This April, Matthew Bax, bartender and co-founder of the acclaimed avant-garde Tippling Club, will showcase his artistic flair in a new form at his exhibition of thought-provoking mixed-media paintings entitled Is Text Cheating?

Better known as an award-winning, artistically-charged mixologist, Australian-born Matthew is gaining kudos in the local and international art scene. A self-taught artist, Matthew’s raw talent and poetic insights have earned him sell-out shows in Munich and Melbourne, and his first show here last year succeeded at generating a great deal of positive buzz in the art community.

For his latest series, which investigates the hide and seek nature of personal/public communication in today’s twitter and blog-charged world, Matthew credits Singapore’s modern and vibrant social landscape as being an important influence on his work.
Matthew commented: “As an expatriate who’s grown very comfortable in Singapore, what I’ve found striking is the diverse cultures that make up the social fabric. The material here is rich and my time in

Singapore has been one of my most productive and inspired periods to date. I’ve also had the opportunity to further my studies here at LASALLE College of the Arts, which is pushing my discipline, further defining my style and helping me grow as an artist”
Is Text Cheating? is a visual landscape of words, ruled paper and smudged blackboards. When viewed on a purely aesthetic level, the imagery aims to draw attention to the implications and nuances carried in words and dialogue. The collection offers relevant commentary on contemporary communication habits; it questions how we manage our identities and emotions, and what we choose to disclose or keep private from the world.

Incorporating materials like acrylic, chalk, string and wood, Matthew’s work is about discovering the abstract images found in the ordinary things of everyday life. Matthew’s ultimate aim is to drive the viewer to consider these basic, often overlooked aspects of modern life.

Clearly, Matthew’s artistic inclinations have played a part in producing Tippling Club’s most memorable and standout cocktails. From the Kopi-O (served in a takeaway drawstring bag) to the Imperialist (inspired by traditional herbal chicken soup) and Mb’s Apple Pie (cheekily served in a golden arches-inspired cardboard casing), Matthew’s interest in art has given him the confidence to be bolder and more creative with drink-making.

This collection is Matthew’s second to show in Singapore. It will be exhibited at FOST Gallery at 65 Kim Yam Road from 09 to 30 April.