GROUP EXHIBITION
BJORN CALLEJA / CHRIS AKORDALITIS / DANIEL FLEUR / DELTA N.A. / PALITO PERAK / FAJAR AMALI / HERI DONO / JELLYFISH KISSES / OGGZGOY / RAFAEL MEGALL / RODEL TAPAYA / RYOL / SUANJAYA KENCUT / TRNZ
I've Seen Archipelagos Of Stars: Reimagining future identities in art
Singapore Space
August 15 – September 15, 2024
CURATED BY MICHELA SENA
Tang Contemporary Art Singapore is pleased to announce I’ve Seen Archipelagos Of Stars – Reimagining future identities in art, featuring works by an eclectic mix of artists coming from different geographical contexts. Curated by Michela Sena, the exhibition aims to witness the diverse aesthetic and thematic concerns that drive artistic dialogue today, challenging viewers to engage with themes ranging from cultural synthesis to personal introspection. At the heart of this exhibition is a harmony of heterogeneity, where the artists’ differing origins contribute to a global visual language characterised by hybrid aesthetics. This results in a ‘cross-pollination’ of artistic styles and artistic languages that enriches today’s visual landscape.
Suanjaya Kencut’s works, for example, draw deeply from Balinese cultural motifs, merging traditional aesthetics with contemporary forms. His use of vibrant colours and intricate patterns reflects a dynamic fusion of past and present, challenging viewers to reconsider the boundaries of cultural heritage and modernity. Even if coming from a very specific and significant culture as Indonesian Balinese, Kencut uses the concept of ‘layers’ to explore the integration of tradition with contemporary identity, creating a rich, complex visual narrative that reflect cultural hybridity.
In fact, 21st century art has witnessed unprecedented levels of cultural exchange facilitated by digital technologies and global media networks, which in turn has led to the emergence of a global artistic language. It would be impossible to instantly identify the cultural background of Indonesian artist, Palito Perak; his works are influenced by the media, particularly social media. His works vividly reflects current events, popular subjects, and the nuanced social and cultural issues that underlie these phenomena, transforming them into compelling visual narratives.
Art not only mirrors cultural identity but also plays a crucial role in shaping it. For artists Fajar Amali, OGGZGOY and Ryol, their artistic language are vivid reflections of the contemporary international aesthetic landscape. Inspired by Japanese cartoon aesthetics, as seen in Ryol’s works, and directly influenced by street art, like OGGZGOY’s paintings, their art speaks to contemporaneity, offering a sharp and vivid snapshot of ‘today’.
Artists are increasingly exploring and reinterpreting their cultural roots, using their work to preserve and celebrate their heritage. This localised focus promises to produce art that is both authentic and deeply resonant, directly reflecting the experiences and values of their communities.
We are optimistic that this shift will bring a new vibrancy to the global art scene, weaving a rich tapestry of distinct voices and perspectives. We look forward to a new era, a kind of ‘back to the past’ transition, which will likely invigorate the international artistic language with a renewed emphasis on local culture, fostering a vibrant and diverse art world that honours and reflects the myriad ways of pure identities around the globe.
EXHIBITING WORKS
 Bjorn Calleja Other Nature Oil, acrylic and aerosol on canvas 300 x 180 cm 2024 |  Chris Akordalitis Do It Later Acrylic on canvas 90 x 82 cm 2023 |  Chris Akordalitis Wine Cellar Acrylic on canvas 160 x 135 cm 2023 |
|---|---|---|
 Chris Akordalitis Player Acrylic on canvas 160 x 140 cm 2023 |  Chris Akordalitis Cat Stretching Acrylic on canvas 130 x 130 cm 2023 |  Daniel Fleur Handy Pleasure Oil on canvas 30 x 45 cm 2024 |
