Immortal Beloved presents new works from Chang Yoong Chia which is a continuation of a series of work featuring the stamp collages from Yoong Chia’s Singapore show in 2011: The World Is Flat. Working closely with postage stamps, Yoong Chia has created a variety of collages that is visually stimulating.

The title of the show is inspired by the tale of Ludwig van Beethoven, who wrote alove letter to an unknown person whom he refers to as his Unsterbliche Geliebte(German for Immortal Beloved). Although the mysterious person was later identified and “immortalized", ultimately she remains a mere footnote to Beethoven’s life and legacy.

Taking this event into account, Yoong Chia sets out to search for his own private Immortal Beloved. He does this by connecting people who were forgotten in the memories of extraordinary or mundane events with the collective buried history of his people. Yoong Chia describes it as his “search for footnotes in history”: from private correspondences, clerical paperwork, letters, envelops, postmarks, forms, certificates and receipts. Much like his earlier works, the continuation of the series will continue to entice viewers with his unique brand of art and varied imagery, from political figures to historical events.

About the artist:

Chang Yoong Chia is a native of Kuala Lumpur, and is one of the most recognizable artists to emerge from Malaysia. After graduating from the Malaysia Institute of Art in 1996 with a Diploma of Fine Art in painting, YoongChia has participated in numerous exhibitions in Malaysia and overseas. He also attended various residencies, which includes Malaysia, UK, Korea, Taiwan and Japan. His earlier work “Maiden of the Ba tree” is in the permanent collection at the Singapore Art Museum, and it is on view on loan at the Yokohama museum in Japan. In 2011, his work “The World is Flat” was shortlisted as a finalist for the prestigious Singapore Art Museum Prize.

Image: © Chang Yoong Chia, Richard Koh Fine Art