Journal Artistique Magazine No°2 | June 2019

OPUS 18035 by Mar ie Chr istine Foucher - Poig nan t & Fr ançois Poig nan t

NO°2 J UN E 2 019

Editor’s Pick , p 62

Kwo wonn SSeerriieess : P i l e u p & & Rub – C Chhiinnkk ((1199--3 5 ) by S o oonniikk K Represented by Miaja Galler y

Life is Art The canvass is blank I stare out the window Looking for inspiration We star t life with so little A good name at best All is to be done All is to be lived The whiteness is glaring Until the first strokes The fir st bursts of colour s Slowly the image emerges Which tells a stor y Contained, it seems In a geometr y that in tr uth Rarely can hold but par t Of what our life is about.

We put down our emotions Paint dripping like tear s Our dar kest fear s Painful memories Moments of joy A momentous wor k of Ar t That is our s to carr y through Days after year s Staring each day At an empty page Wondering what the br ush Will put down as witness The colour s of the days Are for us to decide We are the maker s Of our own ar twor k Staring at us like mirror s Reflections of our selves Of how well we could learn To paint the colour s of our life.

– Isabelle Miaja 31 May, 2019 Sydney, Australia

Journal Artistique

Editorial Team

Editor in Chief

Isabelle Miaja

Content Editor

Sophia Smith

Magazine Design Artist

Brenna Soong

Editorial Feature Writers:

Mollie Jean De Dieu , Mr. Q, Lucie Pugnot , Aleksandra Lis, Naomi Stahl, Bernard Yves Chatel Art Contributors Edition II

Marie Christine Foucher-Poignant & François Poignant Sebastiano Navarra Soonik Kwon Sponsors Edition II

Nespresso Singapore Bang & Olufsen Singapore Goodrich Global Arista MM Galleri Omnia Lifestyles Quiddity

For Editorial, Sponsorship and Distribution Enquiries, please contact: Sophia Smith T. (+65) 6737 8979 | M . (+44) 7875 938084 E . press @ miajadesigngroup.com

Journal Artistique is published by “aime aime” publications and is a company magazine by M A I S O N M I A JA M A I S O N M I A JA Brands Miaja Design Group

E . info@miajadesigngroup.com

Miaja Gallery

E . info@miajagaller y.com

Miaja Art Colle ctions

E . info@miajaar tcollections.com

T. +65 6737 8979

T. +65 6219 3326

T. +65 6737 8865

www.miajadesigngroup.com

www.miajagaller y.com

www.miajaar tcollections.com

9, Muthuraman Chetty Road, APS Building Level 2, 3, 4, Singapore, 238931 To find out about events at M A I S O N M I A J A , please visit www.maisonmiaja.com

EDITOR’S NOTE It’s been three months since our first edition of Journal Ar tistique Magazine, and so many exciting events have taken place.

I travelled to Hong Kong for Art Basel, where I had the chance to see so many great works from Ar tists from all over the world. From Yayoi Kusama to Schiele’s retrospective and so many more, my head was spinning! For Ar t aficionados, it’s a must ‘go-to’ event.

Miaja Ar t Collections - Contemporar y Ar t Galler y also par ticipated in Affordable Art Fair Hong Kong, with talented Ar tists such as Ieo Gek Ching, Charlotte Elizabeth, Carla Grace and Nissa Kauppila. Going to fairs is not only an inspiration but also a great boost when you are in the galler y business.

I visited Fiji, a wonderful destination. Seeing our interior design project Pullman Nadi Resort & Spa finally opened was a great achievement for Miaja Design Group’s team and myself; especially when I see that the result has all of the vibrancy and atmosphere intended in our original designs. Working alongside Architect Jiten Narsey and his capable team was a pleasure and having owners that put their best foot forward, trusting their designer, was a blessing.

I also went to FAME, a design fair in Manila, where I met the amazing designers Genevieve and Stephanie Go of Quiddity. This sister duo is so dynamic and creative that we ended up planning a pop-up show in our Ar t Galler y in October 2019... their bags indeed are a work of Ar t ! You can read about how they conceptualised their line of handbags in this edition.

Meeting David Boucher in Sydney and seeing his bespoke furniture and curio pieces up-close was also a fantastic experience which you can discover this issue.

Witnessing how Ar t flows in so many different sectors, confirms my determination to give creativity a platform for such talents. Bringing people’s ideas together and manifesting them within the pages of Journal Ar tistique is a journey that gives my team and I a great sense of fulfilment.

Is ab e l l e Miaj a E di t or i n Chief

10 26 10

O N T H E C OV E R M a r i e C h r i s t i n e F o u c h e r- Po i g n a n t & F r a n ç o i s Po i g n a n t

12

F E AT U R E D A R T I S T S e b a s t i a n o N av a r r a

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" I N BE D WI T H " Ar t Collector, Hady Ang

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F E AT U R E P u l l m a n N a d i B a y R e s o r t & S p a , F i j i

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ART & WE L L N E S S The Gateway of the Spa

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G O O D R I C H G L O BA L T h e A r t o f S p a c e

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A R I S TA H a n d - K n o t t e d D r e a m s … w h e n a r u g i s s o m u c h m o r e

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SA R T O R I A L W I S D O M

Man vs Colour : Demystifying an age old myth

CONTENTS

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37

34

QU I D D I T Y Handcr afted Leather Bags for the Moder n Explorer

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A R T D E L A TA B L E I n t e r v i e w w i t h C h e f J u l i e n R oye r

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F E AT U R E M a i s o n M i a j a , ' S a l o n L o u i s X V I '

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M M G AL L E R I The Ar t of Bending Stone

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O M N I A L I F E S T Y L E D av i d B o u c h e r & C o

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N E S P R E S S O O n e Po d A t A T i m e

56

A R T S C E N E S i n g a p o r e , L o n d o n , Pa r i s

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EDITOR’S PICK

Soonik Kwon

49

C O N T R I B U TO R S

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S OPHIA SMITH Sophia Smith is the PR & Communications Director of Maison Miaja and the content editor of Journal Artistique. She grew up in Oxford UK and completed a Media & Communications degree from Universidad de Navarra, Spain. For the past ten years, Sophia has worked for the local press, lifestyle publications and in digital marketing. In recent years, she set up a Marketing & Communications consultancy business, working with companies in the UK, US and Singapore.

MOLLIE JEAN DE DIEU

MR. Q

LUCIE PUGNOT

A self-proclaimed citizen of the world, Mollie grew up between Africa , France , the United States and has made Asia her home for the past twelve years. Mother of two, aged six and four, Mollie currently resides in Singapore with her family where she carries the busy role of General Manager for the French Maison, L O N G C H A M P. Her stamina in life resides in the continuous seeking of channels that cater to wholesomeness, empowerment and mindfulness. She sees life through a grounded rose coloured lens whilst holding onto the firm belief that ‘those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.’

Obsessive. Relentless. Curious. Just three words, but in those words lies the definition of my modus operandi and personhood - at any point, I am at least one of the above ... in my best moments, I am all three at once.

Born and raised in southern France, in the idyllic Alps meets Provence landscapes, Lucie was initiated to French cuisine & wine by her parents in their family farm.

For over a decade she has explored the world and experienced ar t, craftsmanship, culinary and oenology appreciation around the world: from Paris, Italy, India, Russia, Hong Kong to Singapore where she currently lives. In 2008, meeting Pino Grasso - renowned Italian designer for Chanel and Versace - in his Milan workshop, revealed her passion for Ar t & Craftsmanship. For the past six years she has worked within the luxur y industr y, including Krug Champagne. Lucie loves to share her appetite for Ar t with her twin sister, an emerging photographer in France and her Culinar y Ar t with her par tner, celebrated Chef for his #reinventingbritish Cuisine.

I have been designing men’s clothing for ten years now and The Prefecture has been in business for four years ; dressing men in their finest tropical sar torial wears. Here's to another decade!

C O N T R I B U TO R S

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A L E K SA N D R A LIS

NAO M I S TA H L

B E R NA R D YVE S C H AT E L

Aleksandra has been working as art manager and ar t consultant for over 10 years in Singapore both representing local and international artists. She has been managing commercial art galleries and selling artwork on both primary and secondary markets.

Aleksandra has organized art exhibitions for both emerging and established ar tists including artists like Yaacov Agam, Salvador Dali and David Gerstein. Prior this she was the General Manager of Singapore Dance Theatre and Festival Manager of Singapore International Film Festival. Her art career began with the Polish Embassy in Singapore where she worked as the Culture Officer for over 5 years organizing concer ts, exhibitions, performances, gala events, lectures and many other diplomatic events.

She holds a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Warsaw and worked as a lawyer in the European Cour t of Justice in Luxembourg and with leading European law firms in Warsaw and Munich before relocating to Singapore in 2003.

Naomi is an ar t consultant based in London, UK, and has gained extensive experience working with international ar tists and set designers to produce evocative exhibitions across Europe and Southeast Asia.

Born in Casablanca (MOROCCO), he has been an Ar t collector for many years.

He has spent 30 years travelling around the globe for business and leisure.

She earned her first-class fashion design degree in London, with an emphasis on the environmental impacts of consumer retail habits. This triggered her timely transition into the field of ar t management and she went on to complete curatorial studies at the Sotheby’s Institute of Ar t.

Today, curating immersive exhibition experiences for her clientele continues to be a central focus of her practice, and inspires her community outreach initiatives that look to create emotional connections between ar t and new audiences.

Currently he is the owner BY CHATEL Galler y in Paris next to Place des Vosges – Le Marais . His contemporar y ar t galler y focuses on solo and group ar t exhibitions.

