What You See is What You See

Singapore—Pearl Lam Galleries is pleased to present What You See Is What You See, a group show featuring works by Chun Kwang Young (b. 1944), Leonardo Drew (b. 1961), Kim Tschang-Yeul (b. 1929), Francis Ng (b. 1975), Su Xiaobai (b. 1949), Zhou Yangming (b. 1971) and Zhu Jinshi (b. 1954).

The show takes as a starting point Frank Stella’s seemingly self-evident yet profound statement that has come to embody the legacy of Minimalism. Foregrounding the diversity in materials, processes and approaches that have burgeoned in Asia since Minimalism’s zenith in the 1960s, the exhibited works acknowledge the movement’s lasting influence while expanding its historical contexts and contemporary applications. In particular, Chun Kwan Young’s use of Korean mulberry paper and Su Xiaobai’s employment of Chinese lacquer technique recontextualize traditional materials and seek to connect to the artists’ cultural roots. Rather than subverting systems of hierarchy and authority, the works are informed by Asian philosophies such as Taoism, Confucianism, and Zen Buddhism, sharing a tendency towards restrained expression, self-referentiality, a renouncement of figuration, and a paring down of the art object to its essential elements.