Sailing By
In the forthcoming solo exhibition titled Sailing By, Chen Dongfan traces Singapore’s past as a transshipment hub of cultural convergence
JW PROJECTS is pleased to announce the launch of Chen Dongfan’s solo exhibition “Sailing By” on 14 January 2024, accompanied by a solo project which will be presented at ART SG.
As his first solo exhibition in Singapore, the exhibition features recent paintings that continue the artist’s exploration of the warmth and power of life, as well as attempt to echo Singapore’s emotional history as a transshipment point on the Straits route and a place where the diverse people and cultures converge.
The title of the exhibition, “Sailing By”, was taken from the 1963 composition of the same name by British composer, Ronald Binge. The piece was routinely played on BBC radio 4 at 00:45 before the late night shipping forecast. The composition has a waltz-like musical structure, with woodwinds and strings weaving a steady, light, calm and graphic melody.
Chen Dongfan’s works are often interwoven with music which emphasizes the power and rhythm of feelings in his paintings. The fervour of life burns like the stars that hang in the night sky above a vast sea, and the poetic flow responds to the breath of the world, and cruises along the course of time and emotion — many of Chen Dongfan’s works portray imagery of rivers, oceans, the subconscious mind, and voyages. In 2018, Chen created a huge spatial painting, “The Song of Dragon and Flowers”, on the pavement of New York’s Chinatown which was based on the history of Chinese immigrants in the United States.
In 2023, Chen Dongfan’s solo exhibition “Rivers” at Shanghai’s AIKE Gallery takes inspiration from the imagery of the Huangpu River and Shanghai’s harbour. His paintings depict a river of life and emotions, a river of memories, a river of transformations, and a river of blessings.
The title of the current exhibition “Sailing By”, is based on the unique diaspora history of Singapore. This piece of composition has a unique significance in the context of maritime trade: every morning at 00:45, BBC Radio 4 would begin to broadcast the weather conditions for the night voyage, and the song would ebb through the sea. The ocean feels as quiet as eternity, or hints treacherous rain at night. Over time, as the song can be consistently heard at this time, the tune began to create a sense of security for seafarers experiencing the dullness of life at sea, yet it also hints at the gradual loss of time, and the repetitive and overlapping nature of life.
Text / Liu Beining
The exhibition will be held until 3 March 2024.
