sTePhane

Le PeLLeTier |
oPerA GAllery (ASiA PACifiC)

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SUM of ARTS
BY MAViS ANg AND LAUreN TAN

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Collectors are more openminded now, and art is no

longer just decorative. And if
its an investment, its a plus.
it is perceived as a new form
of asset and status symbol

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Ki-Soo, Yim Tae Kyu, Lee Dong-Uk and

Kim Chang Young, to be represented at
Opera Gallerys 8,000sq ft flagship branch
in Ion Orchard. Le Pelletier advises
that these works are investment-worthy
pieces for new collectors and feels that
what these artists lack in experience,
they make up for in originality.
However, he realised that his
customers are becoming less concerned
about art being an investment. People
want to please themselves today.
And if its an investment, its a plus.
Collectors are more open-minded now,
and art is no longer just decorative.
It is perceived as a new form of asset,
lifestyle and status symbol, he shares.
With the major art markets shift ing
from the West to East, Le Pelletier says
that the next few years will be an exciting
phase as more locals and tourists, who
are increasingly looking to Singapore as a
travel and art destination, will patronise
art galleries to discover emerging
artists and expect to be surprised.

Stephane Le Pelletier
with Lobservation
by gestin Alexandra

photog raph S i M o N S i M

Art as investment, the rise of the Koreans,

Asias new collecting might... Top gallerists weigh
in on the hottest issues in the art world now

Although diverse in his choices when

purchasing art, preferring to buy whatever
appeals to him, it is the artworks of
recent decades that Stephane Le Pelletier
truly connects with. I go with what
my heart guides me to; Im more into
contemporary art because it reflects
todays society, and I see myself in the
expression, says Le Pelletier, director
of Opera Gallerys Asia Pacific arm.
Since Gilles Dyan established the
fi rst Opera Gallery in Singapore, it
has grown immensely, and now enjoys
a strong presence at the heart of 11
countries worldwide. Le Pelletiers packed
schedule often requires him to visit the
gallerys branches in Hong Kong, Dubai,
Seoul, and in the near future, China
where another two galleries will be
inaugurated in Shanghai and Beijing. But
it is the contemporary works of Korean
artists that have caught his attention.
Le Pelletier, a fan of Korean
cuisine, explains that he is especially
fond of how Korean contemporary
artists defy traditional medium
boundaries: I like the way they express
themselves, their techniques, and
how they use a lot of mixed media.
He is also in awe of their ability to
use hair, sand and other basic materials
to create powerful art. But attentiongrabbing aesthetics aside, Le Pelletier is
confident that this rising nations creative
output will continue to gain commercial
and cultural value internationally.
Th is is why he has roped in a group
of talented artists, which includes Kwon

4/27/12 11:03 AM

Terry Lee | Art Seasons Gallery

It all started with Terry Lees everexpanding art collection amassed
during his business trips while he
was still working in the jewellery and
crystal business. His hobby eventually
led him to establish Art Seasons at
Gemmill Lane in 2001, when his boss
finally gave him the blessing to leave the
corporate world to manage the gallery
full-time. It was like a dream, he says.
Now into its 10th year, Art Seasons
has built a reputation among frequent
art goers as the go-to gallery for
pioneering Asian contemporary works.
The gallerys niche owes itself to Lees
profound knowledge and attachment
to Chinese contemporary art, honed
over the years as his collection grew.
I like works that tell a social story
or mimic a social status. And I like
their humorous take on the political
situations in China. Also, in the
background, you see a lot of sympathy,
a lot of sadness, about the evolution of
Chinese culture, Lee says of artists like
Hui Xin, Zhu Wei and Yue Minjun.
When it comes to curating a show, Lee
says that befriending the artist is always
the first step. He speaks of the meeting
and exchanging of ideas with the artists
as his most enriching experience. When
theres a curator involved, the concept
has to be treated to the way we want.
Thats where the fun is, he explains.

