Synopsis:

The beauty in the art of Chinese calligraphy lies in its ability to evoke our senses of sight and sound through diverse forms of writing evolved over the changing ancient dynasties. Both calligraphy and music share similar artistic elements such as rhythm, balance, emotional tension, flow and harmony. The varied lines of calligraphy convey vitality that is akin to appreciating a lingering piece of melodic tune.

From July through end of 2018, Sky One Art Gallery is proud to present Elements of Chinese Calligraphy – A Solo Exhibition by Tan Oe Pang. Three years after his last Chinese calligraphy solo show in 2015, Tan Oe Pang returns with an extensive three-part exhibition series, featuring ninety-one pieces of his calligraphy works written over the years. The first part will kick off from 20 July and runs until 29 August at the gallery. The calligraphy of Tan Oe Pang emphasises on essential basic skills such as handling of brush and mastering variations of strokes which make up all Chinese characters through diligent practice. Beginning with learning seal script, clerical script and regular script, the artist spent twenty years to hone the foundation skills of writing proper Chinese characters. Thereafter, he practised writing archaic inscriptions found on monumental stone steles, bronze vessels and eaves tiles. Over time, Tan Oe Pang was able to distil the essence of calligraphy from the evolvement of past script types. His calligraphy inherits many centuries of tradition – marrying the visual art forms and spirit of Chinese characters – while creating a distinctive artistic style of his own.

The featured works in Elements of Chinese Calligraphy evince the artist's determined pursuit of constant breakthroughs in calligraphic art and his inclination to accentuate the importance of traditional writing skills. Born in Kandang Kerbau Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), Tan Oe Pang is a leading Singaporean artist who loves his homeland. He grew up in the Potong Pasir village where people of different races lived together and he was acquainted with their diverse cultures. Besides writing his self-composed poems and couplets in Chinese language, Tan Oe Pang also uses the unparalleled brushstroke techniques of Chinese calligraphy to write phrases in multiple languages of other ethnic groups. They include phrases written in Malay, Tamil, Japanese, Korean as well as the Chinese dialects in Singapore – a highlight of this exhibition series. The ingenious interethnic and cross-cultural exchange is not only meaningful, but it also brings out a new visual aesthetic of written languages. The brushstrokes of Chinese calligraphy are not only restricted to writing the Chinese characters, the integration of elements in Chinese calligraphy and written languages of various nationalities gives a new perspective to appreciate the beauty of varied calligraphy strokes.

About the Artist

Tan Oe Pang (b.1947, Singapore) works with a wide variety of mediums which includes Chinese ink, Chinese calligraphy, oil painting, sculpture, mixed media and poetry. At the age of 13, he was mentored by Fan Chang Tien, the third generation master of Hai Discipline, from whom he acquired the art of traditional Chinese ink painting. Subsequently, Tan's artistry developed into a distinctive fusion of Eastern and Western art techniques as he seeks to push aside the constraints of tradition and cross-cultural boundaries.

Tan Oe Pang has exhibited widely overseas in countries such as Brazil, Chile, Germany, Holland, Scotland, South Korea, Taiwan, China and the United States of America. He participated in the 1985 International Biennial of Arts in Sao Paolo; his work Insect of Ice was highly regarded and it is currently exhibiting at National Gallery Singapore. He was invited to join in the 1989 International Biennial of Arts Valparasio in Chile. In 1987, The Academy of Chinese Paintings in Beijing invited Oe Pang to be a guest lecturer and he held solo exhibitions on calligraphy and painting. In the following year, his painting Han Acrobatics was awarded Works of Excellence in the Beijing International Ink & Wash Painting Exhibition and the work is now collected by National Gallery Singapore. In 2007, he held solo exhibition and launched two books - Perfect Dimension and Homeland - at the Singapore Art Museum. Subsequently, he had solo show and forum at Hai Shang Shan Art Center, Shanghai in 2008 and a solo exhibition Revelation of the The Tang Dynasty at Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall in Taipei in 2009.

His works are collected by museums and international private collectors. They include the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, National Gallery Singapore, Singapore Art Museum and Singapore Embassy in Thailand, Korea and China.

About the Gallery

Established in 2014, Sky One Art Gallery is an art space dedicated to showcase the works by acclaimed Singaporean multi-disciplinary artist Tan Oe Pang. It strives to present Tan's fine artworks to the local and international audiences. Through exhibiting Tan's wide array of works on rotation, the gallery seeks to increase the capacity of Contemporary and Chinese art appreciation.

Strategically located on the 9th floor of the iconic Breadtalk IHQ – a stone's throw from Tai Seng Mrt station at the Paya Lebar District, the gallery featuring a selection of contemporary artworks is a perfect addition to the innovative lifestyle building which houses the Group's flagship Food & Beverage brands such as BreadTalk, Toast Box, Din Tai Fung and Food Republic.