Arts Picks: Haridas Contemporary's reopening show, Apad's 63rd anniversary, Roots & Resonance
Small Things Brought Together
Art gallery Haridas Contemporary is ready to cut the ribbon after
its move from Lavender Street to art cluster Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Small Things Brought Together is the inaugural exhibition at this new white cube space, with Singapore artist Melissa Tan's suspended stainless steel sculpture as the centrepiece.
The group show features nine emerging and mid-career artists – mostly from Singapore, as well as some from Malaysia and the Philippines.
Tan's eye-catching irregular forms, determined by asteroid s' t rajectories, are joined by the paintings of Esmond Loh, Lucas Tan, Jeremy Sharma and Minstrel Kuik, among others.
Filipino artist Lyle Buencamino has two paintings from his Completely Agreeable series, after his successful No Fighting In The Museum series (2009 to 2010) that critiqued austere behaviour in museums with stills of 1950s fist fights drawn from film archives in the Philippine s.
The exhibition doubles as a preview of the gallery's programming for the next 12 months , which consists of solos of some participants.
Where: Haridas Contemporary, 04-01F Tanjong Pagar Distripark, 37 Keppel Road
MRT: Tanjong Pagar
When: Aug 2 to 31; noon to 7pm (Thursdays to Saturdays), noon to 5pm (Sundays), by appointment only on Wednesdays, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
Admission: Free
Info:
haridascontemporary.com/exhibitions
Cipta – Art Through Time
Iskandar Jalil's Stoneware.
PHOTO: MAYA GALLERY
Malay art association Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya (Apad), or Association of Artists of Various Resources, is turning 63. This special five-day exhibition at the School of the Arts is titled Cipta, meaning 'to create' in Malay, and works by 33 artists from Apad and other art societies will be on show.
Most of the more than 50 works spanning sculpture, ceramics, painting, video, installation and mixed media are for sale, with 30 per cent of proceeds going to Apad.
They include the stoneware of Cultural Medallion recipient Iskandar Jalil and the lucid watercolours of Idris Ali.
There are also works by late Malay art pioneers Abdul Ghani Hamid, S. Mohdir, Sulaiman Suhaimi and Sarkasi Said, to whom the show pays special tribute.
Apad president and Maya Gallery co-founder Masturah Sha'ari says: 'The 26 Apad members are between the ages of 22 and 85. This ensures the association's continuity and renewal.'
Idris Ali's Hock Lam Street.
PHOTO: MAYA GALLERY
Where: School of the Arts Gallery, 1 Zubir Said Drive
MRT: Dhoby Ghaut/Rochor
When: Aug 1 to 4, noon to 8pm; Aug 5, 9am to 5pm
Admission: Free
Info:
str.sg/LZJ3
Roots & Resonance
Koeh Sia Yong's Lunch Break, Samsui Women (2024).
PHOTO: ARTCOMMUNE GALLERY
In addition to collector
Chong Huai Seng's major show at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, this is yet another collector who has brought out his private acquisitions to honour Singapore's 60th birthday.
Financial adviser Stephen Teo has selected 25 works from hi s co llection of more than 100 works for a show at Carlton Hotel Singapore, opening on Aug 2.
They span oil, watercolour, acrylic, ink and woodcut, and are by familiar names including second-generation oil painter Koeh Sia Yong, watercolourist Ong Kim Seng and the late maestro Lim Tze Peng.
Expect nostalgic scenes of tranquil kampung, bustling riverside and market trades, as well as heritage architecture of temples and shophouses.
For those who have not had enough of the
Samsui woman mural controversy, look out for Koeh's more traditional rendition of Samsui women squatting for a lunch break, painted in 2024. The exhibition is presented by gallery artcommune.
