Chris Huen Sin-Kan : Flowers Wilting in a New Day

22 Aug - 3 Oct 2020
  • Ota Fine Arts Singapore is delighted to present a solo exhibition by Chris Huen: Flowers Wilting in a New Day. This marks Huen’s first solo presentation in Singapore and South East Asia.

     

    Featured here are seven of his latest paintings bearing his signature airy brush strokes. Huen’s lines travel freely on the surface of the canvas, going in different directions with a feeling of liberation. At first glance, the forms appear spontaneously drawn, but these are in fact the result of his profound observations on perception and memory. The main subject matter of Huen’s paintings is his surrounding environment, primarily his home. His wife, son and new-born daughter, along with their three dogs, are always present in his work. The title of this exhibition describes Huen’s reflection on the ‘new normal’ of the Covid-19 pandemic. Regardless of how the situation develops, our lives need to go on, and the cycles of life will continue. 

     

    Ota Fine Arts Singapore invites all to experience the unique perspectives of Chris Huen and the beauty in the mundane.

  • Installation views

  • The painting Balltsz, MuiMui, Joel and Doodood (2020) depicts a scene where a little boy is leaning towards the glass...

    Details from Balltsz, MuiMui, Joel and Doodood (2020) by Chris Huen

    The painting Balltsz, MuiMui, Joel and Doodood (2020) depicts a scene where a little boy is leaning towards the glass door and looking outside, with three dogs in his company. What appears to be a mundane scene at home reveals several anomalies upon closer observation — the door frames are distorted, and parts of the painting are left "blank". These surreal depictions reflect the uniqueness of Huen's practice. He paints entirely from his memory, instead of first photographing or sketching down what he sees. To Huen, the act of recalling a memory allows him to recognize what had left a strong impression in his mind and to identify what had been forgotten. Painting in this way becomes a process whereby fragments of memories are carefully reconstructed by Huen atop the canvas surface.

  • Chris Huen Sin-Kan , Balltsz, MuiMui, Joel and Doodood, 2020

    Chris Huen Sin-Kan

    Balltsz, MuiMui, Joel and Doodood, 2020
    Oil on canvas
    200 x 240 cm
  • There is no judgement in my work. I am painting my everyday life, and there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

     

    — Chris Huen Sin-Kan

  • Works in the exhibition

  • Publication

  • Ota Fine Arts has published a catalogue on this occasion, featuring detailed images of the paintings in the exhibition, accompanied... Ota Fine Arts has published a catalogue on this occasion, featuring detailed images of the paintings in the exhibition, accompanied... Ota Fine Arts has published a catalogue on this occasion, featuring detailed images of the paintings in the exhibition, accompanied... Ota Fine Arts has published a catalogue on this occasion, featuring detailed images of the paintings in the exhibition, accompanied... Ota Fine Arts has published a catalogue on this occasion, featuring detailed images of the paintings in the exhibition, accompanied... Ota Fine Arts has published a catalogue on this occasion, featuring detailed images of the paintings in the exhibition, accompanied... Ota Fine Arts has published a catalogue on this occasion, featuring detailed images of the paintings in the exhibition, accompanied...

    Ota Fine Arts has published a catalogue on this occasion, featuring detailed images of the paintings in the exhibition, accompanied by a key essay by curator/ writer Robin Peckham. Having observed the artist’s practice for nearly 10 years, Peckham provides new perspectives and insights into understanding Huen’s works further. 

     

    The catalogue can be purchased at SGD 25.- over the counter at our Singapore gallery. 

  • Chris Huen is currently participating in the '7th Biennial of Painting - Inner Spaces' at Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Belgium. The presentation...

    Chris Huen is currently participating in the "7th Biennial of Painting - Inner Spaces" at Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Belgium. The presentation runs from now to 18 October 2020. For more information, click here.

     

    Photo courtesy of Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, photo by Rik Vannevel.

  • Chris Huen (b. 1991, Hong Kong) lives and works in Hong Kong. Find out more about the artist here