left: Chloe Tan, right: Nguyen Nghia Cuong

For the very first 2018 exhibition in their flagship venue at McCallum Street, SPRMRKT invited two artists to materialise the inspirations and reflections a typical supermarket in Singapore bring out in them.

Aptly titled The Supermarket Experience, this exhibition is a showcase of new, specially created pieces by Singaporean ceramics artist Chloe Tan and Vietnamese artist Nguyen Nghia Cuong that will be on exhibit from 10 Jan to 20 March 2018.

Chloe’s series of new works explores the Singapore theme in more ways than one: by adhering to her now-signature work process. Chloe collected clay from various sites in Singapore including Jurong, Yishun and Newton, then combined the collected clay with porcelain to create distinctive textured surfaces and colours.

Vietnamese artist Nguyen Nghia Cuong’s current style of work fits perfectly with the theme SPRMRKT proposed: an exploration of Vietnamese vernacular through language and society as presented in the packaging of most common household objects.

Painting over texts and images on the cardboard packaging of commonly used household items such as flasks to bring out the insights revealed by an examination of marketing jargon on the packaging, Cuong leaves behind only what he believes offers important learning points so that the final piece is a colourful and richly layered carpet of logos, trademarks and slogans.

Chloe’s and Cuong’s pieces will be displayed amongst SPRMRKT’s retail items, as a celebration of the everyday, and to accentuate and commemorate the unexpectedly special spot a supermarket holds in our daily lives.

Opening reception: Wednesday 10 January 2018, 6.30pm – 9.30pm

Clay Workshop: Exploring Singapore Soil
Saturday 10 February 2018, 2pm – 5pm
Fee: $150

Venue: SPRMRKT, 2 McCallum Street

Hours: Mon–Fri: 8AM–9.30PM
Sat–Sun: 9AM–5PM

When: 10 Jan - 20 Mar 2018,

By: SPRMRKT