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AsiaOne
2 days ago
- AsiaOne
Slice of home: These Singaporeans are keeping our culture alive abroad through food, Lifestyle News
Singapore is known for many things — among them is our unique food culture, which consists of multi-cultural cuisines ranging from hawker fare to high-end restaurants. And for two Singaporeans living overseas, it doesn't mean that their love and spirit for that culture has faded. In fact, it has become even stronger as they bring a little piece of home to their new life abroad, while also sharing our nation's culinary specialities with the rest of the world. Harummanis in Dubai Located in the heart of Dubai, Harummanis is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant opened in December last year. Founded by Singaporean chef Akmal Anuar, the restaurant offers Malay cuisine like satay, ayam geprek and rendang — served similar to how you'd find them back home. Speaking to AsiaOne, Akmal shared that he was inspired to start the restaurant by his parents, who have been hawkers in Singapore since 1992. He grew up watching them run the business. "Harummanis is my family's pride, and we showcase our Malay-Singapore cuisine and stories [here]. People see Singapore through our hospitality," he said. Akmal moved to Dubai with his family in 2013 when he was offered a position as a chef at Le Royal Meridien Hotel Dubai. And while Harummanis Dubai serves authentic Singapore-Malay cuisine, Akmal shared that he has had to adjust some of the flavours of the dishes to cater to the local palate. "We toned down a little to make [the dishes] less spicy or explosive. People like tasting multiple dishes at the same time, so things need to be balanced," he explained. Some of the restaurant's most popular dishes include the signature Lempeng Itik , a pulled duck leg cooked with sambal adobo and raw onions wrapped in a taco-like skin made with coconut milk, flour, butter and corn maseca flour. But the menu item that means the most to him is a familiar classic: beef rendang. "It is a symbolic Malay dish rich with history. Every single time a client tries that dish they get blown away. They couldn't make up what it's made of. That is magic," Akmal shared. And the dish is also a hit with the locals in Dubai, along with some other Singaporean favourites. "Rendang is very popular amongst the community here. On weekends, I would [also] do chicken rice and people get excited about it too," the chef said. But running a restaurant in a foreign country doesn't come without challenges. For Akmal, this includes funding, legalities, financial crisis as well as competition due to a saturation of similar businesses, concepts and more. And the biggest one might be something that we wouldn't even think about — the weather. "Most crucial one I would say is the season. Dubai has a very bad summer season between June and October. In this period, a lot of residents leave the country, so business is very low. Temperatures soar up to 48 to 50 degrees celsius," he explained. But despite all that, Akmal powered through and his hard work paid off. He was awarded his first Michelin star in 2022 for 11 Woodfire, another one of the chef's restaurants serving modern cuisine. "I am a Muslim, so I don't deal with any alcohol or entertainment business. So, to achieve that, it was mind-boggling and surreal to me," he expressed. Harummanis also has an outlet in Singapore located at Sultan Gate. Singapulah in London Singapulah is a Singaporean restaurant based in London. It is helmed by Ellen Chew, who moved to the city in 2005 with her partner. Their menu consists of a large variety of homegrown favourites — ranging from individual dishes like char kway teow and hokkien mee to tzechar-style sharing plates including items such as har cheong gai , cereal prawns and even ice kacang. In a conversation with AsiaOne, Ellen shared that she's wanted to open a Singaporean restaurant ever since she moved to London, and "fly the Singapore flag through food". "My goal has always been to introduce the food that I've grown up eating and loving to people in this part of the world, whether it's to share our cuisine with people who have never tried it before, or to homesick Singaporeans living here," she said. And Ellen shared that her restaurant is popular with many Singaporeans living in London. "We get many Singaporean customers who are students that are homesick, or who want to introduce their friends to their home cuisine. We are also very fortunate to have Singaporeans living as far as Manchester and Liverpool come down to London to have a bowl of bak chor mee or laksa because they miss the flavours so much," she shared. Speaking of bak chor mee, the dish happens to be one on their menu that holds a very special place in Ellen's heart. "Bak