Reaching Out! 伸出援手!
Medium: Drypoint and mixed media on printmaking paper
Size of Work: 88 x 66.5 x 3.5 cm
SGD 8,000
Enquire WhatsAppTactile Artwork (Visual description)
This print depicts a condition central to Chng’s explorations of the human condition – entrapment. A frail figure stretches its arms helplessly towards the sky, as if reaching out for help or grasping at the birds to set her free. The figure seems to be trapped in a maelstrom, with many small black fish swimming frantically around its feet, while above, flocks of birds—resembling crows or sparrows—hover, which the figure is grasping at. In this scene, an empty white space, which may represent the moon in the print, mirrors the hole which the figure is grasping towards. The figure embodies the metaphor of a lotus emerging from the mud, striving towards a shining moon.
About the Artist
Chng Seok Tin did her studies in art in Singapore, UK, France and USA, from 1971 to 1985; she obtained two master degrees from New Mexico State University and The University of Iowa, in USA, majoring in printmaking. She taught printmaking at tertiary level for a decade in Singapore from 1986. She never restricts her practice to creating prints; her works include drawing, painting, collage, mixed media, textile, photography, ceramic, sculpture and installation. Since she lost most her eyesight in 1988 due to brain abscess and is legally blind; she does more printmaking, mixed media and sculptural works. Her works deal with nature’s phenomenon and human conditions. She has held 30 solo exhibitions and participated in more than 100 group exhibitions in Singapore and abroad. For her courage and contributions to the arts, she was named the Woman of the Year 2001 by Her World magazine. She was awarded the Cultural Medallion by the Government of Singapore in 2005. She is also an established writer and was given the Singapore Chinese Literary Award 2007 by the Singapore Literature Society. In 2014, she was inducted into Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in its inaugural year.