Body: Tomoko Kashiki, Zai Kuning and Tang Dixin

Ota Fine Arts Singapore is delighted to present “Body”, a group exhibition by Tomoko Kashiki, Zai Kuning and Tang Dixin. This exhibition looks at the ways in which these three artists explore themes related to the human body figuratively and beyond. 

Tang Dixin’s (b. 1982, China) paintings are often concerned with social commentary, alongside a sense of anxiety and restlessness. Motifs of faces, skulls, and human bodies are observed in his paintings, reflecting the artist’s allusions to life and inevitable death. Shown alongside Tang’s paintings is a video of his performance piece A Road is Being Transported (2016) in which the artist and 6 other performers make their way towards a gallery space, by stepping on 8 stones which are used in rotation to form a pathway on which they would move forward. Through this performance, Tang reinterprets social norms and the relationship our bodies have with it and the surrounding space.

On the other hand, Tomoko Kashiki’s figures (b. 1982, Japan) evoke a sense of melancholy and loneliness. The imagery in Kashiki’s works are woven from her daily encounters with different sceneries and figures. She observes beauty and wonder in the minute details in life, focusing on reflecting this in her paintings through the postures and facial expressions of the figures as well as their surroundings. Interestingly, the characters in her paintings are often singular, perhaps due to her preference to not define the gender of these figures in her work. In I Want To Eat Legs (2019), Kashiki remarks that while she has no desire to consume legs herself, she is fascinated by the thought of people who do so, as well as the attributes and feelings that come with such a desire. According to her, she feels sorrow and excitement by imagining these people which in turn, impulsively drives her to paint.

Last but not least, Zai Kuning’s (b. 1964, Singapore) works explore the issues of human beings’ living conditions in relation to their history. Recurring themes and symbolism that are mostly representative of the lives of the Orang Laut, such as boats, bodies, and hand-made cages for catching fish, are often found in his works. Through their stories, Zai expresses the various similar aspects we experience in our lives as human beings. For Zai, the Orang Laut is a constant source of his creativity and spirituality as they represent one of the most honest and free-spirited people who possess nothing but all there is inside them. The relationship between humans and their environment is one of the main topics that the artist has explored throughout his artistic practice.

Ota Fine Arts Singapore invites all to experience the unique views of these artists in the way they depict the human body through their works, and their views on our existence.