breaking radio silence 这几个月来。。。

work-a-day demands of past few months superseded my duty to update this blog, most of which tie in with my next show in early april (details soon)

administrative stuff aside, it's been full throttle with:
a) creating my 1st video work -- & fulfilling a childhood dream of producing my own animation

b) redesigning ren-zi.com, which henceforth will showcase my body of works, leaving this blog for updates

c) working with jada art on braun buffel's upcoming charity auction benefitting "very special arts". more on my contribution here

the phoenix egg 复生鸟之卵

my new piece for the art outreach "art of shopping" charity auction on 18th august 2013. a million thanks to shir ee for getting me aboard this uber-cool project, my amazingly supportive suppliers, michael & christophe for technical advice. more on the project in my previous post.

front

under the curtain of yarn, the phoenix egg

back view with cosmic ellipse

close up of phoenix egg

detail

title: the phoenix egg

date: 2013

media: mixed media

dimensions: approx. 103 x 55 x 14cm

artist statement:

rebirth

prior lives & incarnations to be

a phoenix that lives on & on

such is the essence of the gawad kalinga bag -- a recycled object given fresh purpose

at this point, this purpose remains a potential

what creature will emerge after its gestation within this shell: bag or art object?

hence "the phoenix egg"

my intervention involves enveloping the bag in a multi-chromatic film, held together by bright red cords, dangling the possibility of dismantling the artwork & using the intact bag inside

i see the cords as filaments of phoenix feathers, flames incubating the phoenix egg, rivers of lava

the latter is homage to the bag's origins from the philippines, where constant volcanic activity generates destruction & creation, death & rebirth

incubating under this hot red curtain is my rendition of the phoenix egg, unto itself a whole universe waking up

on the other side, in plain view, is how i perceive the ordered chaos of creative possibilities: a sierpinski fractal pattern in a cosmic ellipse

playing with fire: commission for art outreach charity auction 玩火

"the art of shopping" is a fund-raising event organised by art outreach & marina bay sands to raise funds for the charity. for their art auction, mbs corralled a few of their shops to donate fashion items, which were then distributed among artists to add their signature touch.

justin lee's art of shopping"

philippine charity gawad kalinga's bag was my choice for its eco-social creds. made from recycled tetra pak strips, the bag is one of the charity's initiatives to create employment for poor communities.

the object: gawad kalinga recycled bag

in 2 very harrowing weeks, i built my intervention concept around the object gaining second life, a phoenix reborn. my vision of this creation-recreation process was rendered on a multi-chromatic architectural film, which i then wrapped over the bag, holding it together with crimson yarn.

the artwork: phoenix egg & cosmic ellipse

punching in the eyelets

wrapping the film over the object

yards of yarn for the final stage

the completed piece in the next post...