‘In Praise of Silence 寂靜在說話’ at STPI Gallery
By Ian Tee

Jane Lee, ‘In Praise of Silence 寂靜在說話’, 2023, exhibition view at STPI Gallery. Image courtesy of STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore.

On the occasion of Jane Lee’s second residency exhibition ‘In Praise of Silence 寂靜在說話’ at STPI Gallery, we speak to the artist and two of her long-time collaborators: paintings conservator Dr Diana Tay and curator Tan Siuli. Having worked with them for more than a decade, these partnerships are testament to their mutual trust and the continuous process of learning. Dr Diana Tay is the founder of BARC Labs in Singapore with 14 years of experience in the field. Tan Siuli is an independent curator, and currently Art Lead and Curator at multidisciplinary space Appetite, as well as Contributing Editor for ART SG.

The conversation begins with a sharing between Jane and Diana about the materials in her work and the artist-conservator relationship. Siuli and Jane also discuss what it means to open up the artistic process to audiences. They unpack the key ideas behind ‘In Praise of Silence 寂靜在說話’ and they shaped the exhibition scenography.

Jane Lee, ‘Status’, 2009, installation view as part of ‘Lila: Unending Play' at SAM at Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum.

Jane, you started working with Diana in the early stage of your artistic career. Do you remember how this relationship started?

Jane: I met Diana some time between 2009 and 2010, back when she was a conservator at the Heritage Conservation Centre. We developed a close working relationship as she was the key person taking care of my artwork ‘Status’ (2009), which was acquired by Singapore Art Museum as part of their permanent collection. Our friendship has grown over the years and carries on till today.

Diana, you have a keen interest in new materials and techniques used in contemporary art. Are there anecdotes about solving technical issues with Jane which you can share?

Diana: I get asked quite a bit about the technical challenges in conserving Jane’s works, and I can understand why, especially with her experimental use of the paint medium. On the contrary, I cannot remember any technical issues stemming inherently from the media itself in the past decade. Having a good understanding of the paint technology employed in her works has given me confidence in the materiality, such as what we can expect and how to better care for it.

Most of the solutions that Jane and I have worked on are designing display methods, especially for complex installation pieces or larger works, to allow them to be redisplayed and mounted safely and easily.

Jane Lee. Photo by Toni Cuhadi. Image courtesy of STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore.

Jane, I am curious if you are more conscious of conservation issues now in your artmaking process and choice of materials?

Jane: Having experimented and worked with different types of mediums and materials in my career, I have naturally been keen to gain a deeper understanding into the materials I use, to prevent any future conservation issues with the artwork.

Diana, what have you learnt from your relationship with Jane?

Diana: I have learnt so much about the different dimensions of being an artist as a profession. Working closely with Jane has had me thinking beyond the materials and techniques, and more about the art market's ecology, which I did not have to think much about as a conservator. For instance, choosing high-quality materials is not solely about the quality; it is a commitment and sense of responsibility to collectors. This is also considered through having thoughtful production management of a particular series which can influence market values.

A note about materials and techniques: conservators are known to send pages of long forms to contemporary artists to document their practice for the greater good of conservation. But when you stop and think, artists are not obliged to share any information. I have learnt that building and keeping trust is essential in maintaining artist-conservator relationships. When working with contemporary artists, understanding their materials is only one part of the broader conservation process. Through conversations, we can better understand the intention and parameters of change, material choices, and what may influence change. I do not think conservation should interfere with the artistic process.

“When working with contemporary artists, understanding their materials is only one part of the broader conservation process. Through conversations, we can better understand the intention and parameters of change, material choices, and what may influence change. ”

Jane Lee's studies, on display as part of ‘To Begin Again’ (2023) at Primz Gallery. Image courtesy NTU ADM Gallery. — Jane Lee's studies, on display as part of ‘To Begin Again’ (2023) at Primz Gallery. Image courtesy of NTU ADM Gallery.

Siuli, in connecting Diana’s comments about the materiality of Jane’s work, I would like to ask you about the decision to include her experimental studies in ‘To Begin Again’ (2023, Primz Gallery). Was it a gesture towards demystifying the artmaking process? How does this show at STPI continue to uncover Jane's artmaking process to the audience?

Siuli: The inclusion of Jane’s studies in ‘To Begin Again’ was informed more by the desire to showcase Jane’s unceasing experiments with materials and techniques in her practice. The show was premised on Jane’s constant interrogation of her practice and its parameters, both conceptually and materially. It was also nice to present another side of Jane – a more playful side, as suggested by the quote on the wall that accompanies the display of the studies, “This is me at play”. It is a nice, intimate element in an exhibition that otherwise focuses on ambitious, dramatic “hero” works – the more “public” side of Jane. Visitors to the show are generally delighted by the small studies, as they gain insight into Jane’s artmaking process, and can better understand how her work has evolved over time.

‘In Praise of Silence’ offers up a different dimension of Jane’s world – this time, an inner one. The experience of the exhibition, from its layout and lighting to elements of emptiness and sensorial engagement are all intended to convey a certain experience or state of mind that Jane has sought to immerse herself in, and to express through the body of work created for STPI.

“I believe all things have lives of their own, thus I always respect the nature of the materials I use. They have their own characteristics, and a story to tell – but only if we allow it to speak and flow through.”

