From Stone to Mountains

Cube Gallery is pleased to present From Stone to Mountains, a solo show by acclaimed Singaporean artist Tay Bak Chiang, painted using Chinese ink & pigments on rice paper.

“To my mind, the mountain is a lofty symbol. More than just a peak of excellence, it also represents the eternal pursuit of noble spirit and character. I believe that everyone has in their hearts mountains that they want to surmount. As I strive on in my practice, I am scaling my mountains and also learning to be a better person.”

Biography:

Tay Bak Chiang paints subjects found in the nature of Singapore and Southeast Asia, such as heliconias, lotus ponds and rocks. He seeks to reinterpret them in terms of form, composition, technique, material and colour. Lotus flowers, for example, are depicted as minimalist forms in bold hues; lotus stalks as thick, unembellished black strokes; and stones as textured shapes and sculptural blocks in intense colours made by combining pigment and traditional Chinese ink. Through these subjects, he expresses his sentiments and philosophies.

Born in 1973, Bak Chiang graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore in 1995 and studied at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China, in 1997. He was awarded the First Prize in the Chinese Painting category in the 19th and 22nd United Overseas Bank Painting of the Year Competitions (2000 and 2003 respectively). In 2002 he received the Young Artist Award from the National Arts Council of Singapore.

Bak Chiang’s work are collected internationally and has shown at many art fairs, including Art Basel Hong Kong, Art Stage Singapore, Art Miami, Art New York, Art Paris, Art Taipei and Edinburgh Art Fair. His works are collected by private collectors and public agencies, such as The Istana, Singapore; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore; Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations, New York; National Gallery Singapore; Simmons & Simmons Contemporary Art Collection; Singtel; SC Global Developments; Swiss Re; OCBC Bank; United Overseas Bank; Mandarin Oriental, Singapore; Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore; and Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard, London.