Art from the heart

Works by top Singapore and international artists go on sale for a good cause.

WITH Christmas round the corner, it may be a good time to consider buying art for your home while, at the same time, supporting two reputable organisations that are helping various communities.

NTU Centre for Contemporary Art (NTU CCA) is holding an auction of works by international artists, while TOUCH Community Services has an exhibition of works by top Singapore artists this week. The lineup of contemporary and modern artists include Han Sai Por, Charles Lim, Jeremy Sharma, Chong Fah Cheong, Ming Wong and Simryn Gill.

NTU CCA is barely three years old but has made tremendous strides as a centre for exhibitions, residencies, research and academic education. Its residencies programme, in particular, has hosted close to 100 artists, curators and researchers who are given the space, time and freedom to work on their projects.

As part of its efforts to raise funds for the programme, it is auctioning off donated works by its sterling alumni which include English superstar Isaac Julien, top Chinese shutterbug Yang Fudong and Singapore's last representative to Venice Biennale, Charles Lim. All three have held notable solo exhibitions at NTU CCA in recent years.

Online auction site Paddle8 is hosting the event from now till Dec 14. Among the artworks are two by Julien priced at US$12,000 each. The other works are priced below US$5,000, with starting bids below their estimated value. These include a Simryn Gill work with a starting bid of US$4,500, six Sun Xun works with starting bids of US$1,800, and a Jeremy Sharma triptych with a starting bid of US$1,900.

Top Singapore artist Heman Chong is also donating a painting from his popular book cover series. Chong donates works annually to independent, non-profit institutions such as STPI in Singapore, Asia Art Archive and Para Site in Hong Kong. He says: "I do whatever is within my means to contribute to not only the survival but the flourishing of these institutions because there is just so little space in this world today that allows for a critical way of looking at the world.

"The residency at NTU CCA is not a production-based residency. We are not asked to rush and make a new show or write a new essay, but really to gain point of views through interacting with other artists and curators in the programme."

Meanwhile, TOUCH Community Services is a charitable organisation assisting children from low-income and single-parent families, people with special and healthcare needs, and the elderly. It serves people of all races and religions, and annually reaches out to more than 30,000 clients and 212,000 service users.

Its inaugural Art Gives Back art exhibition is being held at The Arts House from now till Sunday. It features works by eight prominent artists, namely Chng Seok Tin, Chong Fah Cheong, Choy Weng Yang, Han Sai Por, Jeffrey Wandly, Liang-Gek Cheng, Raymond Lau Poo Seng and Sun Yu-Li.

TOUCH executive director James Tan says proceeds from the sale will go towards helping clients with intellectual disabilities "gain independence through daily living, personal, social and pre-employment skills training . . . to foster an inclusive society in Singapore".

Some of the highlights of the exhibition include a green granite and stainless steel sculpture by Han, a slender figure-inspired bronze sculpture by Chong and four vigorous paintings by Chng, who is visually impaired.

Incidentally, Chng will also be showing her works alongside those of polio-stricken artist Gregory Burns at the VSA Art Space@Changi in January during Singapore Art Week, as part of efforts to raise money for artists with disabilities.

  • The NTU CCA auction takes place from now till Dec 14. Go to paddle8.com to place your bids. The TOUCH Community Services art exhibition Art Gives Backis at The Arts House on Old Parliament Lane from now till Sunday

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