Main image: Kimura Ryoko, The Sea of the Enchanted City - Paradise of Dragon Palace, 2016, Japanese pigments and gold leaf on paper mounted on a six-panel folding screen, 176 cm x 340 cm, © Kimura Ryoko, courtesy of Mizuma Gallery
Eyes & Curiosity — Flowers in the Field
Four Japanese artists will be brought together for the Eyes & Curiosity — Flowers in the Field exhibition. The artists — Kato Ai (Ai✩Madonna), Kimura Ryoko, Kobayashi Satoshi and Mizuno Rina — will present artworks that feature new interpretations of traditional techniques and explore the relevance of old ideals in today’s society.
Known for solely painting girls in her works, Ai visualises feminine beauty through Bishojo motifs of female figures. Through the use of Nihonga, or a neo-traditional Japanese painting style, Ryoko’s works focus on her quintessential motif of ikemen (good-looking men). Having studied woodblock printing when he was 12, Satoshi developed a strong interest in this artmaking technique. This exhibition showcases his new work using disjointed pieces of wooden boards attempting to manifest the feelings of discord and modesty.
Each of Rina’s work consists of multiple layers on a flat surface that encapsulates a sense of three-dimensionality. The intricate details in her works are inspired by Turkish miniature paintings, while her brushstrokes are influenced by the ink paintings of Jakuchu Ito (Japan, 1719 to 1800).
Dates: Now to April 21
Gallery hours: Tuesday to Saturday (11am to 7pm); Sunday (11am to 6pm)
Closed on Mondays and public holidays
Venue: Mizuma Gallery, 22 Lock Road, 01-34 Gillman Barracks
Love the earth
Takashimaya celebrates Earth Day with a month filled with activities aimed at delivering a sustainable and environmentally conscious shopping experience. The Love The Earth campaign will see the Japanese department store organising a series of in-store recycling and upcycling initiatives, promotions on eco-friendly products and healthy lifestyle activities. One such programme is a talk by Benjamin Ang (pictured), national parks manager at HortPark, who will touch on topics such as optimising limited resources and the use of the sun to cultivate a vegetable garden without actually having a garden.
Dates: March 25 to April 30
Venue: Takashimaya Singapore, 391 Orchard Road
Talk by Benjamin Ang: April 12 (1pm to 2pm)
At the movies
The Hole in the Ground
First released at the Sundance Film Festival late last year, the movie has made its way to local cinemas. Set in the Irish countryside, this horror thriller centres on Sarah O’Neill, who flees an abusive husband with her son. She moves to a place near a forest that has a sinkhole that seems to have an adverse effect on her son. Eventually, Sarah believes that her son is a changeling and her quest to find the truth begins. The movie stars Seána Kerslake, James Quinn Markey and Kati Outinen, and o pens on March 28.
Dragged Across Concrete
Two detectives find themselves in the spotlight after a video showing their unethical methods of getting the job done is leaked to the media. The long-time police partners, Brett Ridgeman (Mel Gibson) and Anthony Lurasetti (Vince Vaughn), are suspended without pay. Carrying financial burdens, they are drawn into the seedy side of life to make ends meet until the suspension is lifted. Also stars Tory Kittles, Michael Jai White and Don Johnson. The movie opens on March 28.
Truth
Sex, lies and the truth will all unravel in the witty comedy Truth by the Singapore Repertory Theatre. The play, based on Florian Zeller’s novel The Truth, examines relationships and infidelity and it is not as straightforward as it looks. Central to the play is Michael, who is having an affair. He lies to cover it up and the situation gets out of hand. The truth, when revealed, proves to be far from straightforward — who is deceiving whom? The ensemble comprises Neo Swee Lin, Lim Yu-Beng, Vivek Gomber and Cynthia Lee MacQuarry.
Date: April 3 to 13
Signed performance: April 13 (8pm)
Audio described performance: April 19 and 20 (8pm)
Venue: KC Arts Centre — Home of the Singapore Repertory Theatre
Tickets:
Preview (April 3 and 4)/Saturday matinee (4pm)
Standard: $45, $35
Weekdays (Monday to Thursday)
Standard: $55, $45
Weekends (Friday and Saturday)
Standard: $60, $50
Music for Everyone: Variations on a Theme
If your travel plans happen to include Venice, visit the Singapore Pavilion at the 58th International Art Exhibition — La Biennale di Venezia. Artist Song-Ming Ang will present Music for Everyone: Variations on a Theme, a multidisciplinary presentation comprising film, digital prints, sculptures and banners. One of his presentations is a film installation titled Recorder Rewrite, which features the musical recorder that was central in the lives of many students in Singapore in the 1970s. Ang creates sculptures of stacked recorders, along with collages of music sheets. A must-visit for those who grew up in the 1970s and remember the hours of practising the recorder to make decent music.
Date: May 11 to Nov 24
Venue: Singapore Pavilion, Arsenale — Sale d’Armi, Venice, Italy
Website: www.nac.gov.sg/SingaporeinVenice