 Daniel Fleur Nailed Down Oil on canvas 30 x 45 cm 2024 |  Delta N.A. Escape Oil on canvas 200 x 120 cm 2022 |  Delta N.A. Epic Oil on canvas 160 x 120 cm 2021 |
 Delta N.A. Day is Breaking Oil on canvas 80 x 60 cm 2024 |  Delta N.A. Chances Oil on canvas 60 x 50 cm 2024 |  Palito Perak Still Alive Series: TRUST #1 Acrylic on canvas 140 x 100 cm 2024 |
 Palito Perak Still Alive Series: TRUST #2 Acrylic on canvas 140 x 100 cm 2024 |  Fajar Amali L, E, L, D, S, M LOVE AND ETERNITY LIGHT AND DARKNESS SOUL AND MATERIAL'S Oil on canvas 60 x 50 cm 2024 |  Fajar Amali G, W, L, D, H, A GLORY AND WISDOM LIGHT AND DARKNESS HUMAN AND ARTIFICIAL Oil on canvas 60 x 50 cm 2024 |
 Heri Dono The Mountain Dragon Acrylic on canvas 160 x 200 cm 2017 |  Heri Dono Pembawa Baterai Superhero Acrylic on canvas 200 x 150 cm 2017 |  Jellyfish Kisses My Blue Heart Draped in Blue Wrapping Paper Acrylic on canvas 60.96 x 50.80 cm 2024 |
 Jellyfish Kisses Hi Dad Acrylic and aerosol on canvas 91.44 x 91.44 cm 2023 |  Jellyfish Kisses Every Corner is Bringing Back A Memory Acrylic and aerosol on canvas 76 x 61 cm 2024 |  Jellyfish Kisses Battle Mania Paranoia Remix Acrylic on canvas 121.92 x 121.92 cm 2022 |
 Jellyfish Kisses A Soft Kind of Love Acrylic on canvas 60.96 x 50.80 cm 2024 |  OGGZGOY Feminin Spray paint, wall paint on canvas 150 x 150 cm 2024 |  OGGZGOY Boiled eggs Spray paint, wall paint on canvas 150 x 150 cm 2024 |
 Rafael Megall Apes of the Garden Oil on canvas 120 x 160 cm 2024 |  Rafael Megall Primal Reveries: Another Space Odyssey Oil on canvas 200 x 150 cm 2023 |  Rafael Megall Medea and Jason in my Blossoming Garden Oil on canvas 250 x 480 x 4 cm (Triptych 250 x 160 x 4 cm (each) 2023 |
 Rodel Tapaya This Must Be The Place Acrylic on canvas 121.92 x 152.4 cm 2024 |  Rodel Tapaya The Old Man Who Lost His Horse Acrylic on canvas 193.4 x 152.4 cm 2024 |  Rodel Tapaya Bring The Fire Acrylic on canvas 152.5 x 213 cm 2023 |
 Ryol Bird Shot 1 Acrylic on canvas 50 x 50 cm 2024 |  Ryol Bird Shot 2 Acrylic on canvas 50 x 50 cm 2024 |  Ryol Head Tree Crayon on paper 30.5 x 40.5 cm 2024 |
 Ryol BULBASAUR Crayon on paper 30.5 x 40.5 cm 2024 |  Suanjaya Kencut Future #3 Acrylic on canvas D= 150 cm 2024 |  Suanjaya Kencut Future #4 Acrylic on canvas D= 150 cm 2024 |
 Trnz Goldfinch Acrylic on canvas 120 x 100 cm 2024 |  Trnz Rocket Fuel Acrylic on canvas 120 x 100 cm 2024 |
Artists
Bjorn Calleja
b. 1981, based in Philippines.
Bjorn Calleja is a Filipino contemporary painter and interdisciplinary artist. He earned his BFA from Far Eastern University. Calleja's art explores identity, spirituality, and the political aspects of everyday life, using perspective and scale as metaphors for our impact on the world. His paintings, sculptures, installations, and animations draw inspiration from 80's and 90's popular culture, kitsch, the internet, and the unique aesthetic and textures of Manila.
Calleja's work has been featured in various exhibitions across the Philippines, China, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Canada, and the USA. He has been published in Toy Art 2.0 (2014) and Philippines: Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (2014), as well as in the Imago Mundi - Luciano Benetton Collection. Calleja was also shortlisted for the 2023 Sovereign Asian Art Prize. His animations have been showcased in several NFT exhibitions, including “NFTs + The Ever-Evolving World of Art” at Art Basel in Hong Kong (2022), “Tez Art Mtl” in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (2022), and “Living System: An NFT Show” at SEA Focus in Singapore (2023). Additionally, Calleja created the Stoopid Avatar Project (2021), a satirical PFP project minted on the Tezos blockchain.
Chris Akordalitis
b. 1989, based in Cyprus.