chor mee is my ultimate comfort food and a true Singaporean dish that is very rarely found outside of Singapore. It is the labour of love that consists of so many separate components that eventually end up in the same bowl, much like our culture," she expressed, adding that the noodle dish has also become a cornerstone of the Singaporean identity and pillar of hawker history. However, just like Akmal, Ellen has also faced her own set of struggles. Some of them included difficulty finding the right ingredients in London to recreate authentic Southeast Asian flavours. "I [would] make trips back to Singapore and hand-carry ingredients like tea dust, herbs and spices in my suitcase just so that I can provide our diners with an experience that [would] transport them to Southeast Asia with our food and drinks," she stated. But back then when Ellen first started her business, being "too authentic" proved to be an obstacle as well. "In Singapore, we serve chicken rice with poached chicken that is still very slightly pink in some parts when fully-cooked and served at room temperature. We had so many customers returning the dish because they thought it wasn't cooked properly," she explained, adding that they then decided to "give up" and serve the dish warm. There were also other complaints due to certain dishes' novelty to the locals at the time — like customers saying that "it's gross that the fish still had its head on" when they ordered whole-fish dishes. "When we opened our sister restaurant called Rasa Sayang in 2008, we used to serve whole fried sambal fish. We used to get complaints all the time saying that we shouldn't be serving fish with the head and tail because it's disgusting," she recalled. Fortunately, due to people travelling more and the popularity of social media over the past decade, locals there have become more receptive of the nuances in Southeast Asian dishes, shared Ellen. "These days, if you serve head-on fish or chicken feet or beef tripe, people will no longer go 'Eee', now it's a sign of authenticity," she said. Being able to share our nation's flavours with the rest of the world is one of Ellen's proudest achievements, and it all still feels surreal to her sometimes. "I would say that Singapulah is one of the pinnacles of [my] career. To be able to represent my home country and to share our cuisine and culture to the Western world on such a large stage is truly an honour. Sometimes, when I'm walking along the bustling West End towards the restaurant, I am still in disbelief that this has become a reality," she expressed. Being away from home Despite their success overseas, Singapore still holds a special place in Akmal's and Ellen's hearts — and for them, being away from their family and friends is something inescapable, alongside missing many of the things back home that many of us have grown accustomed to and might not think twice about. "One thing [about] living very far away is missing your loved ones. As you grow older, so does everyone else. My parents sold their HDB flat where we lived in most of our lives and that I will never see again," Akmal expressed. Ellen shared: "Being away is always hard because you are disconnected from the people whom you've grown up with and who have shaped your life one way or another. The food scene, of course, would be another big part of what I miss about Singapore. Fifteen dollars at a hawker centre can buy you a wonderful feast, whereas you'd get extremely basic and boring fare in London for the same amount of money." Speaking on whether they intend to return to Singapore someday, both of them expressed that they do plan to come home. "I think I would eventually want to move back to Singapore when I retire as it's still home for me. In terms of setting up an F&B business in Singapore, I would rather not have to, but never say never, right? Maybe I'll end up opening a chippy shop in Hougang?" Ellen expressed. Shared Akmal: 'Singapore is my country, and it is where I belong. When that happens, business [will] not really matter. I'll continue doing what I do best, which is cooking." And to other Singaporeans trying to find their footing away from home, Akmal and Ellen encourage them to persevere and to try finding a community. "Always have a goal and never give up on chasing those goals. Tenacity and grit are very important factors to success. Also, find your home outside of home, whether it's building a circle of friends that you can trust and love, or learning how to cook your favourite dish from home. It helps build on these things to help you flourish when you're overseas," encouraged Ellen. Akmal advised: "Don't overthink. Just get things done one at a time. Stay in your lane and always remember that whatever adversities or challenges you face, [these hardships] will all end and be forgotten."
