Cuturi Gallery is a next generation art gallery founded on the belief that art should be empowering and meaningful for everyone. A curator of change and a custodian of artistic diversity, Cuturi Gallery is a challenger of vested interests and of the status quo, pushing the boundaries of how galleries operate. The gallery connects broad audiences to high-quality art by diverse talents that speaks to the heart and tells the story of an undiscovered generation of aspiring artists that will have the art world aching for more. Diminishing aristocratic traditions and providing transparency in an art world that is at times daunting, Cuturi Gallery presents an inclusive and democratised art ecosystem which fosters greater collaboration, understanding and appreciation of art amongst artists, collectors and the industry at large.
61 ALIWAL STREET, SINGAPORE 199937 +65 6980 3068 | +65 8182 0214 | SINGAPORE@CUTURIGALLERY.COM CUTURIGALLERY.COM
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I Cried Bizarre marks the debut solo presentation of Singaporean artist Vanessa Liem (b. 2002, Singapore). Working in the tradition of surrealism, Liem’s figurative paintings tackle the human condition towards conjuring up windows into real yet illusory worlds. Introspective from the outset, Liem’s artistic practice is driven by a careful observation of her surrounding environment. She is particularly concerned with the prevalence of new media technologies, and references the lived experience of digital natives in navigating online identities, internet meme culture, and so forth. Her works critically respond to these relevant narratives about humanity, where depictions of the human figure naturally serve as both entry and departure points for such urgent interrogation. Here, disembodied floating heads with indifferent gazes, alongside warped limbs constricted by umbilical cords unsettle and confront the viewer. Fragmented bodily presence is then brought into tension alongside the startling materiality of everyday objects, persisting in obscure yet familiar spaces. By situating aggregations of disparate elements, Liem cross-references everyday life, popular culture, and technology to weave together other-worldly visualisations of our human condition. Such lines of inquiry reveal an emergent post-humanist quality to reading her works, where Liem continuously engages with the evolving boundaries of what it means to be human in relation to the world at large. With I Cried Bizarre, Liem posits an anthology of worlds from an intimate posture, compelling the viewer to delve deeper into the metaphysical schemas of our shared human existence. Born in Singapore, Liem graduated from the School of the Arts (SOTA) with a specialisation in Visual Arts under the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) in 2020. She has participated in several group exhibitions such as eDitOn at Supernormal Space, Singapore (2019), and Fresh Take at Cuturi Gallery, Singapore (2021). Liem has been a recipient of several awards and grants including the Gold Award for the Emerging Artist Category in the 38th UOB Painting of the Year (2019), and the David Marshall Scholarship for Young Artist (2016-2020). Vanessa Liem’s I Cried Bizarre will be on view at Cuturi Gallery from 20 Mar to 4 Apr 2021.
Text by Dana Chan
I CRIED BIZARRE: VANESSA LIEM ANIMA ARTIFIIALIS
She's a Gone Case, 2021 Oil on linen 150 x 120 cm
I CRIED BIZARRE: VANESSA LIEM ANIMA ARTIFIIALIS
All but Henry, 2021 Oil on canvas 121 x 91 cm
I CRIED BIZARRE: VANESSA LIEM ANIMA ARTIFIIALIS
Kiss My -, 2021 Oil on canvas 121 x 91 cm
I CRIED BIZARRE: VANESSA LIEM
In My Womb, 2021 Oil on canvas 91 x 91 cm
I CRIED BIZARRE: VANESSA LIEM ANIMA ARTIFIIALIS
Control Room, 2020 Oil on linen 120 x 150 cm
VANESSA LIEM Born in 2002 in Singapore.
Selected Exhibitions 2021 2020
Fresh Take Group Exhibition Curator for You may Enter Exhibition , School of the Arts Singapore Year 6 Graduation showcase 2020, School of the Arts Singapore
2019
Penultimate Year 5 Visual Arts Showcase, School of the Arts Singapore SARBICA Project in Collaboration with National Library Board 2019 UOB Painting of the Year Regional Winning Paintings’ showcase, UOB Art Gallery, Singapore Co-Curated and Exhibited in Sensational IBCP Showcase, School of the Arts Singapore eDitOn, Supernormal Space Daimler Showcase
2017
3Quarters, School of the Arts Singapore
2016
Drawing Out V, School of the Arts Singapore
2015
Drawing Out IV, School of the Arts Singapore
61 ALIWAL STREET, SINGAPORE 199937 +65 6980 3068 | +65 8182 0214 | SINGAPORE@CUTURIGALLERY.COM CUTURIGALLERY.COM
@CUTURIGALLERY