If you’re around the Kampong Gelam neighbourhood before the 23rd of October, make sure to check out ‘in somnia’ at Cuturi Gallery. It’s Shen Jiaqi’s second solo show featuring a new body of work.
In this exhibition, Shen expands on her exploration of our relationship with the urban landscapes we inhabit. Her surreal yet familiar architectural scenes are imbued with sentiments of longing and yearning for personal sanctuaries.
Some paintings invite viewers to contemplate and take a closer look at the structures that we spend our daily lives in, to discover the stories that may hide behind their facades. Others bring forth a sense of childlike yearning where the artist imagines her own ideal refuge.
A new aspect of Shen’s practice, the show even features readymades. These consist of modified items that were given to the artist by tenants of the buildings she visited.
Scroll through our photos to check out what’s on show!
Here we see the artist (on the right) speaking to a guest about her paintings of buildings that may look familiar to you.
In the background, we see one of Shen’s imaginary safe havens.
Gallery-goers viewing one of Shen’s readymades, which features a window grill modified with neon lights.
Shen’s playful take on privacy and an ever-monitored society.
Another readymade that consists of a folding door, which a tenant gave to the artist. It was later modified with neon lights.
The neon lights placed thoughtfully next to the paintings give them a third dimensionality. It really adds to the overall viewing experience!
The exhibition runs at Cuturi Gallery until 23 October 2022. Click here for more details.
