Synopsis:

iPRECIATION will be holding a solo exhibition titled The Fisherman and the Woodcutter 「漁樵問答」featuring artist Tay Bak Chiang 鄭木彰. Tay has started to use the guqin, also known as the seven-stringed Chinese zither, as an exploratory subject in 2015. Inspired by the classic guqin melody Conversation Between a Fisherman and a Woodcutter which serenades a carefree life amidst nature, Tay seeks comfort in the subtle and tranquil melodic tones. It echoes and serves as a metaphor that Tay yearns for as the way of life.

In this body of paintings, Tay presents intimate, unseen layers of meanings within the age-old oriental instrument in his paintings, which in fact mirrors his personal outlook on life. His progressive attempts reveals him exploring with equal amounts of mineral-rich tones that range from brilliant blues to opalescent greens, right reds and subtle, calming earthy shades. He also experiments with deconstructing and reconfiguring subject matters that intrigues him such as the traditional oriental instrument of guqin, portraying them with an aesthetic quality of minimalistic simplicity. Tay believes that his work should reflect the spirit of contemporary times, hence continues to push the boundaries and contemporise the genre of Chinese ink painting using canvas, as he recognises the limitations of rice paper as a medium. This exhibition will showcase about 20 of Tay's latest creations.

Tay Bak Chiang 郑木彰 (b. 1973, Malaysia/Singapore) graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore in 1995 and studied at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China. 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. Tay works can be found in private and public collections including The Istana (Singapore), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore), Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations (New York, United States of America), National Gallery Singapore (Singapore) etc.