Tan’s nighttime scenes stop us in our tracks though, as they make us yearn for the pre-pandemic nights spent out in crowded bars and bustling streets.
Casey Tan and Editor Stephanie in front of ‘Under the Cold Pinpricks of Night’.
With overlapping compositions painted in a palette of rich teal and neon yellow, works like ‘Under The Pinpricks of Cold Nights’ and ‘Night At The Southern Bank’ are odes to dizzying and carefree evenings gone by.
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Details from ‘Under the Cold Pinpricks of Night,’ 2021. Acrylic on canvas.
Night At The Southern Bank,’ 2021. Acrylic on paint.
In contrast, Tan’s pensive daytime scenes capture moments that many of us have experienced in passing. ‘Up on Fushan Hill’ and ‘Ding-A-Ling’ encapsulate this perfectly by featuring older folks manning ice cream stalls and people chilling out in public spaces.
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Details of ‘Up on Fushan Hill,’ 2021, Acrylic on Canvas (Left) and ‘Ding-A-Ling,’ 2021, Acrylic on canvas (Right).
Here, his figures tend to be surrounded by red-and-white tape in a reflection of our ‘new normal.’
Tan’s use of acrylic paint is nothing short of skilful, as he has manipulated it to create translucent layers across his works. Overall, the exhibition artfully captures moments of peace, glee, and isolation amidst the hustle and bustle of Singapore life.
‘Hard to Say Goodbye’ runs at Cuturi Gallery until 27 March 2022.
