[Ota Fine Arts Shanghai] En route: Southeast Asia: Artists: Atreyu Moniaga, Guo-Liang Tan, Santi Wangchuan, Sawangwongse Yawnghwe, Soe Yu Nwe, Zai Kuning

In contrast, Atreyu Moniaga' s (b. 1987, Indonesia) paintings embody the fantasies of urban dwellers from a younger generation. Moniaga graduated with a degree in Communications and Visual Design from the Jakarta Institute of the Arts (IKJ), and now takes on multiple roles as artist, photographer, illustrator and actor. His otherworldly compositions reveal a whimsical universe of mystical creatures, ornamental plants, and spirited characters that one may associate with animation films. His most recent paintings, ″Serendipity″ and "Faux Nonchalant" are explorations into the medium of acrylic paint, and a fresh palette of pastel colours. The characters and creatures in his paintings express cheeky yet sinister expressions, exposing a complex layering of various emotions such as fear, anxiety, joy and calmness, which the artist experienced in the process of making these new works.

Santi Wangchuan (b. 1988, Thailand) recalls and revitalizes the handweaving traditions of the Ubon Ratchathani province located in Northeast Thailand. Wangchuan learned how to weave from his grandmother and mother at a young age, and after studying art history, he sought to re-engage the traditional craft that is gradually disappearing with rapid urbanisation. His works are interwoven with collective memories, folk stories, religious practices and objects that are native to his hometown. Closer examinations of his sculptures, "Weaving of Memorable Space (No.5)" and "Weaving of Memorable Space (No.9)", reveal the presence of fishing baskets and antique weaving tools, reminding its audience of an old way of life in Thailand and the larger Southeast Asia.

On the other hand, Guo-Liang Tan (b.1980, Singapore) utilizes aeronautical fabric – a translucent, water-resistant synthetic polyester textile – in his work. "Slow Release II" and "Sand Drift" were created by layering transparent colours of diluted acrylic paint atop the water-resistant surface. Unlike conventional painting, which uses a brush for direct mark-making, Tan's work comprises stains and traces made indirectly by the pooling of paint and by placing objects on the horizontal ground to create imprints. As Tan continues to explore the evolving notions of painting today, his paintings facilitate an exchange of ideas on what constitutes painting, and how paintings are made in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Using ceramics as a key medium, Soe Yu Nwe (b. 1989, Myanmar) explores the cycles in mother nature and, Myanmar's heritage and spiritual traditions. A primary and recurring motif in Soe's work is the serpent. This interest originates from her explorations for a self-symbol, and the serpent being her Chinese Zodiac sign. In much of Asian mythology, the serpent is associated with regeneration, shape shifting, fertility and feminine prowess. Yet Soe's sculptures also reveal creatures plagued with fragmented edges, thorns and a certain fragility, offering us some visibility into Soe's experience growing up in a conservative society, and her longing for wholeness in her multicultural and incomplete identity formation.