Oh Chai Hoo: The State of Nature

iPreciation presents Singaporean ink painter Oh Chai Hoo’s solo exhibition from 1st July 2016 to 16th July 2016. This exhibition will feature the artist’s most recent series of ink paintings inspired by rock structures, ceramic seal carvings, as well as his experimental ceramic sculpture work on rock forms (akin to the classical scholarly tradition).

Entitled “The State of Nature《自然之境 》”, the exhibition entails the artist’s fondness for nature, in particular the natural formation of rock structures. As he is inspired by the natural accumulation of sediments in the formation of rocks over time, his rocks highlight the beauty of the imperfections of rock forms. In the artist’s own words, he asserts that “我的石头都有说话的。(All my rocks speak for themselves.)” Each of his works tells its own story.

Oh Chai Hoo (b. 1960) is a local artist who works extensively with various medium. He started his artistic creations at the age of 14, and holding his first group exhibition at 15 with respected artists like Chen Wen Hsi and others. His mastery of the brush is as admired as his fearless experimentation with the medium. The works in this exhibition will feature his unique use of self-ground pigments on rice paper. With his constant development of new techniques for ink on paper, he pushes the boundaries of the art form’s rich heritage to create works that are powerful fusions of Eastern and Western traditions of fine art. This exhibition will witness yet another leap in the bold aesthetics of his ink work, as seen in the truly maturing, confidently-executed works as he enters this phase of his artistic practice.

Oh graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore in 1982 and is a full time artist who is actively involved in the local arts scene. He is a member of various arts groups including the Singapore Sculpture Society and Nanyang Clay Group, and has had various solo and group exhibitions. He has exhibited in Singapore, Taiwan, China, U.K., Korea and Japan, and has won prestigious awards including the Highly Commendable Award for Abstract Medium in the 18th UOB Painting Competition, Singapore.