botanical paradigm
dongyan chen
Opening Reception | 2024 NOV 27, 5:30PM - 8:30PM
2024 NOV 28 - DEC 13 | Wednesday - Friday ,1PM - 7PM. Saturday - Sunday, 1PM - 6PM.
39 Keppel Rd, #03-10 Tanjong Pagar Distripark, Singapore 089065
brief
Japanese calligraphy artist Manami Tokuda presents her latest solo exhibition at INSTINC Space, WAY OF LIFE, a deeply personal exploration of life’s journey through the lens of her unique artistic practice. This exhibition reflects on themes of time, identity, and self-reflection, capturing the artist’s perspective on the complexities and beauty of living.
In her own words, Tokuda explains, "WAY OF LIFE means the way I live my life." The title of the exhibition is inspired by a phrase she encountered in a novel several years ago, where the main character lived her life with pride and without regret. Tokuda resonates with this sentiment, as she contemplates her own experiences and choices. She reflects on the passage of time, acknowledging that while the past cannot be changed, it’s what we do moving forward that truly matters.
"There are good days and bad days — that's life," says Tokuda. Her exhibition showcases this duality, as she embraces both the struggles and successes of her journey as an artist. Having practised calligraphy since childhood, she admits to moments of both love and frustration with her craft, yet her passion for creation endures.
Through WAY OF LIFE, Manami Tokuda invites viewers to reflect on their own paths, while celebrating the resilience and determination required to continue moving forward. Her calligraphy embodies this message, merging tradition with personal expression to create a body of work that is as meditative as it is impactful.
brief
Botanical Paradigms presents a series of imaginary plants that Chen developed during her three-month residency at INSTINC. The exhibition takes its title from the concept of a ‘paradigm’—a distinctive set of ideas or thought patterns that serve as a lens for observing and understanding the world. Through the paradigm of fictional botany, Chen seeks to challenge and reconsider conventional perceptions of nature and reality, conducting a dialogue that bridges the natural and the synthetic, the traditional and the technological.
Following the transformation of these imagined plant species across multiple media, from traditional techniques such as drawing, and embroidery to digital technologies like 3D animation and videography. The interplay between craftsmanship and contemporary digital practices serves as a metaphor for the evolving nature of thought, showing how our perspectives shift with technological advancements.
This exhibition is part of Chen's ongoing transmedia storytelling project, FACTORY, which explores a transmedia storyworld centered on a fictional biological laboratory called ‘FACTORY’. In this evolving storyworld, FACTORY functions as both a research center and an archive for Chen's creative experiments, offering a space where scientific inquiry and artistic expression converge.
BIO of Artist
Dongyan Chen
Chen Dongyan is a multidisciplinary artist based in Singapore. Her practice is primarily based on video and installations, but also consists of various media such as drawing, writing, sculptures, and photography. Her current research is focusing on exploring narrative methodologies through storyworld with the mechanism of transmedia storytelling.
Chen received a Bachelor(Hons) of Fine Art (First Class) from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London in 2018, and Master of Arts Fine Arts (Distinction) from LASALLE College of the Arts Singapore in 2024. Part of her past exhibitions include Deja Vu at Freud Museum (London), Orphaned Memories and Pressure Drop at SomoS Arts House (Berlin), Across Pieces of Sky at Trocadero Art Space (Melbourne), Bidirectional Intervention at JinChuang Art Space, (Nanjing), and This is not a monster at Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore (Singapore). She is the recipient of Dr Winston Oh Postgraduate Study Grant and LASALLE MA Merit Award in 2023, Winston Oh Travelogue Award in 2024, and participated in Tropical Lab 2024. Chen is also a freelance videographer specialising in social videos for exhibitions, lifestyle, and events, she creates marketing and documentation videos for the Singapore Art Museum and LASALLE College of the Arts.
Website: https://dongyanchen.com/HOME | Instagram: ︎@dongyanche_n
