exhibition

ART ENCOUNTERS:
WHERE LAND MEETS SEA

Ripple Root

6 Nov - 16 Dec 2021, 10am - 6pm Daily (Closed on Mondays), Kampong Glam, Malay Heritage Centre
Artists present on 6-7 and 13-14 Nov for live painting

For its sixth edition, Art Encounters returned once again to the lawn of the Malay Heritage Centre from 6 November to 16 December 2021, with a vibrant site-specific installation by local artist duo Ripple Root that celebrated the history of Kampong Gelam as a flourishing port in the 19th century where travelers and tradesmen from the Malay Archipelago would gather.

Where Land Meets Sea explored the material and visual culture of seafarers who made their livelihood from the sea and surrounding islands, as well as the Malay communities who settled around the river banks of the nearby Rochor river. In doing so, it spotlighted the concept of tanah air (land-water), which together translates to mean ‘homeland’ in Malay.

Inspired by the Malay Heritage Centre’s rich collection and artefacts featured in the special exhibition Cerita (Stories) which opens from 11 December 2021 to 29 May 2022, the artists layered their colourful visual language over archival images and reimagined historical objects in their signature bright and bold hues, that enlivened the past and encouraged us to see it with new eyes. Life-sized cut-outs of a traditional boat and Gelam tree were also sited on the sprawling lawn for visitors to take photos with.

Continuing in Art Encounter’s mission to reveal more of the artistic process to the public, the duo spent the first 2 weekends of the exhibition (6-7 November, 13-14 November) live painting inside the containers, and gave visitors a rare insight into their painting process which took place like a tag-team manner, with each adding onto another’s interpretation freely. Upon completion, visitors could step inside the containers to learn more about the artefacts in the paintings.

Exclusive Stickers

Purchase an exclusive water-resistant sticker set that was created for Art Encounters: Where Land Meets Sea, and features 6 unique designs by Ripple Root!

Stick them over your laptop case, water bottle, files or anywhere you can imagine and show your support for local art. Proceeds will go towards Art Outreach’s education, community outreach, and public programmes.

Available for purchase on our online store.

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Featured Artworks

These works measure 40 x 40cm and are available for purchase with proceeds going towards Art Outreach.

Please contact us for enquiries.

*View these artefacts in Malay Heritage Centre’s special exhibition Cerita (Stories) between 11 December 2021 to 29 May 2022.

Bamboo basket, 1970s, Singapore

Traditional woven baskets like this one were hand-carried by hawkers selling dried goods and peddling food such as petai (bitter bean) or nasi lemak (coconut-flavoured rice).

Granite mortar and pestle, mid-20th century, Singapore

A granite mortar and pestle set, also known as batu lesung in Malay, is a traditional cooking instrument. Fresh spices and herbs are placed in the mortar and pounded using a pestle, which is moved back and forth in a circular motion around the mortar until the ingredients become a smooth paste.

Chukriya*, Qalam magazine, 1949 Issue, Singapore

Qalam magazine represented the fast-growing Malay-Jawi publication landscape in the mid-20th century in Singapore. Started in 1949 by Syed Abdullah Hamid al-Edrus, known more popularly by his pen-name Ahmad Lutfi, Qalam press grew to be a burgeoning family business that diversified into providing printing services for aspiring writers.

Brass kueh moulds, 1940s to 1960s, Singapore

These brass moulds were traditionally used to make kuih bahulu, a Malay/Peranakan Chinese round, egg-based flour cake. The lid of the mould is designed to contain hot charcoal on top while the mould itself is heated on a clay oven, and is often carved with decorative and auspicious floral and animal motifs.

Tin sailboat-shaped ingot*, 18th century, Malay Peninsula

Ingots were first produced from as early as the 15th century in Perak, then in other states replete with tin ore, influenced by neighbouring countries such as Burma and China. Made in standard weights and circulated throughout the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, their denominational values were based on the exchange rate of tin to silver Spanish dollars.

Gerengseng, 20th century, Singapore

The gerengseng is a type of traditional seamless casted pot, which would have been used in the kitchens of urban Malay households around the 19th and 20th century. Fashioned out of brass and cast iron, the cooking pot was manufactured or sold in the Kampong Gelam area, such as at the smaller quarter of Kampong Tembaga, which used to be at the lower end of today’s Bussorah Street.