Jane, in your show ‘Neti Neti’ (2023, Gajah Gallery, Singapore) at Gajah Gallery, you have similarly dedicated a section for showcasing prototypes and material experiments. Why is this important to you?

Jane: I believe all things have lives of their own, thus I always respect the nature of the materials I use. They have their own characteristics, and a story to tell – but only if we allow it to speak and flow through. At the same time, I am constantly pushing the boundaries of these materials, bringing new life to them, and stretching them beyond their traditional means.

For example, in the process of creating my paintings, I often challenge myself to reimagine what paint can do, while being careful not to force or suppress the medium into something else. In ‘Neti Neti’ at Gajah Gallery, I used various materials like reflective mirrors, metal, photography, and print. The materials and techniques shone on their own, but also allowed me to tell a story in the exhibition.

Jane Lee, ‘In Praise of Silence’, 2023, exhibition view at STPI Gallery. Image courtesy of STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore.

Tan Siuli and Jane Lee. Photo by Toni Cuhadi. Image courtesy of STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore.

Siuli, during your time at the Singapore Art Museum, you were involved in installing Jane’s major works. More recently, you have curated a few of her solo exhibitions such as ‘Where is Painting?’ (2022, Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Singapore) and ‘To Begin Again’ (2023, Primz Gallery). What fascinates you most about the recent trajectory in Jane’s practice and her engagement with Eastern aesthetics?

Siuli: It is a pleasure, and a privilege, to be able to work with artists across different chapters of their art practice. I greatly admire Jane’s courage in deciding to leave aside a trajectory of art-making that has brought her so much success and acclaim, to embark on a new direction that she felt was more aligned with the shifts in her way of thinking about life, and how we negotiate our place in the world. The turn towards a more austere, introspective and minimalist visual language is fascinating, given that Jane established herself as a painter who excelled at creating lush textures and visually resplendent works. Colour played a large part in her previous works – reds, purples, brilliant yellows and blues.

In contrast, the works in the STPI show are largely monochromatic, and reflect Jane’s desire to capture the “essence” or inner being of things, to reflect a certain primordial quality and stillness. As such, the black and white palette that runs through the show should not be thought of merely in terms of “colour”. Instead, they could be understood as fundamental principles of understanding and ordering the world and its phenomena: yin and yang, absence and presence, this and not-this. Black and white also evoke the minimalist palette of traditional calligraphy and ink painting, where the power of the brushstroke and the spirit or “hand” of the artist come to the fore. I believe Jane is aiming for these qualities as well, stripping her work of superfluous elements in order to convey its message more powerfully.

Jane Lee, ‘samsara II 回 II’, 2023, spray paint on mulberry paper casting, on pigmented STPI handmade paper, 51 x 51 x 5 cm © Jane Lee / STPI. Photo courtesy of the artist and STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore — Jane Lee, ‘samsara II 回 II’, 2023, spray paint on mulberry paper casting, on pigmented STPI handmade paper, 51 x 51 x 5 cm © Jane Lee / STPI. Image courtesy of the artist and STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore

Could you talk about how these ideas have informed the exhibition design for ‘In Praise of Silence’?

Siuli: The ideas and spirit that inform this body of work have been developing since 2013, when Jane started to think about the notion of emptiness, and painting as “pure space”. She was questioning the need to accumulate, to build up, in life as well as in her heavily layered works, and she began to experiment with the idea of making work through removing parts of the painting’s surface. I think the same principles inform how we have decided to hang the works at STPI. We have opted for a lot of empty space throughout the gallery, which could be compared to the areas of rice paper on a calligraphic scroll or ink painting untouched by black ink. But these are not simply “blank” spaces; these voids function equally to shape and suggest form, in concert with the painterly ink marks, or in this case, the artworks that punctuate each space. Importantly, they offer up breathing room and passages of silence and stillness for viewers to centre themselves, and engage with the artworks.

This notion of quiet aesthetic contemplation is crystallised in a gallery where the works have been arranged to recall a traditional tea ceremony. A ritual where the participant steps aside from all distractions and thoroughly immerses themselves in a quiet savouring of the scent and taste of tea. They are invited to view an artwork specially chosen to complement the season or chosen theme of the host, to appreciate the teaware maker’s craft and the beauty of being wholly present in that fleeting moment.

“The ideas and spirit that inform this body of work have been developing since 2013, when Jane started to think about the notion of emptiness, and painting as “pure space”.”

As an artist, what do you gain from working with curators, especially in the context of a solo show? Could you talk about the process of putting together ‘In Praise of Silence’ with Siuli?

Jane Lee: Most artists tend to be more creative, emotional, and less logical, if I may say so. Having the opportunity to work with different curators provides me with new perspectives on my own artworks, and in that sense, I do learn from them in many ways. I have had the pleasure of working closely with Siuli on multiple occasions, and she knows my practice inside out. We share a mutual understanding, which continues to show through in the seamless process of curating ‘In Praise of Silence’.

‘Jane Lee: In Praise of Silence 寂靜在說話’ is on view from 29 July to 3 September 2023 at STPI Gallery. The presentation coincides with Lee’s institutional solo show ‘LILA: Unending Play’, running concurrently at the Singapore Art Museum from 18 May to 24 September 2023.

This article is presented in partnership with STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore.