7/26/08

Catmasutra Art Exhibition - Imagine-Nation!


Catmasutra presents Imagine-Nation, another quirky and irreverent
painting show coming your way this August!
www.catmasutra.com

About the exhibition...

Singapore is considered one of the most efficient countries in the world. Just as this systematic efficiency has brought us success, it has also left an indelible imprint on our subconscious, where "truth" is seen and valued in terms of a prescribed path to success and happiness. This exhibition, "Imagine-Nation" asks us to look within instead, to listen to our own thoughts for a change, and plant these thoughts and consciously choose the path that we really want to take. Inherently, it attempts to expose our collective delusions about the"pre-programmed" nature of our life, and the prescribed notions on the best way to live...

Using the Catmasutra cats in social and surreal settings, this collection aims to provoke thoughts about our lives in our urbanized city in a quirky and irreverent way. References from popular and local culture are used and weaved as a counterpoint in each painting. The essence of the Catmasutra cats is based on their eyes-wide-shut, ear-to-ear grin, which translates to a deep-seated childhood innocence cum devil-may-care bravado, with a healthy dosage of self-belief and unpretentiousness... This serves as an anchor for all of Catmasutra paintings...

CATMASUTRA : IMAGINE-NATION

6th - 17th AUGUST 2008
@ FORTH GALLERY
69A pagoda street

Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 1130am to 7pm
Monday and public holidays by appt only

;)
More about the new paintings soon...

7/20/08

Viewing a cat

How would you view a cat? There are of course, cat lovers, and those who go all the way to help them, bringing injured cats to the vets, paying for their medical bills, feeding them, and finding ways to ensure their well-being. And these are the people who will do the same for other animals in similar plight, just that, the cats are the creatures that open their hearts to this path.


Then there are those who joke and laugh at these people and consider them trivial or overly-sympathetic to a non-issue (or pests) as remarked by Class 95 FM Morning Express Glenn Ong and the Flying Dutchman, that "stray cats should be sent to Peru to be eaten and stray cat feeders should be fined." Of course, they were only trying to get attention, to show how nonchalant they are, or to perpetuate their radio personalities. Whether they will eat the cats in Peru or not is another question. There are others who worry instead that their brand new cars would be scratched by the cats or that cats are filthy and will spread disease, etc. Then they are those who abuse the cats, torturing and killing them with imagination. Lastly, we have the "authorities", the AVA and the town councils who seem to be the slaves to people with lots to complain. The cats were culled during the SARS episode without contacting any animal groups, and they have traps for rent for anyone who wants to get rid of cats who might be scratching their brand new cars. (Cats don't really want to scratch metallic bodies. It's just not their thing or yours. Try scratching your car and see if you derive any kind of joy in it).


So how do you view a cat? Everybody looks out their own window. Everything external is everything internal. Everything has to be manifested as a thought first before it can become a speech, an action, or a feeling. If a certain thought is repeated and reinforced enough times, it becomes part of who you are. In short, the feelings and thoughts come automatically and "naturally" when a particular situation occurs - you are what you say, do or feel. For some, the egos are a too inflated, so it's easier to trivialize things. This makes them feel bigger and above all these "little" things. If for some reason, their ego or pride is taken away, they will struggle and this may be a good thing. For others, material things are more important than life. If you value your Mercedes Benz more than the lives of cats, it's equally true that you value material things more than your own life. If you lose your wealth, you will struggle terribly but you may learn more about life wahahaha! And for people who torture and kill cats, their lives are filled with fear (fear of life, of being a nobody, and have a very weak sense of self), and hence the irrepressible need to cover that fear with power, anger, hatred. If that fear is removed, then there will be nothing left to cover up.


Well, as for the cat lovers, there's nothing that we can take away from them. Their compassion and love are theirs to give away, and in that way, they receive much more. Sometimes, it seems easier to help cats or dogs as they are simple and pure, with no hidden agenda. If we can recognise that in them, then we have also recognised it in ourselves. People are always more complicated. Perhaps, when we have become strong enough, we can recognise this in other people and help them recognise it too. We are not that different.

At the end, we only receive what we give, good or bad.
In the act of interpreting the universe, we are creating the universe...

;)

7/7/08

A picture book - The Leaf Named Nip Who Flipped

I've just illustrated a picture book written by R Chandran (founder-director of ACT 3 THEATRICS), and published by Mariah Zainal of Marzarts Publishing. It's quite a little story and I guess one can read it on different levels haha. So here's a little snippet and my take on the story...
"A leaf's job is to cling on to a branch and make food for the plant, using sunlight, carbon dioxide and water," explained his friend. But Nip argued, "There must be more to being a leaf". And there begins the journey of a leaf as only a leaf knows how...

After a few pages... Nip gains enlightenment, a sudden insight into the way things work and an understanding of the most fundamental trick in life...
... the art and adventure of letting go!

"...There is joy, a winelike freedom
that dissolves the mind and restores
the spirit, and there is manly fortitude
like the king's, a reasonableness
that accepts the bewildered lostness.

But meditate now on steadfastness
and clarity, and let those be the wings
that lift and soar through the celestial spheres."

~Rumi


Haha, go get a copy and see how you would interpret the story...
Books are currently selling at BOOKABURRA at level 2 Forum Galleria & Wassini fashion at #01-73 Golden Landmark. Alternatively, email Mariah at marz_artiste@yahoo.com.sg


YEAH! Now for a glass of scotch whiskey
(Adults only)

Shots of the launch at the National Library
Annabelle Francis and Amy Cheng narrating the story...

for passion, story and art...

;)