Velvet Curtain features series of works, by Clare Marie Ryan, Marc Loh and Chen Shitong, a collection of prints, paintings and plaques. It opens onto a trail that provides a glimpse into the depths of their visual poetry reflecting contemporary social issues; abuse, exploitations, violence, marginalization. Their richly textured imagery suggests agitation, phantasmagoria and innocence lost and found among the shades of emotions as the trio illustrate their vivid visions.

Artists' Statement

Clare Marie Ryan

In this series of prints and drawings that illustrate processes that affect the human body and psyche. It has a strong thematic focus on psychoanalytical theories on childhood, sex, gender and desire, examining instinct and the unrestrained human psyche. In the narration of each print, some reference mythology, fairytales and biblical stories. It’s title regards conflict that arises from the dualism of primal impulse and the mind’s perpetual moralizing.

Marc

Using circus sideshow freaks as a visual representation of the plight of humanity, I explore the reactions to the imagery of “freaks”. I create irony by pairing these images with quotes from various sources about the human condition to raise questions about the “freaks’ condition. This would bridge the gap between the everyday person and these “freaks” and question their initial reactions to them. The suffering of humanity is awfully ironic.

Shitong

My works deal with the ambiguity that we, human produce subconsciously; I see my work as a close observation of human behaviors and a reflection of the society that I’m living in. I find inspiration in people and newspaper articles that relate to disasters and chaos. I am amazed about how our brain allows us to picture a story just by reading at words in a news article.In my work, I chose to question the reverse action of this process, where I often use dreams to represent fear and contrasting colors to show the drama of my character.

My latest works are in relation to the people that I have encountered in the past one year. I find people intriguing, as they are able to make me think further and more in depth with their contrasting behaviors, as they undergo different physical and mental changes.Each painting is filled with actions that have been heavily exaggerated to produce a sense of humor and
ambiguity.