O N T H E C OV E R

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Sans titre 17 (left) & Sans titre 16 (right) Acr ylic and engraving on paper, 75 x 50 cm

Marie Christine Foucher - Poignant & François Poignant

Text | Isabelle Miaja Ar tworks | Foucher-Poignant

Marie Christine Foucher-Poignant and François Poignant have been professional ar tist painters since 1998. Their work draws upon a careful study of the balance between forms and colours. The duo is a four -handed orchestration defined by a common set of protocol; series, format, number of colours, embossing and asymmetr y.

Combining motifs may appear a simple, but it’s a creative process that pushes them to the limit and is almost on the verge of chaos and imbalance. By carefully laying out the solid coloured shapes with the hollows, they compensate themselves in the search for serenity. Each hand-drawn shape without perfect geometr y is counter-balanced by other imperfect elements.

For both ar tists, the aim of this approach is that the tension between the different components creates a calming style of work, which is also surprising, enigmatic and evident.

FOUCHER-POIGNANT

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In the atelier, from conception to realisation, both ar tists work hand in hand with a veto system at any point in time. They chose engraving as their medium, and this technique demands a high level of skill or ‘savoir-faire’ to be able to achieve the desired result.

There again, simplicity is only at the surface. Once a composition is created and validated between each other, they transcribe the motifs on a linoleum or wood. Then they both star t engraving with their chisel and go through the inking and rolling press process. The final engraving on paper called ‘Estampe’ is also validated as a team.

More complex is the technique of ‘Gaufrage’ or embossing. It pushes the paper to its resistance limit and the result adds another layer of perception, invisible from afar. The new discreet forms that appear surprise the eye, they answer to the coloured forms and their shadows evolve throughout the day.

Marie Christine Foucher-Poignant graduated with a Diplome National Superieur D’expression Plastique in 1989 and was a tutor of Plastic Ar t for nine years, while also practising freelance graphic and textile design. François Poignant was a self-taught freelance graphic designer. They both left their respective jobs and star ted practising their ar t exclusively since 1998.

They both live in an amazing environment between Mont Saint-Michel and Les Iles Chausey, a setting that inspires their creativity. They both par ticipate in international fair s ( Maison Et Objet, Ambiente Frankfurt, Spring Fair Birmingham).

Ar tworks by Marie Christine Foucher- Poignant & François Poignant are available at Miaja Ar t Collections.

For more info, contact : info@miajaar tcollections.com

Sans titre 13 Acr ylic and engraving on paper, 75 x 50 cm

F E AT U R E D A RT I S T

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Ar tist, Sebastiano Navarra

Featured Artist : Sebastiano Navarra

Text | Miaja Ar t Collections Ar tworks | Sebastiano Navarra

Sebastiano was born in Milan, Italy, to Spanish and Italian parents that encouraged his creativity from a young age. By 16, he was ‘Photoshopping’ por traits of famous people by hand, and upon graduating from the famous Accademia Delle Belle Ar ti Di Brera in Milan, Sebastiano won a prestigious award to work with J Walter Thompson in Bogota, Colombia. A self-proclaimed discoverer and leader in his field, he quickly rose to the position of Creative Director and a key figure in the adver tising world.

For the next decade of his career, he pursued a creative investigation that gravitated towards the concept of ‘The Beauty of Allure’ that combined Ar t, creativity and marketing – captivating the essence of Pop Ar t in the 1960’s.

S E B A S T I A N O N AVA R R A

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It was there in Bogota, that Sebastiano began his professional career as an ar tist after a sell-out show at The National Museum titled ‘The Disappeared Cities’.

He later returned to Italy and continued collaborations in adver tising , focusing on ‘ The Evolution of Communication’ in the modern age. Sebastiano became par t of an exclusive circle of like-minded

ar tists and architects, including Botero and Rojas, who also focused on this ar tistic investigation, and the realisation of these concepts through their own ar tistic practices. This investigation initialised another fer tile period of Sebastiano’s own Ar t, which ultimately flowed into the creative expression that exists in his present works.

Interior “Dog play with ball” , 2018 Acr ylic on Wood, 122 x 122 cm

F E AT U R E D A RT I S T

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Corazzata Potemkin , 2018 Acr ylic on Wood, 122 x 122 cm

Greatly influenced by Picasso, he recognises and loves phases in ar t histor y. The same could be said for Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and all those that he represents within his ar t. His dilemma, he confesses, is how to translate those personalities – ‘the Greats’ – into the world of today and make them relevant, so they can live with him in this lifetime.

Today, you can find Sebastiano’s works in private collections around the world, having exhibited across Europe, South America and Southeast Asia. In Singapore, Sebastiano is represented by at Miaja Ar t Collections – Contemporar y Ar t Galler y, where he has had various solo and group exhibitions.

S E B A S T I A N O N AVA R R A

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Futurismo (Alonso Sanchez Coello Infanta Isabella Clara) , 2015 Acr ylic on Wood, 122 x 122 cm

Ar tworks by Sebastiano Navarra are available at Miaja Ar t Collections.

For more info, contact : info@miajaar tcollections.com

“IN BED WITH”

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“ Art is Life – Life is Art ”

Inter view | Isabelle Miaja Photos | Various Ar tists

Interview with Art Collector, Hady Ang Hady Ang is a Singaporean ar t collector. He is well known in the Ar t circle, and respected by curators and his fellow collector friends alike for his acumen in collecting Ar t across the region. He travels far and wide from Singapore to Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and Europe to major fairs in search of elusive Ar t pieces that will add philosophical value to his collection.

“ My search revolves around social relevance. I want to collect Art that is a testimony of our present times. ”

Hady and I met casually over lunch and I asked him a few questions about his journey as a collector, to which he candidly responded.

IM: Hady, when did you start collecting Art ?

HA: I started buying Art in 1979. I was interested in Chinese antiques at the time; this was my first passion.

Ceramics, carved jade sculptures and ancient bronze that dated as far back as the Shang dynasty, 3500 years ago. At the time, there were almost no restrictions in China for antique exports. I had a connection with an antique dealer who had sources in China that helped him locate great pieces. It was a significant learning experience after graduating from Singapore University as an Art & Social Science alumnus. My quest for antiques was taking me across centuries, provoking a lot of conversations over authenticity and I was doing a lot of historical research to trace the provenance of each coveted piece. Then China slowly closed its doors, prices started rocketing, and I realised that I needed to move to another art passion.

Isabelle Miaja and Hady Ang

“IN BED WITH”

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IM: What was your next step ?

HA: In 2007, I started collecting contemporary Art. After selling my Chinese antique collection, I was in an excellent position to buy top contemporary artists such as Ronald Ventura, Agus Suwage and Natee Utarit.

I had friends with impressive Arts in their homes; and yet their collecting journey was not what I wanted for myself.

IM: What is your Contemporar y Collection about ?

HA: My search revolves around social relevance. I want to collect Art that is a testimony of our present times.

I want to build a visual document of our society and particularly a record of South East Asia's evolution in many aspects of our differences. We are made up of many countries which reflect differently in their past and their present, as well being a projection into the future. That translation into contemporary Art is what I aspire to collect.

OMG 1 Commissioned work by Anton Del Castillo Mixed media, gold leaf resin, 3 x 3.3 m

IM: Why S.E.A. Contemporar y Art in particular ?

IM: What is part of the journey to becoming a collector?

HA: At the time, I was looking to build my collection affordably, the best within my budget. South East Asia as a collective of countries has a young art scene; talented artists that are conceptual and not known internationally. This is a human story I am emotionally attached to.

HA: In the beginning, you start with a love for Art in any form, it's a passion that slowly grabs you. Like any passion, your life slowly revolves around it. When travelling, you will look out for museums and galleries, and your eye will start training to recognise styles and forms. You will pick up books to educate yourself, to learn about iconic artists of the past and the different time periods. You will seek fellow art lovers, and you will start buying with your heart.

IM: Why did you call your collection P.I.G.?

HA: P is for ‘Political’ - I is for ‘Immortality’ - G is for ‘Gods’. Politics, Religion and angst over life and death are part of every society's fabric. I want my collection of Art not just to be an accumulation, but a reflection of my quest as an answer seeker to the deepest anxieties of humankind.

It's ok to make mistakes and to find your way into what you love - as there is no right or wrong. At that moment when an artwork speaks to your heart, you follow that impulse to purchase something meaningful. Your journey as an art collector has started; and hopefully it will last until the day you die because Arts will expand your mind and keep you thirsty for knowledge; which in turn will keep you young forever.

“IN BED WITH”

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Eating Air , 2018 by Alvin Ong Oil on canvas, 175 x 285 cm

IM: Your journey as an Art Collector ?

IM: What is your latest purchase ?

HA: I too have bought Art I shouldn't have, it's part of the learning curve. I soon realised that I needed to have a theme, a framework, a purpose to my collection that is why I focused on P.I.G. and my quest for a meaningful body of artworks. It gave me a purpose and guidelines so as not to be distracted emotionally. Mind over heart, and as a mature collector, we become more selective and less compulsive, although sometimes I failed.

HA: I bought a piece by Alvin Ong, a contemporary artist from Singapore. My Singaporean collection is minimal as there are so very few artists here that attack strong issues, we're used to conforming because of our educational system. Alvin is one of the few that depicts the particularities of our island's society in his paintings.

IM: What is the ultimate purpose of your collection ?

IM: Where do you find the Artwor ks to build your collection?

HA: I go to fairs such as Art Basel, but also the smaller ones where I search for arts that convey on canvas the throws of our societies and match my theme. As my collection is narrowed down to a more pointed search, so did the scarcity of the available artworks. Nowadays, I find myself commissioning work to artists that speak that language. It's a collaboration between the artist and myself, as the commission needs to complement the artist's quest and the commissioned piece is part of a creative body of work. We add value to each other.

HA: History repeats itself. My collection is a testimony of humankind through politics. It explores impulses, desires and the search for answers through religion. It's also a glimpse into South East Asia's depths, its mindset and evolution depicted and reinterpreted by its homegrown artists. Artists are always the mirrors into our souls throughout history. I hope my collection will stay together as one, and that it continues to translate its message long after I am gone.

