms in our rapidly developing environment, and study into the biological impact and consequences towards the living environment nowadays (i.e. the Greenhouse Effect).

What inspires you? What do you do to get inspired? What inspires your work?
Six year ago, my eldest son coming to join me in this world. His presence has led me to experience the joyous and wonders of life! In accompanying him to explore the world, I started to pay attention to the surroundings. I hence observed different life forms of many living things include tiny earthworm to primates such as apes, monkeys and, mankind.

What engages you as an artist? What issues engages you? Does it drive your direction of work in any particular area?
During my secondary school days, I was studying science stream and being very much interested in biology. After I step into art field, I found artist and scientist are mainly the same: to observe and to question. I like to pay attention and observe the surrounding environment (nature world). But as an artist, I only bring up the question without providing the solution.
I found artwork is a better means in awaken people to concern about environmental issues than scientific reports.

In your opinion, do you consider yourself a contemporary artist?
Yes. My artwork concept is concern about today’s environmental issues.

What do you think is the role of a contemporary artist in society?
He or she has to concern about the community as well as the environment and social problems. Act as an observer and questioner.

Do you think art education plays a big role in shaping our future generation/nation building? If yes, how?
I agree because Art is about training people on how to observe and use different angles to interpret things and issues.

What is the most recent book you’ve read?
Book title: “die Meere”: A past, present, and future of our sea environment.
Author: Frank SCHÄTZING, Wild Man publisher

What would you be doing if you were not an artist?
Maybe to become a farmer, or an organic farmer.

ARTIST's CORNER - Ooi Kooi Hin

What is the central concept that governs your work?
Human emotions. Humour.

What inspires you? What do you do to get inspired? What inspires your work?
I believe in getting ones feeling released and channeled it properly helps in becoming a better person.

What engages you as an artist? What issues engages you? Does it drive your direction of work in any particular area?
Human is the subject that never bored me. As one humankind myself, I create work in inspiration to learn and understand more of myself, as well as getting to know others.

What do you think is the role of a contemporary artist in society?
Be more involved.

Do you think the role of a contemporary artist has changed from the 20th century to the 21st century within the social structure of society?
Has this effect/influence your practice of art in relation to this shift/change?
I think it has changed gradually. We are being exposed more easily to what is happening around through media, in particular the internet. Yes it has influenced me.

Do you think art education plays a big role in shaping our future generation/nation building? If yes, how?
Yes, arts open up possibilities, intrigue more perspectives. I loath to see mono structure set by social norm.

What is the most recent book you’ve read?
Design Of Design (By Kenya Hara)

What would you be doing if you were not an artist?
… Labourer? Or may be a cook.

Promotional Items Ready!

After much grueling hard work, the CAIS Project banners, buntings, posters and invitation cards are now ready! On Friday (15 August 2008), we decided to personally take the posters and invitation cards to the school and do a class by class distribution. It was the last day of the high school term before the students leave for their 1 week break, thus we thought that it would be a good time to remind them that when they return, their school would be transformed into an alternative art exhibition space for CAIS where contemporary art pieces of work will spring into live in various corners! Yes, it was an exciting morning waking up at 6am once again (nostalgic of our school days) and find ourselves entering Stella Maris High School in time for the first bell to distribute these items to each student. We would also really like to thank Marge, who is the principal of Stella Maris High School for her permission to do so in short notice.

Following that, we took some time to conduct a survey with the students to gauge their perception and understanding of art before the exhibition in order to conduct a follow up session then after. This was purposed that we may obtain a better understanding on the effectiveness of CAIS when the project is completed. It was really a good time having the opportunity to have a much closer interaction with all of the students at the school and yes, we certainly look forward for more of these when the exhibition starts this 25 August 2008 till the 6 September 2008, 11am - 5pm. The number of response was beyond our expectations and worthwhile indeed.

Shoutout to Stella Maris High School students: Do remember to invite all your friends, family and loved ones to come over to your school during the public viewing days (see invitation card) to witness this project yea!

The Poster:

ARTIST's CORNER - Kok Siew Wai

What is the central concept that governs your work?
Subjects that happen to me or around me, some would describe as “the little things in everyday life.” I believe that art is about life. The art that an artist’s create is his/her life experience or insight.

What inspires you? What do you do to get inspired? What inspires your work?
Anything can inspire me … As an artist, I’m attentive and sensitive to things that happen around me. It can be anything. I’ve made work with the sound of water pipes, in the bathtub, cooking in the kitchen, my mother, visiting abandoned factory, cruising on the train, friends’ chatting at a party etc. It really can be anything. And I don’t like to categorize myself that I only make work about this or that. I keep changing, so does my life, and the world at large.

What engages you as an artist? What issues engages you? Does it drive your direction of work in any particular area?
To create art is a way of expression. I respect individual expression. The modern society has created many clones of products, ideologies and lifestyles. We need a space and a medium to think and act critically and express ourselves freely, I feel. For an artist, perhaps this place is art. I have an urge for self-exploration since I was a kid. So I guess this has become a serious life-long pursue manifesting in my artwork. Buddhism, Taoism and modern spiritual practitioners have always been indicating “to understand the world, you have to start from understanding yourself. No scripture, theory and no sage can do this for you, you have to do it by yourself, go for this journey.” I feel the truth of this notion and therefore am investigating my own life as a “case study” to understand humanity.

In your opinion, do you consider yourself a contemporary artist?
Yes.

What do you think is the role of a contemporary artist in society?
To tell some truths in the time period that they live in.

Do you think the role of a contemporary artist has changed from the 20th century to the 21st century within the social structure of society?
Has this effect/influence your practice of art in relation to this shift/change?
The methods and mediums might have changed, but the subject matters of art can pretty much be the same. For example, I can talk about human immortality using a solo voice piece or fusing this idea into a web hypertext project or a video. The medium doesn’t matter that much to me. The issues that we concern are more interesting. Today’s audience is more receptive to multidisciplinary work because of the multimedia and the internet culture. This might be something unique in our time.
Do you think art education plays a big role in shaping our future generation/nation building? If yes, how?
Yes. Art is culture and spirituality. A country without culture and spirit is like an empty building. It is an empty structure without content.

Are there any role models that you’ve had (within/ with out art practice)?
Tony Conrad and Maya Deren.

Who’d you like to meet (passed on/alive) if you had the chance to?
Jiddu Krishnamurti.

What is the most recent book you’ve read?
Shuntaro Tanikawa’s selected poems.

Do you have a favourite superhero? Who?
No.

What would you be doing if you were not an artist?
An art audience.