The LASALLE Show Exhibition opens in galleries throughout LASALLE College of the Arts’ McNally campus and online from today till 2 June 2021, marking the grand finale of a creative education for over 800 graduands.
This return of the annual graduation showcase to a physical space, as well as its continuation on the digital realm, exemplifies the resilience and adaptability needed in today’s ever-changing world brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In 2020, we launched our first digital The LASALLE Show Exhibition, believing it was more important than ever to create a space for connection in distanced times. The response from Singapore and abroad was tremendous, affirming our conviction that there is a vital place for the arts,” said Professor Steve Dixon, President, LASALLE College of the Arts. “Our graduands have come into their own at a time when the world needs bold new visions and I am immensely proud of their successes.”
Here are some of LASALLE’s best works and brightest stars in contemporary arts, design and performance.
Anticipating the future
- POLYMORPHISM by Justin Chua, BA(Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles. This genderless collection stretches the potential of one’s wardrobe with modular and interchangeable garment pieces, ultimately reducing consumption and carbon footprint.
- ORION by Cheong Jun Hong, BA(Hons) Product Design. This drinking vessel forms the centerpiece of a gastronomic, zero gravity experience in a time when space tourism is possible.
- ATENTO by Sari Atiqa Ramli, BA(Hons) Product Design. This device records the wishes, thoughts and preferences of those with early onset dementia, enabling family members to provide better care.
Social commentary
- Dis-connection in Amnesia by Pauline Wong, Diploma in Fine Arts. This installation of artificial and natural plants aims to highlight that despite environmental generational amnesia, those brought up in the digital age should still respect and protect nature.
- CHERRY GIRL by Sarah Lin, BA(Hons) Fine Arts. This installation of sculpted weight plates with chinoiserie style motifs and a mixtape album explores body politics of female athletes who have muscular tones that do not conform to society’s feminine standards.
- To Kill the Birds and the Bees by Calleen Koh, BA(Hons) Animation Art. This animation follows four average Singaporeans who each encounter a sexual situation with less than desirable outcomes, ultimately critiquing the highly sanitised way in which Singapore approaches sex education.
- Colour by Seema Punwani, MA Creative Writing. This collection of interlinked short stories explores marginalised communities in Singapore.
Navigating the human psyche
- 依依 (Time Flows In Strange Ways On Sundays) by Giselle Lin, BA(Hons) Film. This drama is a study in the turbulent emotion of grief as a mother is forced out of mourning and the comfort in her late son’s memories when she is invited to his lover’s wedding.
- Inner being by Giang Le, MA Art Therapy. This installation invites viewers to reach within themselves to explore their own inner world that is filled with archetypal images.
- Children of the Soil by Sabrina Elman, BA(Hons) Fashion Media and Industries. This art film is a poetic depiction of how an individual identifies with the three pillars of Malayness – rulers, language and Islam.
Coinciding with the exhibition period are also a number of graduate performances and events that will be streamed online:
- Fri 21 May, 12:00pm: A New Light, BA(Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles
- This digital fashion runway envisions new possibilities for the future in minimising textile waste, promoting more responsible buying and incorporating other uses to clothing.
- Fri 21 May, 8:00pm: Shophouse #4, MA Creative Writing
- A series of readings of fiction, poetry and drama works written by the graduating MA Creative Writing class.
- Fri 21 – Sun 23 May: The Measure of Me, Diploma in Dance
- A dance showcase that features excerpts from T.H.E Artistic Director Kuik Swee Boon’s Water Bloom, continued explorations of Dapheny Chen’s BALL MEASURES, solos created by Studio Wayne McGregor and original works by Melissa Quek and Yarra Ileto.
- Fri 28 – Sun 30 May: Graduate Recitals, Diploma and BA(Hons) Music
- Music performances featuring a diverse range of music styles, including pop, electronic, jazz and composition.
- Sat 29 – Sun 30 May: Piano Voyage, Diploma and BA(Hons) Music
- A multidisciplinary concert where classical music accompanies dance expositions, visual arts explorations and animated/filmed narratives.
- Lucus Fam, a Diploma in Music graduand, is one to watch during this performance. A classically-trained pianist by day, his versatility and virtuoso peaks when under the moniker Pianominion for he incorporates piano techniques into his covers of anime theme songs and k-pop songs. On his YouTube channel, he has amassed over 13 million views and 117,000 subscribers, enabling him to hold solo concerts and meet-and-greet sessions to share his love of the piano.