Thank you, Hady, our time was a meaningful insight into your art collecting wor ld. I hope ever yone that reads your jour ney will find something that comforts their jour ney and maybe you will have passed on 'the bug' to a new collector! – Isabelle Miaja

P U L L M A N N A D I B AY R E S O RT & S PA

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Reception

Pullman Nadi Bay Resort & Spa, Fiji

Introduction | Sophia Smith Photos | Pullman Nadi Bay Resor t & Spa

Interior Design by Miaja Design Group .

Surrounded by uninterrupted ocean views, Pullman Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is Fiji’s newest resor t. Located on Wailoaloa beachfront and overlooked by vistas of the island's most recognised mountain The Sleeping Giant, this unique resor t concept by Miaja Design Group is inspired by the colourful and vibrant Fijian culture. The resor t has 236 rooms and suites along with an extensive range of facilities including four restaurants, three bars and swimming pools, a day spa, 24-hour fitness centre and impressive meeting rooms which can host up to 525 guests.

“People travel to Fiji from all over the world because it's a joyous, dynamic and diverse location, renowned for its natural beauty. I wanted the resort design to reflect all of the positive energy, bright colours and symbolism of traditional Fijian culture, and to translate this into a contemporar y design for the modern traveller.” comments Isabelle Miaja, founder of Miaja Design Group.

F E AT U R E

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Lounge Area

The lobby area offers a warm Fijian welcome from the onset, including wooden canoe style seating and bright coloured sculptures, designed by Isabelle Miaja. These rotating ver tical columns named ‘Totem’ connect storytelling imager y in an apotheosis of balance in motion, and feature flowing patterns and symbols inspired by local culture and island nature.

Traditional ar ts and crafts in Fiji include wood-car ving, potter y and Tapa Cloth, also known as Masi. Tapa is made from the bark of the paper mulberr y tree and decorated in charcoal with symbolic motifs and dancing patterns. Throughout the resor t, geometric shapes feature on the walls, floor tiles and carpets. The use of wood, metal and stone creates a light contemporar y feel and balances the occasional wild bursts of rainbow colours within the design.

Lobby with ‘Totem’ sculptures by Isabelle Miaja

P U L L M A N N A D I B AY R E S O RT & S PA

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Dan Dan Noodle Bar

Kah Restaurant

P U L L M A N N A D I B AY R E S O RT & S PA

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Pool

The four signature restaurants and three bars offer a range of dining options in a relaxed-chic setting. Lobby based RO Bar ser ves fresh fare and juices with seafacing seating. Magiti restaurant (which appropriately means ‘communal feast’ in Fijian) delivers on its name to offer all-day dining. DanDan, open for lunch daily, specialises in fast, fresh food inspired by street vendors and the flavours of Asia. Pullman’s Barefoot Bar & Grill is an ‘all ages’, taste and budget affair, with rotisserie, grills, tandoor, roasts and sharing plates. To make the most of the sun setting Kah is the Thai restaurant set directly on the beach.

Guests can soak up the sun at one of the three dreamy palm-lined pools surrounded by island nature or unwind in the divine day-spa, named Veikau. Beyond the spa, there is also a fully equipped gymnasium with indoor and outdoor workout spaces and two tennis cour ts on-site. For adventure seekers, there is a beachfront water- spor ts centre, with Hobie-cats, jet skis, quad-biking and many other options available onsite.

Sea Planes – ideal for day trips and island hopping – fly in and out less than 500 metres down the beachfront.

Pullman Nadi Bay Resor t & Spa is a cosmopolitan coastal playground with a unique ar tistic signature by Miaja Design Group. By honouring local culture and the natural beauty of its location, this new resor t is the ideal retreat for globe-trotters looking for an unforgettable escape to Fiji.

Pullman Nadi Bay Resor t & Spa, Interior Design of public areas by Miaja Design Group.

For more information about Miaja Design Group, visit: www.miajadesigngroup.com Resor t Architecture by Jiten Narsey, LMH Architects Ltd

A RT & W E L L N E S S

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Pullman Naithon Beach Resor t, Phuket

The Gateway of the Spa

Text | Mollie Rogers Jean De Dieu

I decided in this month’s issue to talk about the healing ar t of leading spa therapists and how they channel through their touch, words and peacefulness, a wholesomeness that paints the human soul with a renewed sense of wellness: be it emotional, physical or spiritual. I happened to meet, through divine inter vention perhaps, a woman by the name of Dao or in her full Thai name, Thiraschagarn Tantawewong. I was instantly drawn to her upon entering the spa of the Pullman Naithon Beach in Phuket. Dao is no stranger to the world of ar t and wellness. She graduated from Bournemouth & Poole of Ar t and design BA (Hons) UK. She then on set up the Banyan Tree in Phuket Bangkok, the Banyan Tree Spa at Raj Villas Oberoi in Jaipur, India and the Ayur vedic center at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok — to name just a handful of her achievements. Yet Dao calls herself a spa director, healer and ar tist. She has been living in her hometown of Phuket for the last 5 years, and talks about how her father is a healer too. She claims that she can feel the energy of the birds, butterflies and dragonflies and that they are attracted to her and come to warn her when she faces danger or adversity ahead. She alleges having the gift to see the ailments in people through merely looking at them and sensing their energy. Her self-given name is no mistake here too. “The Chinese word dao means a way or a path. Confucians used the term dao to speak of the way human beings ought to behave in society. In other words, dao, for them, was an ethical or moral way.” Dao, in her daily life, enlightens her spa guests with a renewed sense of peace, direction and purpose.

A RT & W E L L N E S S

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“ Healing is an Art. It takes time.

It takes practice.

It takes love ”.

I pondered for quite a while on what makes the ar t of wellness, be it through a massage or any treatment for that matter, an actual ‘ar t’ and an intuitive gateway to touch the human soul.

Dao likes to think that schooling is what provides you with the raw materials of knowledge. How one then chooses to apply the education received, is up to each individual. For Dao, wellness is the ar t of giving. She consistently seeks out how many people she can inspire in a day. For her, – Unknown healthy eating and fitness for example, are effectively a life routine. The spa however is more of a sanctuar y of healing; it I went on to ask Dao how she responds when facing a ver y is a space that allows therapists to show their negative and difficult person. Surely, we have all at one appreciation for the core being in ever y guest time or another, been that person, whether we would and accompany individuals on their cleansing like to admit it or not. What she said made me experience. On average eighty percent of people smile; like her, if you refer to my biography at the that Dao sees, feel empty inside, depleted and need star t of this magazine, I too believe in magic. help, she shares. No matter how rich or happy or She went on to say that when she comes beautiful in appearance, some people are masters in into contact with such a guest, she covering up, but it harms them in the long run. Dao creates an imaginative protective communicates to them the ar t of peeling away their shield, such a big soap bubble sadness and anxiety through touch and healing techniques. around her. She believes in the She goes on to say that a key unspoken spa rule for this unseen and it allows her to magic to happen however is that staff must let go of their stay at peace: “it is like issues upon entering the gates of the spa or else they will Tibetan monks who stay in transfer their energy to the person they are in contact with: the cold but still feel this is oftentimes the root cause in poor treatments received warm” she whispers in she claims. Dao teaches her staff that shedding any of their her soft and rhythmic ailments is as simple as making the choice to do so and taking voice. They bring a deep inhale and exhale upon coming to work ever y their awareness to morning. Practice, repetition and determination is after all another realm and how she mastered the ar t of doing it herself. Therapists thereby transpor t have to help themselves first before tr ying to help anyone themselves away else. She preaches the impor tance of seeing any problem from the sensorial as separate from one’s body. “Take anger” says Dao: unpleasantness of “visualise yourself pushing it out from your body. It is a the cold. form of evacuating out the toxins from within; but you have to be still in doing this exercise. And the best way for you to know that you have mastered the ar t of stillness is when you feel at peace in a chaotic space like a market or an airpor t.”

A RT & W E L L N E S S

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Tenderness , 2019 by Charlotte Elizabeth Acr ylic on canvas , 122 x 183 cm

And what about the healing ar t of massage? Dao talks about it while doing up and down strokes with her hands and says: “it is like tai chi and being one with the universe.” There is a realm of the beyond that comes into play and even if she has therapists who do not believe in it, she uplifts and praises them daily. She paves the way through her example. The spa is a gateway upon which, when you enter, you get much more than a massage or a treatment of any kind. You get a restorative experience. “A lot of guests post treatment feel light, as if they were floating and they often do not want to go back into the real world” reveals Dao. The spa is a haven whereby therapists bring for th their healing ar tistic capabilities through their unique forms of curative expression. Dao even exposes her ar t there as she knows that it too, is therapeutic. And almost as if she really didn’t want to forget to mention this as her final note, she looked at me in the eyes, put her hand on mine, leaned in and stated: “we live in a feeling world, please let us never forget this — let us continue to uplift one another for the greater good.” And as deeply as her words resonated with me, a sudden rush of love and gratitude streamed through my body. Yes, sister and brothers, we are all, ONE. Peace be with you.

The human touch.

The power of connection.

Kindness, affection, love and joy.

An image inspired by the power of humanity.

The smallest gesture of tenderness often outweighing the most dramatic image of hate.

– Ar twork Narrative by Charlotte Elizabeth

GOODRICH GLOBAL

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Cole & Son, Fornasetti Senza Tempo wallpaper collection – Arance

The Art of Space

Text | Goodrich Global Photos | Goodrich Global

Adding style to function .

Sponsored by Goodrich Global

The secret to creating a lovely home is all about the mix. By choosing key pieces and styling up with interesting home accessories or beloved vintage pieces, one can create a look that is contemporar y yet unique. At Goodrich, we provide the perfect finishing touch to ever y interior.