Chris Akordalitis draws profound inspiration from the ancestral “topos” of his roots, including his father's role as a local avocado farmer. This familial connection intertwines with the artist's resonance with primitive art traditions from Africa, Asia, and French Polynesia, resulting in a unique and seamless fusion of everyday observations and mystical symbolism. Akordalitis’ expresses this convergence through his oil paintings and ceramics, crafting vibrant and enchanting scenes that feature exotic and joyful figures. The architectural dimensions of space become integral to his work, influenced by studies under Prof. Andreas Schulze and sculptor Tony Cragg, adding a distinctive spatial quality to his exploration of form and narrative.
Central to Akordalitis' artistic practice is the exploration of personal moments embodying simple pleasures. He sees these moments as powerful antidotes to enduring patterns of self-destruction. The utopian dimension in his work serves as a form of relaxed escapism, inviting viewers into a dreamlike refuge where tranquility is discovered through a profound connection with nature, and security standards converge in an ethereal setting.
In 2023, Akordalitis’ showcased his work prominently, featuring a solo booth with Dio Horia at Taipei Dangdai and presenting a solo exhibition at Half Gallery in LA. Additionally, he participated in a group exhibition at Andrea Festa Fine Art in Rome. His artistic contributions have gained global recognition, with his work finding a place in significant collections, including Forecast Städtische at Galerie Kaarst in Kaarst, Gallery Pop68 in Cologne, Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow, Planet 58 Kunstsammlung [K21] in Düsseldorf, Water House of Art in Paphos, Xiao Museum in Rizhao, and Zuzeum Art Centre in Riga.
Daniel Fleur
b. 1992, based in Sweden.
Daniel Fleur was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo but now lives and works in Malmø, Sweden. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Art and Master of Fine Art from The Malmø Art Academy (2013 - 2018). Recent solo exhibitions include, “Glasses Half Full” - Painters Painting Paintings, “Yet To Be Perfected” - KANT Gallery, Copenhagen. "Work Hard, Play Hard" - Wadström Tōnnheim Gallery, Malmö. His works are represented in public collections including, Public Art Agency Sweden, Malmø Art Museum, The Region of Skåne Art Collection and numerous private collections within Europe, Asia and North America.
Fleur's paintings are characterized by their rich, layered textures and use of colour. His paintings are inspired by a wide range of subjects. He draws inspiration from the daily life and his introspective musings, exploring themes such as the pleasures and pressures of modern living, the materialism of contemporary society, and the complexities of social status and identity. Despite the weightiness of these themes, Fleur's paintings are infused with a sense of playfulness and diversion. His use of humour serves to temper the subject matter, allowing the viewer to engage with his works on multiple levels. One aspect of Fleur's art is the way in which he uses the medium of painting to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. His paintings are a testament to the power of art to transform the way we see and experience the world around us.
Delta N.A.
Based in Italy.
The artistic duo Delta N.A. works simultaneously on each artwork with a technique of painting in unison. As they learn from each other, together they access a common creative flow that pours down onto their canvases through a shared language. Their ability to complement each other makes any work of art made by four hands, appear as the creation of a single artist. Delta N.A. represents a journey into the placid beauty of nature, the collective unconscious and the fluidity of time. Their works evoke a dreamy world suspended between emotions and memories, hopes and desires where harmony finds new forms of balance through colours, lights and shadows. Delta N.A.’s point of view is focused on the concept of time intended as non-linear: present, past and future converge and exist in the present.
Palito Perak
b. 1984, based in Indonesia.
Palito Perak studied Visual Communication and Design at the Indonesian Art Institute and has been actively involved in art events, particularly in Yogyakarta, as a designer, artist, and organizer. His work is inspired by the media, especially social media. His works reflects current events, popular subjects, and social and cultural issues.
Fajar Amali
b. 1992, based in Indonesia.
Fajar Amali currently lives and works in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He dropped out of the University of Hassan II Casablanca and later graduated from the Indonesia Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta. His works mainly consist of paintings on canvas and mixed media. Amali draws inspiration from three artists: Marcel Duchamp, Robert Williams, and Rembrandt van Rijin.
Heri Dono
b. 1960, based in Indonesia.
Heri Dono is one of Indonesia's most internationally recognised contemporary artist. In both the creation of images and the choice of narratives, he mixes philosophy, Buddhism, Hinduism, folklore, and the current state of society in a humorous and witty way. However, Dono also emphasises that behind his humorous expressions are his reflections and criticisms on social and political issues such as military intervention, political corruption, and environmental destruction.
Jellyfish Kisses
Based in Philippines.
Anton Belardo created the persona “Jellyfish Kisses,” not as a fictional character but as a translation of her interior self to her visual exterior. Belardo’s aesthetic comes from 1950s/1960s suburban housewives, whose kitschy and picture-perfect appearance are a façade for darker realities.
