As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the desire to stand alone and in isolation becomes ever stronger in the art world. Trying to show the possibility of divine harmony in diversity, architecture-turned-artist Wong Tze Chau’s latest body of work, titled “Cosmic Variations”, delves deeper into the concept of Oneness through the idea of variations in classical music — a grand return to abstract yet simple form and pure colours.
With a background in architecture, Wong was never far from the realm of art and design. But it was only with the influence of German playwright and poet Frederich Schiller’s philosophy that “the creative arts can transform the human spirit” that he decided to pursue painting while still working as a lecturer at Republic Polytechnic in 2010.
Since then, he has participated in group shows in Singapore, Thailand and India, before landing his first solo show at a commercial gallery in 2018. This led him to win the UOB Painting of the Year in 2019 under the Established Artist Category, which lauded his creations for its interrogative yet visually captivating nature. The rest is history, the latest chapter manifesting in a collection that had only begun in March earlier this year.
On Cosmic Variations, Wong says that the “idea of creating endless variations and improvisations upon a few simple structures” particularly appealed to him as he wanted to further develop his decade-long investigation of Oneness with an expression that was more universal. If all beings are connected through interdependence, and the stripping of one’s mask and forms will reveal the same core hidden within, then the essence of form and colour is the dot — the name of the series that will be shown in this exhibition.
“Dots are used to form words in different languages. Words are the symbols of different people and cultures. My aim is to create a bridge between different realms. I believe that there could be harmony in this increasingly divisive world if we see beyond differences.
Forms thus emerge through splattering layers upon layers of dots over months with minimum contact between brush and canvas. By balancing the duality of chance with control, structure with variation, light with darkness, simplicity with complexity, Wong seeks consonance in abstract works that portray imageries of either the macro or micro cosmo. This ongoing series is a quest for connection between individual existence and cosmic presence. If you are keen to experience Wong’s magical world, his solo exhibition will be showing until 29 September at Gallery1819. There will also be a meet-the-artist session and a live demonstration of his Dot Series on 10 September at 3.30pm.
To learn more about Wong Tze Chau, follow his Instagram: @wong_tze_chau. Visit Gallery 1819’s website here and be sure to follow the Instagram: @gallery1819singapore.
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