JONATHAN CHING
And They Say The Stars Are Worlds
Oct. 12 to 25, 2011
RICHARD KHO FINE ART
Singapore
71 Duxton Road
SINGAPORE 089530
t. +65 6221 1209
Richard Koh Fine Art, in collaboration with Finale Art File, presents recent works by Philippine visual artist Jonathan Ching in a one-man exhibition entitled And They Say the Stars Are Worlds. The show will be on view at RKFA Singapore from October 12 to 25, 2011.
The exhibition presents recent paintings exploring the concept of parallel worlds: other realities undeciphered or undiscovered in our own immersion with the immediate and the present. Ching offers viewers paintings that engage both memory and possibility: open ended stories and representations of the everyday, rendered unfamiliar and strangely surreal.
Appropriating its title from a quotation from Thomas Hardy's classic novel, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, the works in the show utilize images from familiar and alien locations, art works of the past and present, and everyday objects. Ching intentionally builds upon layers and layers of visual references—from Hokusai's woodblock prints to Gericault's oil paintings to Philippe Halsman's underwater photography, for instance—and combines these disparate influences and images into singular works, sometimes splicing together different visual elements into a seemingly unified sequence. Ching also incorporates in his paintings bronze and copper pieces cast from found objects--seahorses and foliage, for instance—as markers of meaning. Ching's works, though seemingly disparate in subject matter, are unified in their tangible sense of desolation and enchantment, inviting the viewer to venture further into their parallel worlds.
Manila-based artist Jonathan Ching is among the members of the defunct arts collective Surrounded by Water, which successfully established an alternative artist-run space from 1998 to 2004. He obtained degrees in Civil Engineering from De La Salle University and Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
Richard Koh Fine Art is located at 71 Duxton Road, Singapore 089530. Representing contemporary South East Asian artists, the gallery is open from Tuesday-Friday (11:30 am-7:00 pm) and Saturday (12:00-6:00 pm). For inquiries, please contact info@rkfineart.com or +65.6221.1209 (phone) or visit their website at http://www.rkfineart.com.
The exhibition is organized in cooperation with Finale Art File, located at Warehouse 17, La Fuerza Compound, 2241 Chino Roces Avenue (Pasong Tamo), Makati City, Philippines. Gallery hours are from Monday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. For inquiries, contact the gallery at (632)813.2310 and (632)812.5034 or email info@finaleartfile.com.