We offer an extensive collection of interior wallcoverings, fabrics, carpets and flooring (laminate, vinyl, engineered timber, outdoor decking, rubber tiles (indoor & outdoor) for you to create a completely personalized furnished ambience. With a range of interiors that incorporates ever ything from statement pieces to characterful coverings, the new 2019 collections will not disappoint.

GOODRICH GLOBAL

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Top: Camengo, Elite fabrics collection – Cognac | Bottom: Brink & Campman, Estella collection – Harmony

GOODRICH GLOBAL

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Cole & Son, Fornasetti Senza Tempo wallpaper collection – Malachite

Specialty Wallcovering Add a touch of ar tisan with specialty wallcoverings from America, Europe and Japan. Capture the beauty of the nature with these collections of wallcovering.

Feature Walls Add character to any space with a feature wall with interesting wallcovering inspired by interesting motifs and designs by Fonasetti, Cole & San. Upholstery and Drapery Having fabrics in an interior is a sure way to elevate a space’s glamourous factor. The fabrics from the Elitie collection from Camengo will fulfill the desire for daily luxur y, exquisite materials and ultra design trends.

Curtain Call For a touch of ar tisan, style your place with a KriskaDECOR cur tain made of small, anodized aluminum links, an authentic metal textile that is light and versatile. The cur tains are totally customizable in design, size and shape. Ideal as space dividers indoors and out, the cur tains add visual interest and a unique texture to the home and work spaces.

Plush carpets There’s something luxurious about a plush or textured carpets right under your bare feet. Along with softening a room, these exquisite carpets from Estella, Brink & Campman, provides extra cushioning and can help diminish noise.

Goodrich Global SINGAPORE (GALLERY) 8 Changi South Lane #01-01, Singapore 486113 T: (65) 6788 6868 | E: galler y_singapore@goodrichglobal.com | www.goodrichglobal.com/singapore

A R I S TA

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Terr y Ong, Carpet Specialist at Arista

Hand-Knotted Dreams‌ when a rug is so much more

Text | Isabelle Miaja Photos | Arista

Sponsored by Arista

The world of hand-knotted rugs is like entering Ali Baba's cave. It is a world that speaks of faraway lands and traditional techniques passed down by generations of skilled weaver s. It’s an elusive Ar t with few hand-knotting ar tisans remaining in the world.

There is a sense of myster y and carefully kept secrets surrounding these beautiful carpets and they are often handed over to children and grandchildren as heirlooms to be cherished forever.

The beauty of hand-knotted rugs is that age adds to their sheen, and usage makes them more precious.

Because they are hand-made by a craftsman, each rug is a one of a kind work of Ar t. The level of intricacies of the knotting techniques adds to their uniqueness, making them rare, expensive to acquire and they go up in value the older they get.

Hand-Knotted Rugs When you buy a hand-knotted rug, it means that a skilled weaver had individually tied ever y knot, creating a one-of-a-kind handmade rug. That is what makes hand-knotted rugs so special, but at the same time so much more expensive than all other types of rugs.

Depending on how many knots there are in each square inch (50 to 160 knots per inch is typical, 400 per square inch is remarkable), it can take more than a year for one weaver to complete a 9 x12 rug.

Wool, silk and cotton are the three primar y materials that are used to make a hand-knotted rug. Wool is the most used material. Silk is used primarily for accents.

Cotton is sometimes used in the foundation, but is not seen in the pile. The combination of these materials makes for an extremely strong rug.

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The Hand Knotted Process After the loom is set up, the warp (or vertical) threads are tied on the loom. These are the threads that eventually become the fringe of the rug. The weft runs horizontally and intertwines with the warp to create the foundation of the rug. The weft also creates the selvedge (or edges) of the rug, which hold the rug together.

The knots, made of wool or silk, are then tied to the warp threads. The weaver uses a knife (or a hook) to cut the knot, ties the knot with his or her hands, and finishes the process by securing and tightening the knot with a comb-like tool. An experienced weaver can tie one knot every two seconds.

Hand Carving Hand car ving is sometimes referred to as embossing.

Hand carving is the process of shearing areas of the rug pile to create a three-dimensional look.

Typically, car ving accentuates the design in the rug. The process us ver y difficult and is performed only by highly skilled ar tisans.

Persian Knot Also known as the Senneth knot, the Persian knot is asymmetrical. These knots are open to one side. The benefits of this knot are that it does not leave gaps and it is less bulky than Turkish knots. This type of knot makes better curvilinear or floral patterns.

Turkish Knot Also known as the Ghiordes knot, the Turkish knot is symmetrical. You can identify it when you see two little bumps or nodes within one knot on the back of the rug (also known as double knot).

Jufti Knot Jufti knots, also called false knots, can be either Persian or Turkish in nature. However, they are not desirable because the weaver is taking a short cut and tying it around four warp threads instead of two. Jufti knot rugs take half the time to make so they are less expensive, but they are much less durable.

Knot Density A large part of a hand-knotted rug’s value is placed on how many knots there are in one square inch. Knots per square inch ranges from 40 up to 2,000.

160 knots per square inch is considered ver y good. 400 knots per square inch is extraordinary, and 1,000 knots per square inch or more is very rare. It is tricky to figure out the number of knots per square inch because it depends on whether or not the knots were tied on the sample plane. If they were tied on the same plane, one knot shows on the back of the rug like two knots. If the knots were tied onto two different planes, each single bump or node is counted as a knot. The best way to judge the number of knots per square inch is by looking at the colors. If there are single colored nodes, then count each node as one knot. If the colored nodes are appearing in pairs, then count two nodes as on knot.

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Hand-knotted Rug

Hand Knotted Artisanal Rugs – an ancient craft that deser ves a lot of admiration.

This beautiful, ancient and traditional way of making rugs is an elusive ar t with few hand knotting ar tisans remaining in the world.

Originating in the mountainous regions of Iran, Afghanistan, Kashmir and Nepal from ancient times, traditional hand knotted rugs are also popularly known as Oriental rugs. In the past, these rugs were only appreciated in traditional oriental designs.

Today, this traditional technique of rug making is used

by Interior Designers in bespoke ways to suit the aesthetics of modern design. Thus hand knotted rugs are making a strong comeback in the commercial and residential interior scene.

Depending on the intricacy of the design, a hand knotted rug may take anywhere between 8 to 12 months to complete. However, the outcome is an authentic heirloom ar t piece that can last generations and may increase in price value if the design and color

is well executed. At world renowned auction houses, masterpieces escalate in value in a time when this craft is increasingly diminishing.

At Arista, they do their bit in keeping this ancient craft alive by working closely with village ar tisans throughout the Nor th Indian regions – the origins of this beautiful ancient craft. Promoting these ar tisanal rugs provides work and a means of livelihood for the skilled craftsman in these rural villages. It also ensures the preser vation and continuity of the tedious and time consuming craft.

Founded in 1982, Arista aim to be the solution provider for hospitality, commercial and institutional carpeting needs.

Working closely with Interior Designers and Architects, Arista supplies flooring such as various constructions of Axminster / Machine woven and hand knotted carpets. In their commitment to help support and preser ve the beautiful craft , Arista promotes hand knotted artisanal rugs strongly facilitating design development between Interior Designers and the artisans.

Arista Interior DĂŠcor Pte Ltd 625 Aljunied Industrial Complex, #02-05 , Singapore 389836 T: (65) 6748 3333 | F : (65) 6748 1981 | E : terr y@arista.com.sg www.arista.com.sg

S A RT O R I A L W I S D O M

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P.L.A.Y at the Beach

Man vs Colour: Demystifying an age old myth Part One: Keeping it Classic So gentleman, how many colours can you say you have in your wardrobe? In my experience, I would be willing to hedge my bets on a guess of about four to six colours. And to be clear, I am not counting “tones and shades” as colour.

Text | Mr. Q Photos | The Prefecture

There is an age old misunderstanding amongst men that colour makes one look like a show off, overly metrosexual and worst of all that it doesn’t allow for one to be taken seriously. You only have to look at the vast array of the use of colour in the “power dressing” section of womenswear to realise that classic style, especially through the lens of formal tailoring tropes, can absolutely employ the use of colour to incredibly subtle and sophisticated effect.

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To be able to use colour in a classically tailored men’s wardrobe is to achieve an extremely ar ticulate language in sar torial prowess. In classical tailoring, the use of colour should be reser ved to either ver y light pastel tones if you are of a lighter/ fairer complexion (this would apply mostly to men native to the nor thern hemispheres) or deep saturated tones with stronger definition along the colour spectrum (this would normally apply to men of coloured complexions: the darker your skin tone the more saturated colours you can wear).

Remaining firmly within the classic bracket, i.e workwear and other formal attire, the simplest approach is to always keep darker hues on your lower half (navy, charcoal, brown, burgundy) while lighter colours go above (sky blue, pink, white). This is simply because the focus of formal clothing is the face- ever ything within your ensemble should lead people towards this par t of your anatomy. If 70% of all communication is body language, then lighter colours ser ve to illuminate the focal point of all communication: the face.

Shir ts tend to have limitations as far as colour goes, however you are free to be something of a liber tine when it comes to pattern and, crucially, accessories.

There are ver y few restrictions when it comes to ties, pocket squares, socks and cufflinks. Accessories are one area where you can exercise a lot of freedom with colour while still being tasteful. And tasteful should be really emphasised strongly here as there is a tendency for men to sometimes select garish novelty accessories, especially with cufflinks. I will elaborate fur ther in future columns, but for now at least the foundations are laid.

