Image Credit: Mary Bernadette Lee
To raise awareness of needs and concerns of caregivers, the Lien Foundation, in partnership with Ngee Ann Polytechnic, has commissioned eight visual artists to create artworks inspired by the grit, challenges and rewards of ordinary caregivers looking after people with special needs, mental illness and the elderly.
According to the National Health Survey by the Ministry of Health in 2010, 8.1 per cent of Singapore residents aged between 18 and 69 were caregivers. This means that in 2017, at least 236,000 people provided regular care or assistance to family and friends (based on national population figures). On average, they provided around seven hours of care a day, which was like having a second job. As Singapore’s grapples with shrinking family sizes and an ageing population, caregiving will become an increasingly pressing societal concern. Singapore must embrace caregiving, not as the burden of a few, but as a responsibility for many.
The artworks will be shown in a group exhibition, entitled “Personally Speaking: The Art of Caregiving”. As the title suggests, the showcase melds the personal observations and experiences of the artists with those of caregivers who come from all walks of life. The project seeks to illuminate the joys and challenges of caregivers, while providing opportunities for visitors to reflect on their own caregiving journey, and the state of caregiving in Singapore. In some of the artworks, the caregivers are not just passive subjects, but co-creators too.
The exhibition features artworks by: Alecia Neo (visual artist), James Teo of ampulets (design studio), Deanna Ng (photographer), Gwee Li Sui (poet/graphic artist/writer), Joseph Chiang (printmaker), Kray Chen (visual artist), Mary Bernadette Lee (visual artist), Sun Koh (filmmaker).
The artists and caregivers worked on this project over the better part of a year. The projects range from films that draw on the artists’ personal caregiving stories, to ceramics and photographic prints that were created in collaboration with caregivers. For many of the caregivers, this was their first foray into the arts, which gave them a new way of expressing themselves.
Produced by Objectifs, Commissioned by Lien Foundation, in partnership with Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Dates and Venues:
8 Oct to 14 Oct | Community Plaza, 681 Punggol Dr, S820681
Open daily from 10am to 9pm
15 Oct to 18 Nov | Jurong Regional Library, 21 Jurong East Central 1, S609732
Open daily from 10am to 9pm. Closed on public holidays
22 Nov to 16 Dec | Chapel Gallery, Objectifs, 155 Middle Road, S188977
Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm – 7pm, Sunday, 12pm – 4pm, Closed on Monday and public holidays
When: 8 Oct - 16 Dec 2018,
