Arts

Back with his third solo exhibition titled ‘Capturing the Spirit’, contemporary Scottish artist Ronnie Ford portrays his artworks on travels and experiences through ‘texturescaping‘. About the Artist Ford believes in the saying: “Anyone can paint a picture, but only a master can capture its spirit.” Born in Dunoon, Scotland, Ford’s passion for art started when he was 16. Acrylic paint back in the day was too sticky and he wanted to combine his love for painting and sculpting. Thus, Ronnie Ford became the pioneer artist to adopt what is now known as ‘texturescaping‘. Growing up, he had many role models…

Founded in 1987, the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) is the largest and longest-running film event in Singapore. This year, the 29th edition of SGIFF aims to showcase both emerging and established film talents, focusing on the regional while expanding out to the global. From highly anticipated film screenings to programs and masterclasses led by experts in the film industry, there is something in store for all. Festival Opening & Special Presentation Films Cities of Last Things (2018) SGIFF will be opening with Malaysian-born director Ho Wi Ding’s Cities of Last Things, where we are introduced to Zhang, a retired…

Guards at the Taj is a personal story of a friendship challenged under dictatorship. Two long-term friends, Humayun and Babur, stand guard at the Taj Mahal hours before it is unveiled at dawn. They are forbidden to look at the monument, speak, or lower their swords. The play reaches a turning point as the guards are ordered to do an unimaginably violent act and their friendship is changed forever. I leave the Singapore Repertory Theatre after Guards at the Taj with mixed feelings. For a start, I am impressed by the actors’ performance, especially since the whole play only runs…

The eventful Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), organised by the National Arts Council to champion and cultivate an appreciation for literary arts and culture was held from 2 to 11 November 2018. There is a concerted effort to expose the general public to global literature beyond those written originally in the English language. This is a welcome change as Singapore’s education system is often very centralized on English literature, limiting the perception of what literature can be and what different languages can offer. While I find the programs to be generally illuminating and enjoyable, I also see the potentialities in further…

Guards at the Taj, written by award-winning playwright and winner of the best new play in the 2016 Obie awards, Rajiv Joseph, will be performed in KC Arts Centre from 14 November 2018 to 1 December 2018. Set in 1648, Guards at the Taj is a dark comedy based on a myth about Taj Mahal, a mausoleum commissioned by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. In the play, the majestic beauty of the Taj Mahal is a deliberate contrast to the ordinary guards who are placed in charge of the mausoleum the day before its unveiling.…

Last performed in Singapore in 2014, with iconic ABBA hits from the 70s, the musical Mamma Mia! once again proves its broad appeal with its latest production at the Sands Theatre. The audience was going wild in every scene, with non-stop laughter, applause, and even tears. The playful sexual innuendos, heartwarming family scenes, and lively rendering of the catchy oldies are the highlights of the night. One of the scenes that have made the deepest impressions is where leading lady Sophie’s mother, Donna Sheridan, met her three ex-lovers for the first time since decades. It is also the moment when…

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3’s Diva, Shangela, will be making her debut in Singapore with her brand new show ‘Shangela is Shook’ next month on 12 December, 2018! The drag performer is known for being the only contestant to compete on three separate seasons of the Emmy-award winning reality series RuPaul’s Drag Race – Seasons 2, 3, and All Stars 3). A native of Paris, Texas, the performer graduated with honours from Southern Methodist University and currently resides in Los Angeles. Shangela – otherwise known as D.J. Pierce – has also guest starred as an actor on television shows…

The Chinese character 界 (jiè), the theme of this year’s Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), is multi-layered in its meanings, referring to both the world and the universe at large, and physical and non-physical boundaries. It also alludes to the endless worlds of imagination, where such boundaries are more porous and even erasable. (L-R) Festival Director Yeow Kai Chai, Guest-of-Honour Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Transport Mr Baey Yam Keng, and Chairman of SWF steering committee, Professor Kwok Kian Woon Its opening ceremony song under the same name already set the stage, with homegrown musician Kelvin…

What comes to mind when “satirical cartoon” is mentioned? The common tendency is to associate them with The New Yorker or other famous western comics of similar genres. The latest special exhibition, Between the Lines – The Chinese Cartoon Revolution, aims to highlight this lesser-known history by taking us on a time travel back to the golden age of Chinese political cartoons that emerged at the end of the Qing Dynasty. The exhibition space of Between the Lines – The Chinese Cartoon Revolution. You may be as surprised as I am to find out that witty commentary-styled cartoons in Singapore…

To call Shirkers a mystery would be an understatement. The documentary, now out on Netflix, explores the story behind Sandi Tan’s 1992 would-be film of the same name. Together with her best friends and teacher from film class, they embarked on a two-month long adventure to make Singapore’s first surrealist indie road movie about a serial killer. Just when shooting was over, however, their teacher, Georges Cardona, vanished with the footage. He left no reason for his disappearance and no trace of the film the friends had poured so much into. The film answers the questions raised by the disappearance…