Inside the Dream of a Durian Seller
OUE Downtown Gallery pop-up space, 6A Shenton Way 01-36, S068815
Open Mondays to Fridays
12pm to 7pm
What in Cheong’s painting lingers as suspended smoke thickens into a conceptual structure: the dream itself. The durian ceases to be mere commodity or motif; it transforms into a vessel of altered perception, an allegorical chamber where the subconscious finds form. Inside the Dream of a Durian Seller extends this notion and positions the durian as a stand-in for the art world. It brings together several exciting local voices in contemporary art, both established and emerging: Brandon Tay explores his own disgust of durians with a visceral, haptic video and sound piece; the Chun U Bi brothers honour and parody Singapore’s cultural icons and art market players in an Orwellian, Animal Farm-like twist with laser-cut wood artworks.
Tisya Wong, a fresh voice in local contemporary art, takes over the “dressing rooms” and will present Economy of Scales. Drawing from the practice of amplifying measurements as a sales strategy among certain durian vendors, the work reveals how perception can be shaped and leveraged, inviting viewers to reconsider the systems that define worth in everyday life. While Jimmy Ong’s sweeping charcoal drawing depicts one of our national pastimes—gatherings over durian, Teng Jee Hum’s Hence in 50 Years? introduces a reflective dimension to the exhibition, using the Merlion and a lurking shark to probe questions of national identity, vulnerability, and what may endure in the decades to come. Each artwork transforms the everyday shop front on a main thoroughfare into an immersive space of imagination, heritage, and community, echoing Cheong’s ability to elevate ordinary scenes into metaphors for wider social and artistic conditions.
OUE Downtown Gallery pop-up space, 6A Shenton Way 01-36, S068815
Open Mondays to Fridays
12pm to 7pm
What in Cheong’s painting lingers as suspended smoke thickens into a conceptual structure: the dream itself. The durian ceases to be mere commodity or motif; it transforms into a vessel of altered perception, an allegorical chamber where the subconscious finds form. Inside the Dream of a Durian Seller extends this notion and positions the durian as a stand-in for the art world. It brings together several exciting local voices in contemporary art, both established and emerging: Brandon Tay explores his own disgust of durians with a visceral, haptic video and sound piece; the Chun U Bi brothers honour and parody Singapore’s cultural icons and art market players in an Orwellian, Animal Farm-like twist with laser-cut wood artworks.
Tisya Wong, a fresh voice in local contemporary art, takes over the “dressing rooms” and will present Economy of Scales. Drawing from the practice of amplifying measurements as a sales strategy among certain durian vendors, the work reveals how perception can be shaped and leveraged, inviting viewers to reconsider the systems that define worth in everyday life. While Jimmy Ong’s sweeping charcoal drawing depicts one of our national pastimes—gatherings over durian, Teng Jee Hum’s Hence in 50 Years? introduces a reflective dimension to the exhibition, using the Merlion and a lurking shark to probe questions of national identity, vulnerability, and what may endure in the decades to come. Each artwork transforms the everyday shop front on a main thoroughfare into an immersive space of imagination, heritage, and community, echoing Cheong’s ability to elevate ordinary scenes into metaphors for wider social and artistic conditions.