Belardo’s work mostly revolves around creating safe spaces and confessional diaries where visitors can share their sentiments in a nonjudgmental environment. She wishes to share the spotlight with her audience as a way to help them with their personal struggles.
Belardo’s artistic concepts are deeply rooted in her experiences as a queer individual, who has developed a heightened sensitivity to finding safe spaces in everyday life. She earned her BFA in Advertising Arts from the Philippine Women’s University School of Fine Arts and Design. Following her undergraduate studies, Belardo expanded her skills in fashion by taking basic pattern-making and sewing classes at the Golden Hands Fashion and Arts School. Her talent was recognized when she was named a finalist in the MEGA Young Designer 2011 competition. She later transitioned to visual arts, exploring a variety of mediums including mixed media painting, illustration, and site-specific art installations, and integrating elements of performance and public interaction into her work.
OGGZGOY
b. 1992, based in Indonesia.
OGGZGOY studied Fine Arts at the Indonesia Institute of the Arts Yogyakarta. He continues to live in Yogyakarta, where he is dedicated to furthering his artistic practice. Since 2016, he has concentrated on exploring street art (e.g. graffiti), finding that these dynamic spaces offer endless possibilities for creating masterpieces.
Rafael Megall
b. 1983, based in Armenia.
Rafael Megall began painting at the age of nine. He studied at the Yerevan State Academy of Fine Arts from 1998 to 2004. Since 2008, he has been a member of the Union of Artists of the Republic of Armenia. Since 2010, he has lived and worked in both Armenia and the United States. In 2012, he was awarded the Gold Medal by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Armenia for his contributions and achievements. The following year, he received the honorary title of Honoured Artist of the Republic of Armenia from the President of Armenia. In 2013, he was also honoured with the Lorenzo il Magnifico Award in the painting category at the Florence Biennale IX edition. Additionally, in 2014, he was presented with the Arshile Gorky Honourable Medal of the Republic of Armenia.
Rodel Tapaya
b. 1980, based in Philippines.
Rodel Tapaya was a student at the College of Fine Arts at the University of the Philippines when he won the Nokia Art Prize in 2001. This award provided him with a grant to study at the Parsons School of Design and the University of Helsinki. Following a series of successful exhibitions, he moved his home and studio to Bulacan, the Philippines, in 2006, where he currently lives with his wife, painter Marina Cruz-Garcia, and their three children. His works are featured in the collections of prestigious institutions such as the Art Gallery of New South Wales, National Gallery of Australia, Michael and Janet Buxton Collection, Mori Art Museum, The Hori Science and Art Foundation, Singapore Art Museum, Bencab Museum, Ateneo Art Gallery, Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art, Pinto Art Museum, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas bank, Deutsche Bank Collection, SEACO, and several international private collections. In 2011, Tapaya won the Asia-Pacific Breweries Signature Art Prize, and in 2012, he was awarded the Cultural Centre of the Philippines Thirteen Artists Award.
Ryol
b. 1993, based in Indonesia.
Based in Yogyakarta, Ryol specialises in visual art with a focus on pop culture. Originally aspiring to be a musician, Ryol turned his passion into a pop culture visual artist with his childhood background as the biggest influence. He credits his parents and Sunday morning cartoon TV programmes as key factors in his early artistic development, which shaped his approach to creating art with both freedom and responsibility. Ryol’s evolution into a pop culture visual artist lets him know the vision and the biggest dream he has. Painting is his lifetime’s job. He never wants to end it. And still has a big dream to become an artist who left a trace of history in his era.
Suanjaya Kencut
b. 1994, based in Indonesia.
Suanjaya Kencut earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Indonesian University of the Arts in Yogyakarta. His work draws inspiration from the traditional Balinese art of his upbringing, as well as modern art installations. Dolls are a central subject in Kencut’s work, and through anthropomorphisation, he imbues them with emotional depth, portraying them as hard-working and life-like.
TRNZ
b. 1992, based in Philippines.
TRNZ holds a BFA in Advertising and began his career as an art director at TBWA/SMP. He later transitioned to Fine Art and was introduced to art through locally dubbed Japanese animation that aired daily on 90s television. He is a visual artist with a penchant for mis-arrangement – the past, concepts, emotions, and the intangible. He recontextualises tangible elements, placing them in unconventional settings where their absurdity defies conventional logic, yet somehow feels as though they belong.