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DSCF4706 by Colin Wan.jpg

exhibition

ART ENCOUNTERS:
WHERE LAND MEETS SEA

by Ripple Root

6 Nov - 16 Dec 2021, 10am - 6pm Daily (Closed on Mondays), Kampong Glam, Malay Heritage Centre
Artists present on 6-7 and 13-14 Nov for live painting

For its sixth edition, Art Encounters returned once again to the lawn of the Malay Heritage Centre from 6 November to 16 December 2021, with a vibrant site-specific installation by local artist duo Ripple Root that celebrated the history of Kampong Gelam as a flourishing port in the 19th century where travelers and tradesmen from the Malay Archipelago would gather.

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Where Land Meets Sea explored the material and visual culture of seafarers who made their livelihood from the sea and surrounding islands, as well as the Malay communities who settled around the river banks of the nearby Rochor river. In doing so, it spotlighted the concept of tanah air (land-water), which together translates to mean ‘homeland’ in Malay.

Continuing in Art Encounter’s mission to reveal more of the artistic process to the public, the duo spent the first 2 weekends of the exhibition (6-7 November, 13-14 November) live painting inside the containers, and gave visitors a rare insight into their painting process which took place like a tag-team manner, with each adding onto another’s interpretation freely. Upon completion, visitors could step inside the containers to learn more about the artefacts in the paintings.

Inspired by the Malay Heritage Centre’s rich collection and artefacts featured in the special exhibition Cerita (Stories) which opens from 11 December 2021 to 29 May 2022, the artists layered their colourful visual language over archival images and reimagined historical objects in their signature bright and bold hues, that enlivened the past and encouraged us to see it with new eyes. Life-sized cut-outs of a traditional boat and Gelam tree were also sited on the sprawling lawn for visitors to take photos with.

Featured Works

These works measure 40 x 40cm and are available for purchase with proceeds going towards Art Outreach.

Please contact us for enquiries.

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*View these artefacts in Malay Heritage Centre’s special exhibition Cerita (Stories) between 11 December 2021 to 29 May 2022.

DSCF5285 by Colin Wan.jpg
About the Artist
Ripple Root is the artist moniker of Liquan Liew (b. 1986, Malaysia) and Estella Ng (b. 1991, Singapore), a duo who develop artworks physically next to each other, taking turns to add to a piece like a game of ‘tag’. They make collaborative, carefree works reflecting themes of nature and wildlife, and are known for their colourful murals around Singapore that reflect the history and character of neighbourhoods they are sited in. Ripple Root depicts scenes from both reality and the subconscious while dealing with abstraction through bold colour, strokes and pattern. In their work is a distinct Southeast Asian ornamentation, seen in the dense, interwoven patterns that borrow from arabesque tiles and textiles, and folkloric elements given a modern twist.

Ripple Root has held solo exhibitions both locally in Singapore, as well as internationally, in London, South Korea, Melbourne and Sydney. Their art can be found in the private collections of Cathay Pacific, Raffles Hotel, Google, Zendesk and Facebook. In Singapore, they are known for their art in commercial and public spaces, such as Keong Saik Street Alley, 21 Tanjong Pagar, Cuppage Terrace. In 2019, they were handpicked by Sotheby’s to participate in their Modern & Contemporary Asian Art auction, where the work See You at the Satay Club was shipped to Sotheby's Hong Kong, and was sold there.
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