AsiaOne
3 days ago
- AsiaOne
'Small gestures speak the loudest': Director M. Raihan Halim focuses on familial love in SG60 film Kopitiam Days, Entertainment News
Local director M. Raihan Halim's family was at the premiere of SG60 anthology film Kopitiam Days on Aug 5 and when his short IZ-1 came on screen, his family immediately felt a sense of familiarity. "My family had no idea what the film is about. My grandma and mum couldn't make it to the premiere, but my sisters, brothers-in-law and niece were there, and they were like, 'Oh, that's nenek (Malay for grandmother).' They get it," the 43-year-old told AsiaOne in an interview yesterday (Aug 7). Kopitiam Days, which is supported by Infocomm Media Development Authority and Singapore Film Commission, is an anthology of six shorts which features Singapore in the past, present and future. Each of the stories is independent, but the kopitiam Heap Seng Leong is a familiar place in all the characters' lives. The film is produced by local director Eric Khoo, who serves as the film's creative director and executive producer, and Lim Teck, managing director of Clover Films. Raihan's short IZ-1 — affectionately called Izwan by the crew — tells the story of an elderly woman (Zaliha Hamid) navigating life and relationship with her daughter Hannah (Siti Khalijah) in 2035. The latter buys an android caregiver with the titular name to care for makcik, who gradually cares for and accepts the robot as they live together in Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the last village in Singapore. A 'love letter' to his grandma and mum Dedicating the short as a "love letter" to his grandma and mum, who are in their 80s and 60s respectively, Raihan told us the idea for the story was sparked from his concern for them as they age and prefer to live alone. He shared: "Growing up and now getting older, I realised that they really need someone to take care of them, and the moment they say no and don't want anybody else to [assist them], we start to take precautions, such as buying a certain kind of walker for my grandma, making sure that their home is more senior-proof and the toilet bowl is a bit more cushioned." Likewise in IZ-1, where unspoken love between mother and daughter is portrayed through actions rather than words, Raihan said it's a reflection of his own family. He said: "In my family, we don't know how to say 'I am sorry' and 'I love you' and it's always through actions... I grew up in that kind of environment, we are not huggers, it's literally through acts [that we show care for each other]. "If I had an argument with my grandma and she's upset with me, she would prepare breakfast the next morning, and I know things are going to get better. So it's really the little things; the gestures are never big and small gestures speak the loudest." He added that besides cooking and buying food that he likes, they also support him in their own ways, such as his grandma buying multiple copies of the newspaper when he was featured in it. While IZ-1 centres on love between family and found family that transcends feelings, Raihan also wanted to tell a story about looking onwards. He shared: "The reason I set IZ-1 in the kampong is because I am a nostalgic person... and I just cannot help but look back at the kampong days and my childhood days... it's always easy to look back and think about the good old days. "But in this case, what I wanted to show, at least in the first minute of the film, people would think that it's another kampong story, and when the drone crash into the house from the rooftop, they would realise that they are not in the past or today but the future. That's the message that I hope will get across — we can always have one foot in the past, but we must always be ready to have one foot in the future. During SG50, it's about where we came from and in SG60, it's about where we are going next." Bringing IZ-1 to life Bringing the android IZ-1 to life fulfilled Raihan's love for kaiju (Japanese for strange creature) movies. "We questioned whether it should be fully electronic and rolling around, all that stuff. But I felt that I wanted the bulkiness of a robot suit. I am a sucker for kaiju movies, all the old Japanese stuff, where they are robots but actually men in robots. I love that and wanted to show my version of it," he shared. When designing IZ-1's costume, Raihan and the production designer wanted to keep it simple and pleasing to the audience and at the same time, not blurring the lines between human and automation. "It's not meant to look like a Tesla robot... it's closer to a Wall-E than a Tesla robot, I just didn't want the slickness of it... If you have seen some videos of the Tesla robot, it's creepy because it talks like a human being. The boundaries between man and machine is already destroyed and I am just so bothered by that, so we decided that IZ-1 could be big, but it needs to be rounded," he shared. IZ-1 was played by a theatre actor who paid attention to details in performing emotions through his gestures. In addition, the team ensured that the background was never white so that IZ-1 is the focus of the scene. And while the story is set