In the hands of a seasoned professional tailor and stylist, the selection of materials for casual tailoring is ver y broad indeed. This is where your tailor/ stylist’s skill in understanding your personality shines through by how he/ she selects materials, colours, prints and textures that suit you and the purpose of the clothes. In my own practice I go through an exhaustive process of dissecting a client’s personality in order to really know who they are and what it is that moves them. Creating a beautiful selection of tailored casual clothes is a real test as it requires a nuanced approach to each individual - here is where you (the client) have to find a fine balance between sticking to what you are comfor table with and at the same time allowing your tailor/ stylist to push your boundaries of comfor t in order to achieve the best for you. I always work ver y hard to earn my clients’ trust over a long arching period of time because it really is a slow, cultivated process- hence my emphasis to each of them being style over fashion: fashion is about impressing other people and relies heavily on trends, style on the other hand is an all encompassing journey of refining oneself from the inside and making it manifest on the outside. And so it comes to the fore that people are not only allowing me into their wardrobes; to dress them well I ask to be allowed into their minds and hear ts, which allows me to understand a lot more than just how deep their pockets are, it allows me to access the texture of their personality.

Part Two: Have fun!

You will notice that par t two has been a little more abstract, less about the technicalities of clothing and more about the var ying layers of approaching casual dressing. This is deliberate and is simply reflective of how much more personalised this canvas can be when there are less restrictions on the context for which the clothes are created.

If formal clothing is about maintaining classicism, then casual clothing should act as a release from the confines of formality. Colour in men’s clothing is less about focusing on the face and more about creating a language across your body through an array of textures.

Ultimately, this level of access makes many people, especially men, rather uncomfor table and takes time to learn. But I like to think of myself as something of a purist in my pursuit to change the way men view themselves when it comes to clothing and colour... therefore I remain relentless.

Mr. Q

QUIDDITY

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Quiddity: Handcrafted leather bags for the modern explorer

Text | Quiddity Photos | Quiddity

Sponsored by Quiddity

quid¡ di¡ ty - noun. (in philosophy, the essence of someone or something) Quiddity creates meticulously handcrafted leather bags and accessories using vegetable tanned leather from Tuscany, Italy. They believe in preser ving the handmade bag-making tradition, as well as other ar tisanal crafts, while also adapting them for the modern world, and working to develop contemporar y applications of these traditional skills. Each piece is reliable, conscientiously made, and perfect for those who value high quality craftsmanship. Helmed by Filipino-Chinese sisters Stephanie and Genevieve Go, the brand is currently based in Manila, Philippines, although the Go sister s love to travel, where they source ever ything from materials to inspiration.

QUIDDITY

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Hand-illustrated leather tote bags by Quiddity

QUIDDITY

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Italian vegetable tanned leather Quiddity uses only Italian vegetable tanned leather from Tuscany, Italy, sourced from a small group of tanneries accredited by the Consorzio Vera Pelle. This consor tium ensures the protection of the Italian vegetable-tanning tradition, which originated in Tuscany and is in danger of being lost due to the industr y’s inclination towards cheaper, faster, but less environmentally-conscious production methods like chrome tanning. Unlike chrome-tanned leather, Italian vegetable tanned leather uses no chemicals or heavy metals in the production process. It is made from cowhide, as a by-product of the meat industr y, and is tanned using natural materials from plants, trees, and the like. Its natural colour ages

and patinas beautifully into golden brown over time, and is typically used for making saddles, armour, belts, and even the soles of shoes. Additionally, the consor tium maintains strict standards in order to guarantee that the leathers produced in its member tanneries are sustainably and ethically made, and that the Italian vegetable tanning tradition is respected and preser ved.

This is what differentiates Italian vegetable tanned leather from other vegan or chrome-tanned leathers.

Italian vegetable tanned leather takes longer to make and costs more, but it is also more valuable and of better quality. Each Quiddity piece that’s made with this leather is made with meticulous care and made to last.

Made by hand Each product is cut, sewn, and assembled by hand.

Using a variety of hand-stitching techniques, including their signature alternating - colour stitch, ensures that the product has been sewn by hand. The alternating effect is something that machines cannot replicate.

Hand-sewn seams are also stronger than machinesewn seams. This is because there are two separate lines of thread used, which means that even if one thread should fail, the second line of thread still holds the seams together. Unlike hand-stitched seams, a machine’s stitches can be pulled apar t easily once the thread breaks.

“We are also continuously incorporating and developing techniques from traditions of leather weaving, tooling, car ving, braiding & knotting, painting, and more. Our hope is that by employing these techniques, experimenting & innovating, and finding contemporar y applications for them, we may help to preser ve these valuable skills and traditions while adapting them for the modern world.”

– Genevieve Go, Co-founder

For more information, please visit www.shopquiddity.com E : hello@shopquiddity.com

A RT D E L A TA B L E

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Odette Restaurant , Singapore

A Ta(b)le to Happiness

Inter view | Lucie Pugnot Photos | Odette Restaurant , Singapore

Interview with Chef Julien Royer Born into a family of four th generation farmers in Cantal, Central France, the rhythms of seasonal produce and ingredients were engrained in Julien Royer at an early age. Since then, he has climbed step by step the long path of the fine dining scene until his latest award of No. 1 of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. Once upon a time…the tale of Chef Julien?

Chef Julien’s first venture into the kitchen under the legendar y Michel Bras in Laguiole instilled in him a respect for the integrity of each ingredient and a commitment to showcasing its brilliant flavours. He then evolved under acclaimed Chefs such as Maitre Cuisinier de France Bernard Andrieux, Antonin Bonnet at Michelin-starred Mayfair restaurant, The Greenhouse and worked at the world-celebrated Carl Gustaf Hotel and in Jean Georges Vongerichten’s restaurants.

The legend took shape in 2015, when Chef Julien opened Odette, a Modern French fine-dining restaurant immediately two Stars Michelin, located at the National Galler y, Singapore. Named in tribute of his maternal grand-mother, Odette is an Ode to Nature with a creative car te blanche subliming craftsmanship from around the world, a cosy and ar tful space and a genuine hospitality. Bringing his ‘Essential Cuisine’ philosophy to vibrant life, Chef Julien is in a permanent quest of the perfect ingredients to bear emotions and happiness from farm to table.

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Lucie Pugnot speaks to Julien Royer for this issue of Ar t De la Table.

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LP: Bonjour Julien, I’m delighted to inter view you about Cooking & Art! Could you please explain a bit more about Odette. What is your background and the style of cooking?

JR: I am Julien Royer, Chef-owner of Odette located at the National Gallery of Singapore. We have been open for just about 3 years now. The Cuisine we are doing at Odette is French in its DNA – this is my background as I was classically trained, but I have opened up my cuisine to the world.

As you know, Singapore is a small country and not much farming, so we work with many types of ingredients and different origins of sourcing. We have Asian influences in the taste and aesthetic – for instance we source seafood and vegetables from Japan. In Odette Restaurant, we also wanted to break away from the normal fine dining room décor, and instead chose a with pink room to be engaging, warm, with a certain sense of femininity.

Chef Julien Royer, Chef-owner of Odette

Led by Singaporean ar tist, Dawn Ng, the overall creative direction stems from a deep understanding of Chef Julien’s culinar y philosophy.

Titled A THEORY OF EVERYTHING, the body of ar t explores the visual beauty of raw ingredients from Chef Julien’s kitchen, broken down and re-imagined into a surreal universe of shapes and forms that float and settle, drift and pirouette.

These images

deconstructed, of

Chef

magnified

Julien’s

most

precious ingredients inform ever y aspect of Odette’s creative design.

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LP: In your opinion, how goes cooking relate to Art? JR: There is a lot of guests telling us that what we do is Art. Personally, I don’t think we are Artists. We are Artisans, we are expressing our sensibilities through cooking, but we are relaying on the passion of someone else: the farmers. I think an Artist is a person who master his craftsmanship and reach a level where they are on the top of their game. I like to think in this job we can learn, see, touch and smell new things every day, so for this reason, we can also get better every day. “ I think an Artist is a person The process of creation is who master his craftsmanship a long process: there are only couple of dishes, I and reach a level where they are think - are almost perfect on the top of their game. I like but it is difficult to find the to think in this job we can learn, right aesthetic for the dish sometimes. Each dish is see, touch and smell new things influenced by the produce every day, so for this reason, we and the ingredients: these are always the bones. The can also get better every day. ” first step is to source an ingredient. It is to find the right product wherever is from, at its peak; it has to be sustainable, at its top quality in term of freshness and texture.

Then we start the cooking process. For instance, the asparagus in spring. We source the “Asperge de Roques” from a producer named Sylvain Erhardt, based in France.

These are the most beautiful asparagus and gives them only to selected restaurants in the world. What we are going do with these asparagus? I am not sure.

To start the creative process, we try many techniques with it – cooked, blanched, steamed, sous vide – until to find the best cooking technique for this ingredient.

Then, condiments and garnish. We might try different temperatures or textures. The only thing matters for a Chef is the final taste of the product. It’s very challenging to make a product shine in its own purity and beauty.

Chefs are only intermediate between those farmers and guests, and we like to share with our guests the passion of the farmers. The spotlight is too much on the chef and not enough on the producers, in my opinion.

Odette & Julien

LP: What dish do you consider to be your Masterpiece?

JR: We have few signature dishes. Our three most significant dishes are: 1 - The beetroot dish: I have been working for years to refine it.

It consists of simple flavours – beetroot cheese and honey, but there is a certain complexity to prepare and plate this dish.

2 - Pigeon crusted with Cambodian pepper: I like the contrast between the tender pigeon breast and the spicy peppery crust – a very interesting combination.

3 - The yuzu tart: yuzu curd using the zest, sorbet and we finish it with sake foam.

LP: What is the essence of Odette?

JR: Odette is the name of my grandmother, so the restaurant brings are very comforting state of mind.

As children, she gave us much pleasure and happiness with food. I started to cook with her.

