Zai Kuning, Dapunta Mapping the Melayu, 2014, Mixed media, Variable dimensions
“Zai Kuning” is a solo exhibition featuring an installation, sculptures and drawings made by the artist in recent years. Following the successful presentation of his installation work Dapunta Hyang: Transmission of Knowledge (2017) at the Singapore Pavilion in the 57th Venice Biennale, the work returns to Singapore for an exhibition at 72-13 from 12 April to 13 May 2018. To celebrate this occasion, Ota Fine Arts Singapore presents a survey of Zai’s recent practice with a selection of works from his various series which contemplate the relationships between Man and nature.
This exhibition will include the installation piece Dapunta Mapping the Melayu (2014) – Zai’s first rendition of the Dapunta Hyang series, which debuted at Ota Fine Arts Singapore almost 4 years ago. The work is made up of rattan structures suspended in mid-air, bent and formed to resemble the skeleton of a ship and human ribs, connected by red wax strings to books encased in layers of beeswax, rested atop a reflective stainless steel and wooden base. This, and other drawing works shown in the exhibition, are largely informed by his ongoing research on the Orang Laut – “sea gypsies” or nomadic indigenous fishermen living in the Riau Archipelago, whose lives are inextricably intertwined with the sea. Yet, societal developments have created external circumstances beyond their control, causing them to lose their homes.
This exhibition coincides with the exhibition “Dapunta Hyang: Transmission of Knowledge” presented by TheatreWorks, from 12 April – 13 May 2018.
Opening reception in the presence of the artist: Saturday, 14 April 2018, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Venue: Ota Fine Arts, 7 Lock Road, #02-13 Gillman Barracks, Singapore 108935
When: 14 Apr - 2 Jun 2018,
By: Ota Fine Arts
