‘Which is Which?’ At Gajah Gallery

A Survey of Artists from LASALLE & NAFA
By A&M

Choong Kam Kow, ‘Dynamic Projection’, 1984, acrylic colour on canvas, 152.5 x 183cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Gajah Gallery.

‘Which is Which?’ presents the works of 15 artists who have ties to LASALLE College of the Arts and/or Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. They are Chen Sai Hua Kuan, Choong Kam How, Chua Ek Kay, Jaafar Latiff, Joseph McNally, Joshua Yang, Kayleigh Goh, Mahalakshmi Kannappan, Melissa Tan, Ng Eng Teng, Noni Kaur, S. Chandrasekaran, Susie Lingham , Suzann Victor and Wang Ruobing. 

John Tung has curated the show with the central question: Which is Which? At the exhibition, one has to determine which work belongs to which artist, and further which institution(s) each artist has an affiliation with. John explains, “There are numerous stereotypes associated with having graduated from LASALLE or NAFA, and the decision to conceal the artist’s names and education background was a conscious one to have audiences make guesses based on the aesthetics of the work before them.” 

On opening night, the curatorial premise of showing and not telling was put to the test. “The fact that quite a number of people got their guesses wrong served to prove the point,” John observes. “Nonetheless it seems that many found it to be a fun experience that didn’t detract from the educational potential of curating the exhibition in this format.” Jasdeep Sandhu, Founder and Director, Gajah Gallery, adds, “Concealing the affiliations of each artist, the show’s curator John Tung has keenly incorporated an unconventional, interactive approach to the show. Rather than simply being fed information, viewers are invited to take a closer look at the works, think critically, and challenge their preconceptions. It is interesting that in a show about art education, Tung has proposed another way to learn.”

The show comes at an apt juncture in the history of art education in Singapore. NAFA, which was founded in 1938, and LASALLE in 1984, will next year operate under University of the Arts Singapore (UAS), Singapore’s first arts university, aimed at nurturing a new generation of artists, designers, educators, researchers, art leaders and changemakers. “As the University of the Arts opens next year, bringing together LASALLE and NAFA, it is crucial that we go back to our roots and understand the legacies of these schools—how they have shaped and continue to shape our foremost artists,” says Jasdeep. 

The artists who participate in the show have complex ties to the two institutions. S Chandrasekaran (Chandra) has taught in both. “I was inspired by the curator’s vision to articulate the artistic discourse that has been practised between the two key institutions – NAFA and LASALLE,” says Chandra. “As an artist and educator, I want to emphasise that education has no borders, and therefore, students should not be defined by an institution’s identity or style. Also, there should not be a comparison for better or less between the two institutions.” The curatorial premise of the show demonstrates just this. Chandra adds, “The underlying concept of exhibition reveals that one should not be defined by which institution he/she has been taught but how one can continue to prevail as a creative individual after graduating from an art institution.”

Susie Lingham, ‘ellipsed ellipsis’, 2023, cello bridges, charcoal and metallic lustre on birchwood panels, 91.5 x 152.5cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Gajah Gallery.

Susie Lingham has been both a student and a lecturer in the institutions. “There have been deep historical and ‘cultural’–in the larger sense of the word–differences between the two art schools’ approach to setting up the conditions for the groundwork and development of artistic perspectives and practices,” says Susie. “But while I may have been a student at one right after my ‘A’ Levels, I have also taught at both schools at different points in time, and do not experience any particular sense of belonging to either. Yet, I have been involved in both.” 

In 2011, Susie had written a comparison of the two institutions in “A Quota on Expression: Visions, Vexations and Vanishings” for the catalogue accompanying the exhibition ‘Negotiating Home, History and Nation: Two Decades of Contemporary Art in Southeast Asia 1991-2011’ at Singapore Art Museum. “Historically and philosophically, their differences were perhaps once more distinctive, even polarised–which had everything to do with when they were founded and who their founders were, and the contexts they worked within,” says Susie. “What they both had in common was that for decades, they had been the only options available to both art- minded students, and/or the academically undecided, after their ‘O’ or ‘A’ Levels.” Susie appreciates the motivation for the exhibition. “Discerning if the contextual differences leave traces on the work of artists emerging through their different doors is an interesting exercise–the premise of this exhibition–given that art schools around the world and across centuries have always had profound influence on individuals, art, and culture in quite specific ways.”

Wang Ruobing, whose work ‘Rainforest of the Sea’ is on show, has studied at NAFA, among other institutions, and currently teaches at LASALLE. She says, “Both NAFA and LASALLE have offered me the fundamental art education, and nurtured my critical thinking and creativity.” She elaborates, “I not only developed a strong sense of my own identity and value, but also learned to appreciate the differences and diversified views of others.”

Kayleigh Goh, ‘Black Geology’, 2023, acrylic, graphite, and cement on wood, 150 x 100cm. Image courtesy of the artist and Gajah Gallery.

The artists each acknowledge the impact of their education–or work– at each institution on their practice, from multiple angles. Kayleigh Goh, who graduated from LASALLE more recently in 2016, says, “LASALLE has pushed me to think much deeper and wider about paintings, teaching me how to explore and build not only on technical art-making skills but also on thinking frameworks that help me reflect on and contemplate my art practice. It has also given her other opportunities to build her practice. She adds, “It has shaped my art practice from ground zero, providing me with opportunities to learn from great artists, such as the ones in the exhibition, and showing me the many different, possible ways of being an artist.”

Chua Ek Kay, ‘Old House’s Back Alley’ or ‘旧屋后巷’, undated, ink on rice paper, 70 x 47cm. Image courtesy of Gajah Gallery.

Chua Ek Kay, ‘Bicycle by the House’ or ‘屋旁脚踏车’, undated, ink on rice paper, 38 x 52cm. Image courtesy of Gajah Gallery.

The selection of works for the exhibition was made to present a range of mediums, materials and concerns. John also made it a point to present lesser known works, or reveal lesser known facts. He explains, “For instance, Joshua Yang’s still-life, portrait, and landscape paintings haven’t been exceedingly exposed and average audiences wouldn’t have attributed it to him, and not many individuals are cognisant that Chua Ek Kay had studied at LASALLE.”

This is hopefully the start of a more robust, sustained attempt to study the contributions of the institutions to the art educational and art historical landscapes in Singapore. In response to what might distinguish works from practitioners who received training in either institution now that the show is up, John emphasises, “This distinctiveness would not be readily apparent in the works themselves. This is a question that can perhaps only be addressed in a larger and more comprehensive exhibition that delves into the psyche of the artists.” He adds, “With the current sample size, I would be hesitant to prescribe premature conclusions. But I am glad this exhibition is a first step in opening up more conversations and deeper forays into the topic.” Jasdeep concurs, “While long overdue, this show is hopefully just the beginning of more endeavors that shed light on this rich, yet underexplored strand of Singapore’s art history.”

‘Which is Which?’ is on show at Gajah Gallery from 24 November to 10 December 2023. More information here.