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Odette’s Signatures; top: Hokkaido Uni, bottom: Heirloom Beetroot Variation

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LP: Historically, the profession of Chef was not a prestigious profession. Nowadays Chefs are celebrities, skilled creators of Art. What are your thoughts on this evolution?

JR: The spotlight is too much the job of Chef. I would prefer to have this spotlight on the farmer. At Odette, we try to bring attention and awareness by introducing the origin of the produce to the guests. This is the first important step. We are hoping to develop a special event gathering the producers we use at Odette, to give them a chance to interact and explain their passion directly with the guests. It is important to give more credibility to their craftsmanship.

LP: Much like Art, Chefs can evoke memories and emotions through their creations. How do you evoke these emotions with food? Does it make sense to shock a diner with uncomfortable tastes make to provoke a reaction or stand out?

JR: You provoke reactions through senses. I don’t like to provoke because I like to go to a restaurant to feel comfortable and for the simple pleasure of eating and drinking. I am not a provoking cook. When it comes to emotions, we have a smoked eggs dish, something I had in mind for long time because this is a childhood memory; simple eggs with bacon and rosemary my mother made for me as a kid. This has evolved in something more complex, but the intensity remains the same. Good cooking is not enough nowadays, people need a chef personality, attention to detail and a story.

Thee more honest is the story more people will be beating into it. On the other side, for instance Mugaritz is a mover-shaker provoking people’s reaction. It is good to have a restaurant opening new doors of creativity.

Lemon Tar t

LP: Who is your favourite artist or work of art and why?

JR: I really love Fernando Botero. He has a strong approach of women, femininity, maternity and sensuality.

You feel comfortable and it is pleasing to look at.

LP: For Proust, a taste recalling home and childhood was a madeleine dipped in tea. What food tastes like a memor y and hold most emotion for you?

JR: Jam confiture because it is something simple with two ingredients, fruit and sugar, but you have an incredible palette of flavours. It reminds me home, especially redcurrant and blackcurrant jam because you can find these fruits everywhere in Cantal in Auvergne area. It is so simple and so complex to do the best jam. It is very close to my heart and my roots. That’s why we offer to our restaurant guests a pot of jam from my family recipe.

Chef Julien [ latest news ] Late 2018, he was one of twelve global culinar y superstars featured at Hangar-7’s prestigious Michelin-starred guest chef concept Restaurant Ikarus, Austria.

Chef Julien‘s Cuisine can be also enjoyed on Air : until March 2020, Odette’s Signature dishes are exclusively on board of Air France’s La Première and Business cabins depar ting Singapore.

If you land in Hong Kong, you will be able to experience. ‘Louise’, the new concept of Chef Julien, exploring the rustic recipes of his childhood.

Open in June 2019.

Odette Restaurant: 1 St Andrew’s Road #01-04, Singapore 178957 For reser vations, private events and other restaurant enquiries: enquir y@odetterestaurant.com | Website: www.odetterestaurant.com

F E AT U R E

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Salon Louis XVI, APS Building, Level 4

Maison Miaja : ' Salon Louis XVI '

Text | Sophia Smith Photos | Axel Serik, Maison Miaja

The home for Art, Design and Beautiful Events

For many years, Isabelle Miaja had a dream of creating a buzzing ar t and design hub in Singapore. Being the owner of an award-winning interior design firm and two ar t galleries, par t of her intrinsic vision is to house an environment can where Ar t, craftsmanship and all types of creative collaborations can thrive and are all-encompassing. Maison Miaja was born from a passion for imagination and innovation, now translated into a one of a kind event venue.

Since its relocation in 2018, Maison Miaja is now housed in the APS Lifestyle Building, near Rober tson Quay area. Set across two levels with different design concepts in each area, there is the ‘white box, minimalist chic’ setting of Salon Jean Nouvel on the 2nd floor and the ‘European luxur y’ style of the recently opened Salon Louis XVI on the 4th floor, both available for exclusive events.

MAISON MIAJA

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Left : Fitting rooms – Wallpaper by Fromental, Sound by Bang & Olufsen; Flooring throughout by Goodrich Global Right : Show kitchen – Marbled worktop by Cosentino

A new luxury events concept in Singapore Salon Louis XVI is the newest floor at Maison Miaja and a unique interior design creation by Isabelle Miaja.

As you enter, there is a light and air y atmosphere, impressively high ceilings and ample windows that elegantly pour sunlight onto the wooden floor.

Luxurious details and fittings include decadent wallpaper and the best in music technology, with sound design by Bang & Olufsen.

The quaint Paris style café area is ideal for casually relaxing over afternoon tea or is just as suitable for professional catering and chef demonstrations. The kitchen comes equipped with the best in appliances

by Smeg Singapore and Nespresso Professional, with

a stunning marble island as its beautiful centrepiece.

The walls are embellished with contemporar y ar tworks by Miaja Art Collections Galler y, adding to the exclusivity of the venue.

Since its opening in March 2019, Salon Louis XVI has hosted several exclusive fashion shows, business networking, product launches and Red Carpet occasions. With creative event curation, each time the venue is transformed aesthetically into a unique experience that has to be seen to be believed. Ar t collectors, media, fashionistas, influencers, corporates and celebrities have all have enjoyed the charming atmosphere at Maison Miaja events.

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Salon Jean Nouvel, APS Building, Level 2 | Ar tist Talk

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Ar t Tour

Art for all Maison Miaja’s ethos is to make Ar t more accessible to all. With a strong belief that ar tworks and sculptures can perfectly complement and enhance events of all kinds, Maison Miaja offers exclusive ar t dinners that can include curation of ar tworks, ar tist talks and industr y exper t speeches.

Other exclusive ser vices are available on request are detailed in the Maison Miaja Little Black Book of Beautiful Events. Ideas to explore include Michelin Star Chef dining experiences, gold champagne tasting and unique floral Ar t, to name a few. Across both floors, the spaces can host events of all sizes, from an intimate sit-down dinner to larger gatherings for up to 500 guests. At Maison Miaja, beautiful events are limited only by the imagination.

Dinner setting

To find out more about Maison Miaja events spaces, please contact: Yuching Teng, Maison Miaja Brand Development Manager E: events@maisonmiaja.com | www.maisonmiaja.com

MM GALLERI

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MM Galleri flagship showroom, Singapore

The Art of Bending Stone

Text | Sophia Smith Photos | MM Galleri

Sponsored by MM Galleri

When describing natural stone as a material for design or manufacturing, we could use words such as heavy and rigid – both sound accurate in a traditional sense.

However, times have changed and a revolutionar y new marble technology by MM Galleri is breaking the mold (literally). The award-winning technique of ‘bended marble’ has taken decades of passion, research and innovation to perfect. MM Galleri is here to bend the rules of design.

Established in 1992, MM Galleri is specialised in supplying a wide range of natural stone, providing innovative ‘bended marble’ solutions to architects, interior designers, furniture craftsman, developers, and home owners in Singapore and across the world. The backstor y of how their technology was developed is inspiring because it relates to honouring the beauty of natural materials within the design.

MM GALLERI

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Award Winning ‘ Bent and Light ’ project by MM Galleri – a 400 quare-metre cave showroom made out of marble

Back in the nineties, Company Founder Peter Tjioe was working in the high-end furniture industr y and was consistently surprised to see that marble with veins was being rejected by manufacturers. His viewpoint was that dismissing the natural beauty of these stones was a terrible waste, and that design trends constantly change. In retrospect, he was right, because today Statuario (white marble with distinct grey and gold veining throughout and a striking, bold pattern) is now one of the most popular stone materials in the world.

With this seed of thought firmly planted, he star ted his

quest to overcome some of the challenges associated with manufacturing natural stone.

Forward to 2001, Peter continued to have a fascination with natural stone, and developed the technology to cut stone up to 1mm thick, thus solving the issue of weight. However, slicing it thin made it too fragile, so to give the material a better structure it was blended with other materials such as aluminium or plywood. This meant at this stage of development, it could be used as a laminate for walls and floors.

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MM Galleri designs also include fashion items

It wasn’t until 2012 when by chance, the ‘lightbulb moment’ finally happened. While developing a set of three marble dividers with a steel structure in the middle, Peter and his team noticed that the marble could in fact bend. After five more years of research, in late 2016, the ‘bended marble’ technique as it’s known today was born opening up a world of design possibilities in 3D. Organic designs such as furniture and other unique objects could now be made out of stone. Today, incredible creations even include an onyx guitar and fashion items.

Over the years, MM Galler y have worked on various high-end design projects around the world. Recently they completed a superblock project in Medan. It used 140,000 sqm of stone and took three years to complete.

In Singapore, the flagship MM Galleri showroom is the proud embodiment their work. Their interior design won the Pinnacle Award for Best Commercial Project by the Natural Stone Institute in 2018.

Walking into the showroom feels like entering a cocoon made out of marble. This atmospheric design concept was inspired by Disney’s movie Finding Nemo, visitors to the showroom with find themselves submerged in the ar t of bended marble technology.

In the 400 - square - meter cave – aptly named the ‘Bent and Light Project’ – the walls are cladded over the cur ves and contours of the chamber to show the extensive ways marble can be used as walls.

It seems ver y fitting to be inspired by Nemo, the little fish who ventured out of his comfor t zone.

When we challenge ourselves to think outside the box, we sometimes make amazing discoveries.

MM Galleri Singapore by Sharikat Stone Pte Ltd 6 Chin Bee Avenue, #04-01, Singapore 619930 T: (65) 6266 39872 | www.mmgalleri.com

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Boucher Inspired Rolls-Royce Ghost Treadplate

Bespoke Furniture

Text | Isabelle Miaja Photos | David Boucher & Nick Cubbin

When Workmanship meets Art – David Boucher

I met David Boucher for the first time at an event curated by Michael Lee from Omnia Lifestyles in Singapore. I always tr y my best to attend his events as he has an uncanny way of putting great people together and introducing amazing talents. Unfailing from his reputation of combining elegance with uniqueness, Michael delighted us with a meeting with bespoke furniture master David Boucher.

