Two of a Kind I: ___ was here by Shen Jiaqi and Still Air by Israfil Ridhwan

Two of a Kind I is an exhibition of two concurrent solo presentations by two Singaporean artists: ___ was here by Shen Jiaqi and Still Air by Israfil Ridhwan. Featuring their latest bodies of work, the exhibition foregrounds two distinct artistic approaches, each rooted in its own inquiry.

___ was here by Shen Jiaqi (b. 1989, Singapore) draws inspiration from neighbourhood playgrounds and everyday architecture, spaces that are constantly transformed through the city’s redevelopment. Through these familiar sites, Shen explores the interplay between play and memory, and our instinctive desire to hold on to places and experiences long after they have changed. This exploration emerges from a sense of childhood stubbornness that Shen approaches through the language of play rather than nostalgia. For her, childhood embodies a quiet form of resistance, a refusal to accept that some things are simply beyond our control.

Still Air is a new series by Singapore-born artist Israfil Ridhwan (b. 1999), centred on the quiet rhythms of everyday life in Singapore under the constant presence of heat and humidity. For Israfil, heat is not simply temperature but a physical and emotional state, at times oppressive and disorienting, at others warm and sensual.

Two of a Kind I: ___ was here by Shen Jiaqi and Still Air by Israfil Ridhwan

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