Curated by Kinetic Singapore and hosted by Scotts Square, K+ brings you artists who peddle the extraordinary, things that tickle the imagination, brands that stand out from the bland. From 19 March to 12 April, K+ is delighted to present Mondo. The little artist from Japan is only 11 years old but he’s been a magazine cover designer and illustrator, he’s published a book, and his blog gets as many as 40,000 hits a day.
Mondo started drawing portraits at the age of three, inspired by the extensive record collection of his musician father. While not formally trained, Mondo has certainly developed his own inimitable style over the years. Belying his age, his drawings capture the essence of his subjects with verve and style using just humble black markers with an occasional splash of colour. “It is relentless. He never overlooks the model’s wrinkles or even age spots,” says a magazine editor. A typical portrait takes him about 20 minutes although more complex pictures like the one of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover can take up to a week.
In 2013, Mondo’s father challenged him to draw a portrait a day; these would then be posted on their father-and-son blog (mondo-art.blog.jp). Mondo gamely took up the challenge. Nearly two years on, he is still drawing and posting with almost daily frequency.
Just for K+, Mondo will be drawing a series of personalities and things unique to Singapore in celebration of SG50. These will be on display together with a sizable collection of his past works. Mondo will also be coming to Singapore for the first time for his show with K+, and visitors may enjoy having their portrait drawn by him over the weekend of 28 and 29 March. A portrait session costs $200 and includes a signed copy of Mondo’s book.
Portrait Drawing: 28 + 29 March 2015, 12noon – 8pm
Reservations and prepayment will be taken in-store starting 19 March.
Venue: K+ Curatorial Space, Scotts Square, 6 Scotts Road, #03-14/15
When: 19 Mar - 12 Apr 2015,