The desk was an exquisite creation; with handpicked precious wood veneers and inlays made with a level of skill that only the best in the craft can achieve. The desk was inspired by Ar t Deco; a style that hovers between classical and contemporar y but still manages to stay current after two centuries. A period David Boucher chose after reading about it in books; he felt it suited his appreciation of clean lines and excellence.

That night David Boucher unveiled a specially commissioned desk which not only was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, but also of inventiveness.

Inventiveness is par t of David Boucher’s personality, also with a touch of mischievousness, as I learned later on in our second meeting in Sydney, where he resides with his charming wife, Margaret.

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Macassar Ebony Pyramid with concealed chest of drawers with open and secret compar tments

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Boucher & Co Workshop

Secret compar tments have been par t of furniture making in the past, and David has brought this feature back to life. He calls them “creative mechanical features” and they are fascinating to discover. David spoke of their intricacies; each mechanism is always bespoke, as such delicate crafts must be handmade.

As David spoke, he did not give any clues of the compar tments hidden in the belly of the desk we were looking at; these are secrets that only its new owner would know. Whispers of camouflaged mechanisms made me reminisce about stories from my childhood.

I remembered tales about the grand adventures of the Mousquetaires; stolen necklaces and hidden parchments locked up in desk compar tments that if discovered would undo a Queen.

My breath was taken away as David Boucher’s stories unfolded. He told of bespoke pieces shipped to far away palaces, from the Emirates to old Europe. Nowadays, David puts his amazing seal onto furniture, jeweller y and watch boxes or anything else your hear t desires.

Asia being his new playground; he creates unique commissioned pieces, and this unparalleled quality comes at a price tag that only the chosen few can enjoy. Rightly so; made with the finest of materials and specialised handcraft, the “atelier” in Toowoomba can only achieve a few pieces a year. Rarity makes each piece invaluable.

My experience that first evening was so rich in emotions and discoveries, I knew I had to meet David again to write a stor y in our magazine. I got the chance to do so a month later, during a business trip to Sydney.

David and Margaret received me with such grace and generosity, over a dinner that not only delighted the taste buds (yes, David is a great cook too!) and with specially selected organic wines, we spoke of his past.

He recounted about the learning cur ves that put him to the test, his resilience and determination to achieve his dreams, but also of the future that holds many more such experiences that forge the strong to become legends.

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Macassar & Shagreen Console

Bowtie Tray in Macassar Ebony and shagreen with Black Ebony inlays

I spoke about espieglerie (French for mischievousness) as it’s also par t of David’s faceted personality and maybe a trait we share as he tells me about his French ancestors. Before ser ving desser t ; David led me to his famous pyramid box and challenged me to open the sealed drawers. He explained a previous guest stayed in front of it for hours, not letting them go to sleep... and gave up in the end. I was determined to show how smar t and crafty I could be. I achieved this somewhat; coaxing and charm were heavily used to get some clues, and Margaret’s feminine suppor t was exhor ted as she sat there with an amused smile while she watched me struggling pathetically. I got my desser t; I can’t help remembering the twinkle in his eye as I admitted defeat.

Royce histor y an outsider craftsman has been invited to contribute to their unique, one of a kind luxur y cars.

With Vacheron Constantin and many other prestigious brand collaborations under his belt, including private clients that may be of the discreet kind but nonetheless famous. David Boucher’s achievements make past masters such as Boulle and Rhulmann hail him and accept him in their select inner circle of exceptional Ebenistes.

Bourcher & Co has worked on the Ghost interior, introducing Galluchat’s Shagreen, the first time in Rolls

Thank you, David, for being a great stor yteller and an inspiration. A bientot!

I left their home with a smile and a slight regret knowing I would never get to sit at my own David Boucher desk. But then again, who knows? We make our own dreams come true. This was the last nugget of wisdom David left me with as I passed the door.

For more information, please visit : Boucher & Co Design: www.boucherandco.com | Omnia Lifestyles: www.omnialifestyles.com For exclusive event experiences, contact Michael at : michael@omnialifestyles.com

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Nespresso : One Pod At A Time Did you know your Nespresso pods are infinitely recyclable ? This June, to celebrate World Environment Day 2019, Nespresso refreshed its commitment to quality and meaningful coffee experiences through its ‘One Pod At A Time’ sustainability campaign.

In Singapore, Nespresso has established a robust recycling collection network to allow coffee lovers to return and recycle their used Nespresso capsules through various convenient touchpoints. This is par t of the effor ts to make recycling as accessible as possible so Nespresso drinkers can be par t of the movement to give their used Nespresso capsules a second life.

Text | Sophia Smith Photos | Nespresso

For the four th year running, the brand commits to inspire coffee drinkers through the ‘One Pod At A Time’ sustainability campaign to adopt not only sustainable, but also responsible living as par t of their ever yday life. Nespresso continues its local commitment through a par tnership with urban ver tical farm, Sky Greens. The coffee grounds from recycled Nespresso capsules are used as par t of a nutrient mix in growing organic produce, such as mini Cai Xin and Xiao Bai Cai (Pak Choy). Sustainability advocates and Nespresso Tastemakers, Paul Foster and Charlotte Mei, recently visited Sky Greens farm to experience the recycling process first-hand.

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Top: Sky Greens | Bottom: Paul Foster at A1 Environment Recycling Facility

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Nespresso Tastemaker s, Paul Foster and Char lotte Mei at Sky Greens

“ I’m honoured to be a Nespresso Tastemaker alongside Charlotte Mei to bring you all along for the journey even after the last drop ! ” comments, Paul Foster. ( Paul Foster’s quote: source, Facebook )

Through this local par tnership, Nespresso hopes to inspire more people in Singapore to join this recycling journey by showcasing how the last drop isn’t the last use and that each Nespresso capsule can be given a second life.

You can be par t of the journey too…

Nespresso coffee drinkers can recycle their used capsules at all Nespresso Recycling Points such as Nespresso boutiques in Singapore (ION Orchard #01-14A, VivoCity #01-204-206, Raffles City Shopping Centre #01-16 and Takashimaya Depar tment Store B1) or at home via the Recycling @ Home by handing their used Nespresso capsules to the deliver yman upon their new coffee deliver y when ordering on www.nespresso.com or via the Nespresso app.

Nespresso is an Official Coffee Par tner of Maison Miaja.

You can enjoy a cup of Nespresso at Miaja Ar t Collections Galler y Café at 9 Muthuraman Chetty Road, APS Building, Level 4, Singapore 238931 For more information about Nespresso Singapore, please visit: www.nespresso.com/pro

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Text | Aleksandra Lis

Singapore Art Scene June - August 2019

Singapore is one of the most prestigious destinations for Asian and international contemporary art. With an ever-growing gallery and museum culture, the art scene is vibrant and exciting. Majestic on the outside and filled with great content; the cultural institutions are worth visiting and exploring.

W A LT E R (2010, reproduced in 2019 series 23), Dawn Ng Exhibition, ‘ Floating Utopias ’ at Ar t & Science Museum; Photo credit : Marina Bay Sands

Floating Utopias Ar t & Science Museum Marina Bay Sands 25 May – 29 Sep, 2019 ‘Floating Utopias’ is a playful and poetic exhibition that explores the social history of inflatable objects, showing how over the decades, they have been used in ar t, architecture and activism. The exhibition juxtaposes historical and contemporary works, featuring over for ty ar tworks by international and local ar tists, as well as hands-on workshops and interventions in urban space.

The exhibition shows how inflatable objects were used the first par t of the 20th century, in socialist and capitalist mass parades. In the 1960s, a new generation of architects began using inflatable structures in a search for new approaches to designing space and alternative ways of living. ‘Floating Utopias’ also explores how inflatable structures can help us rethink our relationship with the environment.

For more information: www.marinabaysands.com/museum/floating-utopias.html

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Top: Museum of the Moon , 2019, Luke Jerram; Exhibition, ‘ Floating Utopias ’ at Ar t & Science Museum; Photo credit : Marina Bay Sands Bottom: Alice’s Evidence ; Exhibition, ‘ Wonder land ’ at Ar t & Science Museum; Photography Phoebe Powell / Marina Bay Sands

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No More Free Space?

Singapore Pavilion National Design Centre, 111 Middle Road, Singapore 17 May – 30 Jun, 2019

Wonderland Ar tScience Museum Marina Bay Sands 13 Apr – 22 Sep, 2019

After a successful run at the 16th Venice Biennale, the ‘No More Free Space?’ Singapore Pavilion brings it home with a month-long pop-up. An acr ylic cloud, interactive installations and a multi-sensor y projection of lights, sounds, images and scents – we all like the sound of that! Discover how the ideas of innovative architectural designs come to life while borrowing natural resources like light, air and water in twelve Singapore-based projects.

Stunning, playful and interactive, this one-of-a-kind exhibition follows Alice’s journey through popular culture. Various ar tists and filmmakers have por trayed this iconic fictional character and told and retold a beloved stor y for over a centur y.

The walk takes the audience through elaborate theatrical sets to find out how this character and stor y from 1865 evolved with time to become a subcultural icon fluttering through countless music videos, video games, high fashion, adver tising and more. One can also interact with that enchanted world including the Hallway of Doors, Pool of Tears, Queen’s Croquet-Ground and the Mad Hatter’s Tea Par ty.

Nucleus, Solo Exhibition by Gulten Imamoglu Miaja Ar t Collections – Contemporary Ar t Gallery 12 Jun – 6 Jul, 2019 Miaja Ar t Collections is pleased to present ‘Nucleus’ - a solo exhibition by Turkish Ar tist Gulten Imamoglu. This powerful exhibition of dynamic and colourful work will feature twelve ar t pieces exploring the essence of life.