About the Artist

Ripple Root is the artist moniker of Liquan Liew (b. 1986, Malaysia) and Estella Ng (b. 1991, Singapore), a duo who develop artworks physically next to each other, taking turns to add to a piece like a game of ‘tag’. They make collaborative, carefree works reflecting themes of nature and wildlife, and are known for their colourful murals around Singapore that reflect the history and character of neighbourhoods they are sited in. Ripple Root depicts scenes from both reality and the subconscious while dealing with abstraction through bold colour, strokes and pattern. In their work is a distinct Southeast Asian ornamentation, seen in the dense, interwoven patterns that borrow from arabesque tiles and textiles, and folkloric elements given a modern twist.

Ripple Root has held solo exhibitions both locally in Singapore, as well as internationally, in London, South Korea, Melbourne and Sydney. Their art can be found in the private collections of Cathay Pacific, Raffles Hotel, Google, Zendesk and Facebook. In Singapore, they are known for their art in commercial and public spaces, such as Keong Saik Street Alley, 21 Tanjong Pagar, Cuppage Terrace. In 2019, they were handpicked by Sotheby’s to participate in their Modern & Contemporary Asian Art auction, where the work See You at the Satay Club was shipped to Sotheby's Hong Kong, and was sold there.

Past Works

Get Ripply! Art Contest

Inspired by your visit to From Land to Sea at the Malay Heritage Centre? Stand a chance to win one of the 6 exclusive paintings by Ripple Root from “Where Land Meets Sea". Up to 5 runner-ups will also receive a sticker set featuring 6 of their designs! All you have to do is create your own artwork in the style of Ripple Root’s signature waves and bright colours, and share it with us before 16 December 2021.

All mediums and expressions are welcome.

Eligibility

This contest is open to participants who are at least 10 years old (at the time of submission).
Each participant is limited to one submission.

Contest Mechanics

To participate:

OPTION 1 - RIGHT HERE ON OUR WEBSITE

Fill in your details and upload a square format photo of your artwork at the form below

OPTION 1 - VIA INSTAGRAM

Post a square format image of your artwork on your profile (ensure your account is set to “Public” so we can see your post) with the hashtag #ArtEncountersSGContest
Follow and tag @artoutreachsingapore

2. The Contest will commence on 6 November 2021 and end on 16 December 2021, 11.59 p.m. Late submissions will not be accepted.

3. Art Outreach will, in its sole and absolute discretion, select the winners by 31 December 2021. Winners will be announced publicly via Instagram and Facebook by 31 December 2021, and will be contacted via Instagram Direct Message or email for further details, depending on their mode of submission. They must respond with their details within 48 hours or may forfeit their prize.

Contest has ended.

Submissions

The results of our Get Ripply! Art Contest are in and here are our winning entries!

Enjoyed this programme?

Art Encounters is one of our free public programmes and we hope you enjoyed the experience. As a charity, we rely on grants and donations to keep our programmes free. We would appreciate you can tell your friends about Art Outreach, follow our social media, support our fundraiser or even make a donation.

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Malay Heritage Centre

Officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in June 2005, the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) provides wonderful cultural exposure and learning opportunities for visitors of all ages and interests. Situated amidst the Istana Kampong Gelam, Gedung Kuning and the surrounding Kampong Gelam precinct, the Centre acts as a vital heritage institution for the Malay community in Singapore. Through its exhibits, programmes and activities, the Centre hopes to honour the past while providing a means for present-day expression. The Malay Heritage Centre is presently under the management of the National Heritage Board in partnership with the Malay Heritage Foundation.

Established in 2003, Art Outreach is a non-profit arts intermediary with IPC status that is dedicated to promoting art appreciation in Singapore and strengthening networks in the local art ecosystem.

We enable practitioners to sustain careers in the arts by offering financial support, professional development opportunities, and an independent and free space to nurture and incubate their work, as well as through facilitating dialogues with collectors and industry leaders.

We also champion the value of art by presenting a year-round roster of accessible and innovative programmes catered to diverse audiences—encompassing educational talks for schools, public art tours, exhibitions and artist residencies—with the aim of encouraging a deeper understanding and appreciation of art and artists in the community.

About Art Outreach

Non-profit arts intermediary in Singapore, established in 2003, promoting art appreciation, affording access to art, and supporting visual art practitioners

ART ENCOUNTERS: WHERE LAND MEETS SEA