Common Daisies
Adelene Li, Bao Hanyu, Brina Lim, Charis Lee, Dayna Wong, Derek Lou, Emily Cole, Natasha Lim, Serene Mah, Siew Png Sim & Leong Yong Yu
Group Exhibition
25 May - 2 Jun 2024, 11am to 7pm
The symbol of "Common Daisies" explores the metaphorical resilience of daisies in the context of the artists' lives. Drawing parallels between these adaptive flowers and the twenty-something age group, the theme delves into the struggle for a place to take root. The manicured lawns symbolise the societal expectations and sterile environments that can stifle individual growth. Yet, a cluster of common daisies signifies the collective strength to thrive and take up space in seemingly inhospitable surroundings, acknowledging the harsh reality of societal expectations and the relentless battle for individual growth.
"Common Daisies" is a multidimensional exhibition that delves into familial dialogues, societal expectations, and depictions of love. The curated works also explore the poignant theme of memory loss over time, navigating the delicate balance between recollection and forgetfulness. The exhibition incorporates time-based works that capture the fleeting nature of experiences and suggest the potential for healing and transformation through time. This nuanced exploration of human complexities aims to create a contemplative space, inviting viewers to reflect on the intricacies of life, love, and the inevitable passage of time.
About the Artist(s)
Adelene Li (b. 1999), Singapore.
Adelene Li was born in 1999 in Singapore. She is currently a Photography major at Nanyang Technological University and was previously trained in film production. Li is a visual artist whose works revolve around relationships between humans and their surroundings. Working with moving and still images, Li captures the world around her as tangible memories and presents her unique perspective of her surroundings.
Li’s practice involves examining past documentation, be it from her archives or the archives of others, that captures a ‘present’ that has now been long gone. By merging and piecing these documents with the present world around her, she aims to give life again to these images from the past by returning them to the present context.
Bao Hanyu (b.1998), Singapore.
Bao Hanyu was born in 1998 in Shenyang, China. He is a Product Design major at Nanyang Technological University and was previously trained in architecture. Bao’s current practice borders on architectural and product design and the crossing over with a camera. He creates with time and space through his imagination, designs, and crafts. His works are thought-provoking, with a vast tapestry of clashing virtues and vices woven intricately together.
Brina Lim (b. 1999), Singapore.
Brina Lim was born in 1999 in Singapore. She is currently a Film major at Nanyang Technological University and was previously trained in motion graphics and broadcast design. Lim's work revolves around the natural elements, perpetually probing the concept of reality and our perception of the world. Her creations delve into the human experience intertwined with nature, traversing emotions and introspection.
Being a multidisciplinary artist, she navigates various mediums, including photography, moving images, and graphic animations, delving into the intricate interplay between nature and human sentiments. Her practice encompasses works that challenge conventional reality, exposing the falsehoods embedded in exaggerated portrayals while longing for a slower-paced existence.
Charis Lee (b.2001), Singapore.
Charis Lee was born in 2001 in Singapore. She is currently a Photography major at Nanyang Technological University and was previously trained in Digital Visual Effects. Lee is a multidisciplinary artist who primarily works with still images.Her imagery often features the beauty of the unseen and captures the overlooked.
For Charis, the mundane holds endless possibilities for artistic exploration. She delights in finding new ways of seeing ordinary objects and everyday scenes, transforming the familiar into something extraordinary. By shining a light on the overlooked, she brings attention to the often-dismissed aspects of life, inviting viewers to reconsider their perceptions and rediscover beauty in unexpected places.
Dayna Wong (b. 1999), Singapore.
Dayna Wong was born in 1999 in Singapore and trained in Digital Visual Effects. She is currently a Film major at Nanyang Technological University. Wong is a visual artist who uses photography, moving images and digital manipulation to produce contemplative work about her experiences, the human condition and the complexities of living a purposeful life.
As a photographer, she discovers and captures fleeting moments, but as an editor, she manipulates and refines her works to create stories and memories representing parts of herself. By blending fictional and non-fictional elements, she aims to produce narratives that may relate to others. She invites viewers to look at her work more personally to draw their interpretations from it.
Derek Lou (b. 1999), Singapore.
Derek Lou was born in 1999 in Singapore and trained in Sound Design. He is currently a Photography major at Nanyang Technological University. Lou is a multidisciplinary creative who primarily uses photography and videography as his mediums of expression. His works explore themes and topics that touch on his experiences, emotions, spaces, and human relationships.
Using his experiences as a jumping point, Lou takes a more reflective approach, digesting and understanding his own emotions, before representing them in a more sentimental, intimate and personal way, re-imagining them in the imagery of what it could have been in a relatable experience. Through his works, he hopes to reflect the idea of wanting to reconcile with his past self, understanding and showcasing that personal side of him, hoping that his experience resonates with the audience through his multiple existential crises.
Emily Cole (b. 2003), Montreal, Canada.
Emily Cole was born in 2003 in Montreal, Canada. She is a Photography major based at Toronto Metropolitan University, working in editorial and documentary photography, printmaking, and collage. Cole uses sociological frameworks to fuel the basis of her work, mainly working within queer theory and feminist theory. Using themes of identity, self-discovery, belonging and human connection, she captures moments frozen in time. She prompts introspection, inviting viewers to contemplate the intricacies of their existence within the larger societal context.
Natasha Lim (b. 2002), Singapore.
Natasha Lim was born in 2002 in Singapore. She is currently a Photography major at Nanyang Technological University and was previously trained in the fine arts. Lim primarily works with images to create impressions of ideas drawn from the natural world and to examine her inner psyche and how it responds to her desires.
Under the umbrella of Laleil Studio, Lim integrates her creative endeavours, spanning her diverse personas, artistry, and plant journals. She often employs a methodological approach to gather evidence and points for inquiry in her artistic practice. Her current works delve into the representation of the natural and built environment, incorporating elements of research and storytelling into her work.
Serene Mah (b. 2002), Singapore.
Serene Mah was born in 2002 in Singapore. She is currently a Photography major at Nanyang Technological University. Mah is a visual artist whose portfolio spans fine arts and fashion photography. With a passion for experimentation, Serene expresses abstract concepts in fine art through innovative methods, inviting viewers to delve into personal interpretations. She often draws from personal experiences and explores the more profound meaning in her emotional rollercoasters. Serene is also a fashion photographer who translated their creativity and style by capturing the essence of identity and transformation in visually striking imagery. Her approach to fashion photography outlines intricate concepts that explore different aesthetics preceding the fashion industry.
Siew Png Sim (b. 1999), Singapore.
Siew Png Sim was born in 1999 in Singapore. He is currently a Photography major at Nanyang Technological University. Sim is an audio and visual artist who delves into the convergences of performance and visual lens-based art forms. His creative pursuits defy conventional boundaries to meld the realms of performing and fine arts, dismantling perceived and physical barriers that separate these disciplines.
Leong Yong Yu (b. 2000), Singapore.
Leong Yong Yu was born in Singapore in 2000 and trained in apparel design. She is currently a Photography major at Nanyang Technological University. Leong creates textile bodies that represent intangible emotional experiences relating to themes of the self versus others, relationships, body image and mental health. She uses mixed media, mainly textiles, and a lens-based approach as a means of presentation to eternalise fleeting moments of life in her textile bodies through still-life photography.