If you’re anything like us and missing Singapore’s nightlife, then we highly encourage you to check out Casey Tan’s solo show ‘Hard to Say Goodbye’ over at Cuturi Gallery.
Tan’s nighttime scenes stop us in our tracks though, as they make us yearn for the pre-pandemic nights spent out in crowded bars and bustling streets.
With overlapping compositions painted in a palette of rich teal and neon yellow, works like ‘Under The Pinpricks of Cold Nights’ and ‘Night At The Southern Bank’ are odes to dizzying and carefree evenings gone by.
In contrast, Tan’s pensive daytime scenes capture moments that many of us have experienced in passing. ‘Up on Fushan Hill’ and ‘Ding-A-Ling’ encapsulate this perfectly by featuring older folks manning ice cream stalls and people chilling out in public spaces.
Here, his figures tend to be surrounded by red-and-white tape in a reflection of our ‘new normal.’
Tan’s use of acrylic paint is nothing short of skilful, as he has manipulated it to create translucent layers across his works. Overall, the exhibition artfully captures moments of peace, glee, and isolation amidst the hustle and bustle of Singapore life.
‘Hard to Say Goodbye’ runs at Cuturi Gallery until 27 March 2022.
