Point, Line, Plane: Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Tsuyoshi Hisakado, Guo-Liang Tan, Zhao Yao

Ota Fine Arts Singapore is delighted to present  "Point, Line, Plane", a group exhibition featuring artists Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Tsuyoshi Hisakado, Guo-Liang Tan and Zhao Yao. The works of these four artists expand from the two-dimensional plane to interact with the three-dimensional space in their surroundings. Structure and repetition are in contrast to a sense of the intangible and spirituality, yet they exist somewhat cohesively, creating a means for contemplation. 

Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian's (b. 1922 – d. 2019, Iran) mirror and reverse glass painting mosaic sculptures are built around principles of Islamic geometry, and expand to encapsulate philosophical and poetic sensibilities. Inspired by geometries of her Iranian heritage, such as those found in old mosques with their tile, metal, wood, and plaster work, Monir's structure and repetition have spurred her limitless creations. Tied to a mystical understanding of primary shapes as sacred and connected to a divine natural order, the numeric properties in Monir's work have symbolic meanings in Islamic design and Sufism.

The arithmetic element is echoed in the works of Tsuyoshi Hisakado (b. 1981, Japan): particularly, his crossfades #4 series of paper works. Underneath a layer of blotches, splashes, or strokes of ink, Hisakado has silkscreened a spiral of minute numbers derived from the mathematical constant pi (π), which are visible only upon close observation. To Hisakado, the never-ending numbers of pi alludes to concepts of time and infinity. Between the paper, ink and numbers, the continuity of pi is distorted, invoking subtle shifts in the eternity of space and time and revealing poetic sensibilities through simple visual compositions.

On the other hand, Guo-Liang Tan's (b. 1980, Singapore) indirect approach to painterly expression has led to the development of a new series of works that feature geometric patterns created by folding fabric. In this new series, Tan utilizes the inherent memory of the translucent aeronautical fabric to create folds and wrinkles which reappear as traces through the layering and depositing of colour pigments on the stretched fabric. The coloured surfaces highlighted by the textures and traces seem to embody residual images of the production process, visualizing the memory of the fabric itself. These are contemplative yet restless paintings, always in the process of making, thinking, feeling and taking shape. 

Approaching painting in a different way, Zhao Yao (b. 1981, China) visualizes the process of thinking by painting diagrams from "brain training games" onto a canvas, in his A Painting of Thought series. These paintings are sometimes treated by Zhao as a series of abstract installations inserted into a system of painting. From the images and colours to the fabric, everything is ready-made. The various visible visual elements and invisible abstract thoughts serve as the fundamental elements of creation, just like the colours and brushstrokes of painting, and they are combined together according to an internal logic and order. The removal of the playful aspects of the images, and the use of stacked layers of glossy acrylic paint, are not intended to produce the sacred aura of traditional painting but instead to imitate the radiant sheen of plastic children's toys.

Ota Fine Arts Singapore invites all to experience the variety and uniqueness that each artist brings to this exhibition through their works, from point to line and plane.