The ar tist brings together the dynamism of beauty with the stability of death. Colours are not seen as real colours in her paintings, but as a vor tex reminding us of a natural disaster. The painter is skilled enough to escape from us and to take shelter in her universe. She likes colour counter currents and she does not hesitate to shoot us with that gun. Defining Gulten Imamoglu as an ar tist who attacks us with colours and defends herself with colours would not be wrong, as she uses them as an instrument for a hur tful sense, wonderful excitement, an idolised death and a liveable paradise.

The paintings exalt an abstract language where figures are mixed by dancing, in a sense. This is the first Solo Exhibition by Gulten in South East Asia.

9 Muthuraman Chetty Road, APS Building, Level 4, Singapore 238931 Mon – Sat, 10 am – 7pm Sundays & Public Holidays, by appointment only

Seeds of Universe , 2019 by Gulten Imamoglu Acr ylic on canvas, 135 x 96 cm

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Text | Naomi Stahl

Emergence From the Venice Biennale to the Royal Academy’s annual Summer Exhibition, it’s a global season for emergence, visual exploration and discovery that sets the tone for London’s art scene this summer.

With both economic and natural environments rapidly changing around us at a compounded rate, mass media can offer us daily insight into global issues that are being discussed and understood through contemporary arts. Artists are weighing in and altering our perception through all forms of medium, from video to painting and performance, and to experience such forms for ourselves is arguably well worth the exploration.

You’ll see artist Olafur Eliasson tackling issues of climate change with his “In Real Life” exhibition, while Anish Kapoor’s metaphysical sculptures almost entirely inhabit the viewer into their highly polished surfaces, absorbing them as part of the art and playing with the viewers sense of relativity to their surroundings.

This summer will play host to a full calendar of these captivating installations, where we are invited to continue challenging and enhancing our understanding of the changing world around us through the language of contemporary art.

London Art Scene June - August 2019 Anish Kapoor – Glisten, Eclipse, Red to Blue Pitzhanger Galler y 16 Mar – 18 Aug , 2019

Glisten Eclipse (Clear / Red to Pagan Gold Satin) , 2018, Anish Kapoor Stainless steel & lacquer © Anish Kapoor ; Photography Dave Morgan

Pitzhanger Galler y is playing host to Anish Kapoor’s latest exhibition titled Glisten, Eclipse, Red to Blue, inaugurating their newly restored space.

Exhibition highlights include Red to Blue, (2016) which echo the galler y’s three skylights, while the spherical forms of Glisten Eclipse (2018) embed themselves into the corner of the room offering a different vantage point through the viewer s peripher y. The most recent wor k in the exhibition Untitled (2018) pulls the viewer in and disorientates all sense of self and surroundings. The undulating hard, smooth surfaces of his wor k “seem to be active, to be in various states of becoming.” – Kapoor Also commenting on Kapoor’s show, fellow ar tist and architectural designer Mar k Pimlott perceives that “…there is the wor ld in which one stands, and there is another wor ld, which is around the corner of the mirror, around the edges of sight, where one’s reflection does not appear ; a wor ld that one cannot entirely perceive, but which one knows is there, both identical and possibly entirely different from one’s own.”

For more information: www.pitzhanger.or g.uk

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Olafur Eliasson – In Real Life Tate Modern 11 Jul, 2019 – 15 Jan, 2020 Eliasson’s deep engagement with society and the environment will be ever present in his exhibition ‘In Real Life’ at Tate Modern. Visitors can discover what an ar tist’s perspective can bring to issues of climate change, energy, urban development and migration.

Much of Eliasson’s work derives from his extensive research into colour theor y and complex geometr y.

He plays with light refraction, shadows and reflectivity to ar tfully introduce rainbows into the for thcoming exhibition space. All but one of the works have never been seen in the UK before.

In addition to his ar t installation, the ar tist will be curating a special tasting menu and programme of related events for Tate Modern’s Terrace Bar, based on the organic, vegetarian and locally sourced food ser ved in his Berlin studio.

Your Spiral V iew , 2002, Olafur Eliasson Photo credit : Tate Moder n

Tr y to catch the member’s private view or visit one of the numerous talks and ar tist conversations that address modern challenges in sustainability, highlighting how ar t has the potential to inspire change.

Summer Exhibition The Royal Academy 10 Jun – 12 Aug , 2019 This year, acclaimed British painter Jock McFayden RA will be taking over the coordination of the exhibition from his predecessor, Grayson Perr y.

Highlights will include an animal-themed ‘menagerie’ in the Central Hall while outside the galleries, international ar tist Thomas Houseago will take over the RA’s cour tyard with a group of large-scale sculptural works, spilling out into nearby Bond Street with a colourful installation of flags featuring wor k by Michael Craig-Mar tin RA. Royal Academy’s 250 t h Summer Exhibition

The RA will once again be inviting the public to delight in what will now be their 251s t Summer Exhibition.

Run without interr uption since 1769, the Summer Exhibition is the world’s largest open submission ar t show and brings together both emerging talent and Royal Academicians alike in one symbiotic show spanning all mediums.

Visitors can also par take in the RA’s reimagined pleasure garden as par t of their RA Lates inspired by the fantasylands of Georgian London, taking them on an immer sive journey of experiential events.

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Text | Bernard Yves Chatel

Paris Art Scene June - August 2019

BY CHATEL Selected Fine Ar ts 58 Rue des Tournelles, 75003 Paris, France www.bychatel.com

Ar tist, Eugène Delacroix

“ I love Paris in the springtime . . . ” – Cole Por ter, 1953 Spring may be the best time of the year to visit Paris.

There is so much to discover…

I would like to recommend two sweet and delicate museums : Museum of the painter Eugène Delacroix is located 6 rue de Furstenberg in the sixth arrondissement , meaning right in the center of Saint Germain des Près.

This is his original “atelier” and it’s a wonderful environment. You will feel the atmosphere of what could have been the life of an ar tist in Paris in XIX centur y. www.musee-delacroix.fr

Museum of famous writer Victor Hugo located 6 Place des Vosges was built in the XVII centur y and is considered one of the most wonderful squares in Paris. You will visit the Le Marais area and this was his private residence in Paris. Entr y is free. www.maisonsvictorhugo.par is.fr

At the Grand Palais ‘Revelations’ from 23 to 26 May. Talents & know-how: lacquer, weaving , bronze , engraving and for ever y edition a foreign countr y is invited. A must for both emerging & established ar tists. www.revelations-grandpalais.com

Since 1982, and for the longest day of the year, the Fête De La Musique will take place all over in Paris and France. Concer ts at ever y corner ; museum, palaces & gardens to celebrate the arrival of summer.

Fête De La Musique also takes place in over 100 countries worldwide. www.fetedelamusique.culture.gouv.fr

At the Louvre Museum, the famous pyramid and dedicated main entrance celebrates its 30th Anniversar y this year. From now and ever y first Saturday of the month, the Museum entrance will be free of charge from 6pm to 9.45 pm, with lots of events taking place within. www.louvre.fr

Ar t of getting a good deal: the Parisian Sales will star t from 26 June 2019 and will last for a month. “ To know Paris is to know a great deal ” – Henr y Miller

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Editor’s Pick

Text | Miaja Galler y Ar twork & Photo | Soonik Kwon

Artist: Soonik Kwon

“ Between the past and future there is a chink for eternity, which is the present ”

Ar tist, Soonik Kwon

Our featured works in this issue are by Korean ar tist Soonik Kwon, who recently presented his first solo exhibition in Singapore at Miaja Galler y. ‘Shining Brightly’ featured a selection of twelve mixed media paintings that beautifully reflect the ar tist’s inner and outside vision of the world.

The established Seoul based painter’s work consists of mixed media canvases and the new addition to the exhibition at Miaja Galler y are the works from his new series entitled ‘Pile Up & Rub – Chink’.

‘Shining Brighlty’ exhibition included paintings from his previous series ‘Absense of Ego’ with signature features of colors and shapes of numerous circles. In this series, his works consist of smaller circles that are embedded in larger ones. Sometimes circles are arranged within other geometric shapes such as squares and triangles.

Kwon plays with color and texture; the light interferes with the canvas creating a feeling of movement and waves.

The main medium used by Kwon is graphite. Kwon has gained his status as one of the leading contemporar y ar tists in Korea by adapting a technique that requires a considerable amount of time and patience. This method was a deliberate choice for the Ar tist to practice inner training and thoughts. A few words should be shared about his unique technique: the ar tist star ts with a rough sketch of grids on the canvas with a pencil. After applying the ground-color, he draws the circles with paints of various tones. Then, he mixes fine sand-like materials with the paints and applies them on the circles in order to create a relief-looking image.

Next, he repeatedly rubs and paints the surface with his pencil lead. This long and grueling process continues until he achieves a rough but warm texture, as well as the shining metallic surface produced by the graphite.

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Pile up & Rub (Absence of Ego-Feeling) , 2 016 Mixed media on canvas, 150 x 150 cm

Many ar t critics and collectors have praised Kwon’s works for their peculiarity, which is the result of a ceramics-inspired techniques of expression. However, there is more to his works than just the application of potter y-making techniques. When the Ar tist immerses himself in the act of rubbing and painting graphite at the same time he builds a path for himself and his audiences to enter an ego-free world.

Many leading Korean and international galleries and museums across Nor th and South America display Kwon’s mixed media ar twork.

Ar tworks by Soonik Kwon are available at Miaja Galler y.

For info, contact Tamara Zinchik: director@miajagaller y.com

Journal Ar tistique is published by

A company magazine by M A I S O N M I A J A

This is a gr aphic inter pretation of the ar twor k by Mar ie Chr istine Foucher-Poignant and Fr anรงois Poignant by M A I S O N M I A J A solely for the pur pose of Jour nal Ar tistique Vol.2.

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