in Kampong Lorong Buangkok, the team actually filmed it in Kuala Lumpur because there's only one kampung house in Buangkok that filmmakers are allowed to film in. "We were limited and I had a specific idea about how I wanted things to look like, but it's impossible to do that (in Singapore). So we filmed it in Malaysia, but the tough part was making it look like Singapore," he added. Little details such as the Singapore flag, Merlion, Sharity Elephant and Singa The Kindness Lion can be seen around the home to bring a sense of familiarity to local audiences. Cameoing for director Ong Kuo Sin's The Morning Call Raihan's involvement in Kopitiam Days is not just in IZ-1, but also a cameo appearance in director Ong Kuo Sin's short The Morning Call. The latter centres on the blossoming relationship between May (Jennifer Wilkinson) and her grandfather Lim (Yang Shi Bin) when she returns to Singapore with her mother Chui Hoon (Yvonne Lim) and accidentally loses the orange payphone from his kopitiam. When asked how he got an acting part in the short, Raihan laughed: "I didn't have a choice. Eric and Lim Teck convinced me and I just thought it was fun." He also shared that he appreciates Kuo Sin's works (Reunion Dinner, Number 1) and spent time on set watching him direct. "I realised why his films are so good, because he's such a giving director. He doesn't give much to me because I have very little lines [in the short], but seeing how he directed the other actors, it's really fulfilling and I have so much to learn. I am so glad that I did it in the end because I got to learn from him," Raihan said. Kopitiam Days will be shown through community screenings at the following locations and dates: Tampines Changkat Community Club: Aug 16 Our Tampines Hub: Aug 26, 27 and 31 and Sept 27 One Punggol: Sept 6 More information will be made available on the respective Facebook pages of the venues. The film will also be subsequently released on streaming platforms. [[nid:721036]] No part of this article can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.
New Paper
3 days ago
- New Paper
From outsider to bandmate: Malay woman finds harmony in Chinese-majority percussion group
When Ms Nazirah Majid, 58, walked into her first Kitchen Beats session in June, she almost turned back. As the only Malay participant in the Chinese-majority percussion group, the mother of three admitted she felt out of place and even considered quitting. But instead of walking away, she chose to embrace the experience - making new friends and becoming a proud performer for this year's SG60 celebrations. Kitchen Beats is a community arts initiative under the Sembawang Central Community Arts and Culture Club (CACC), where everyday kitchen items such as woks, pots and ladles are turned into musical instruments. The group comprises seniors aged 53 to 80 from across Singapore, and aims to promote active ageing and intergenerational bonding through music. Ms Nazirah, who lives in Block 303 near the training venue at Zone 2 Residents' Committee (RC), told Berita Harian that the first few sessions were lonely. Everyone else left in small groups while she walked home alone. "When I came for the first training, all the participants were Chinese and many were much older," she said. "I felt like, 'Eh, this is not my place,'" she added. She tried getting her friends to join, but few were keen. Still, she pressed on. "I want my life to be colourful," she said. "It's not just about worship and religion. We also need to exercise, create, and do things that make us happy." The Kitchen Beats crew rehearsing for their August 3 performance. SCREENGRAB: SBWCENTRALCC/INSTAGRAM What helped her feel included was her fluency in Mandarin, which she had learnt as her mother tongue in school. The trainers conducted the sessions entirely in Mandarin, and while the instructor initially translated instructions into English for her, she surprised everyone by responding confidently in Mandarin. "Everyone applauded when I answered in Mandarin," she recalled. "I felt appreciated." The idea for Kitchen Beats came about spontaneously, when CACC chairwoman Joanne Tay was beating eggs and noticed a rhythm in the sounds. Officially formed in June, the group now has 22 members from six Residents' Association centres. Training is held every Sunday morning for 90 minutes, and some members even arrange extra practice on Mondays. Despite most participants having no musical background, they've embraced the challenge. On Aug 3, they made their debut at the National Day celebrations near Sun Plaza as part of the Sembawang Arts Festival, performing three songs in Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. "This year is SG60, and I am proud to be a Singaporean," Ms Nazirah said. "When the government organises activities for all ages, why not take part?" She hopes her involvement will inspire others in the Malay community to step out of their comfort zones. Though she once dreamed of performing at the National Day Parade, she never found the right group - until now. "I think it doesn't matter your race, religion, age… if you're interested, give it a try," she said. "We are all Singaporeans."