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When theres a curator involved, the

concept has to be treated to the way
we want. Thats where the fun is

photog raph C y r i l n g

Terry Lee with Meng Yi

No.1 by Zhang Peng

Art Seasons holds a show every month,

and the growing number of young art
buyers Lee receives at the current gallery
at Kaki Bukit welcomes the surprises
that he delivers. Just like the bold
modern artworks, these professionals
are much more vocal and showy in
their lifestyle than their predecessors.
And that is why contemporary art is
gaining a strong following here.
Lee says that the already flourishing
art scene here is indicative of a much
bigger trend. As more artists focus
on concepts rather than medium, it
is more about the experience now.
And as Lee ponders on the boundless
possibilities of contemporary art,
he concludes that it will come to a
point when art will be a lifestyle.

4/27/12 11:03 AM

Chris Churcher | Red Sea Gallery

A lone man in a suit, complete with a
fedora and briefcase, stands idle amid a
sprawling pasture. And just like Chris
Churcher, the subject in Andrew Baines
painting The Alien has grown weary of
the corporate world, and has gone out to
experience the world beyond. I decided
to not follow the herd in the rat race and
did my own thing, Churcher says.
After 18 years as a forex trader,
Churcher bid his nine-to-five routine
farewell and opened Red Sea Gallery
in 2001. And Baines is just one of 40
artists that the Dempsey Hill gallery
represents. But just like all the art it
features, Churcher has to personally
like the art before he considers bringing
it in. He says that it is the only way
to pass his zeal on to the clients.
Churcher sources for art whenever he
travels but he assures that he is diligent in
what he does and will not blindly follow
the scene. One case in point is the success
of Anna Berezovskaya, a 24-year-old
Russian painter. I believe that some of
the art that is now being introduced in

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the market will age, and people will get

bored with it. But with prodigies like
Anna, her work is timeless, Churcher
shares. And despite Berezovskayas
paintings being un-trendy in terms of
subject matter, her recent solo exhibition
at Red Sea Gallery sold out in one night.
Churcher has a good eye for what
appeals. And he is confident that
although Singapore is not a mature
art-buying market, it has huge
potential: If you offer something to
somebody, then you create an interest.
And thats the whole thing about
Singapore. It is learning all the time.
But what dismays him about many
art collectors is that they tend to look
for works of artists only in terms of their
saleability. The simple advice he dishes
out to enthusiasts who are looking to buy
art as an investment is: Buy what you
like, and get lucky. Because it is hard to
predict an artists value in the near future,
he says it is best to acquire a piece which
you can truly admire for years to come.

Chris Churcher with

Imperial Pig by
Huang Cheng

photog raph S i m o n S i m

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Buy what you like,

and get lucky

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Jasmine Tay | Museum of Art & Design (MAD)

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I like artists who are fully

committed to their art rather
than those who get involved
in sales. Sales should be left
to the manager or agent

one-dollar M&Ms serve as an enticing

complement to the museums selection
of art costing thousands of dollars.
Not only is MAD a unique concept,
Tay is also a gallerist with a difference
she is a Nanyang Academy of Fine
Arts-trained painter who was represented
by a gallery before she even got out
of school. It was only years after she
opened her first gallery Jasmine
Fine Arts in 1993 that Tay stopped
painting professionally. After dealing
in the likes of Luo Zhongli (Chinas
leading realist painter), self-critique, very
understandably, got the better of her.
I know how hard it is for the artist,
says Tay, who currently takes pride in
mentoring young artists like Singapores
Jahan Loh, whose Cherry Poke series now
fills a good portion of MADs exhibition
space. I dont like artists who are too
commercialised. I like artists who are
fully committed to their art rather than
those who get involved in sales. Sales
should be left to the manager or agent.

photog raphy S i m o n S i m photo a ss i stant F e l i x L e e

Jasmine Tay with

Luncheon Meat by
Jahan Loh

Jasmine Tay, contemporary art

champion and founder of Museum of
Art & Design (MAD), is sipping on
bottled water. We, on the other hand,
are chomping away on Edison Chen
M&Ms. Yes, as in candy pellets custom
printed with the pop icon-turned-artists
likeness. The M&Ms an artwork
by Chen titled Trapped in Candyland
is one of the many installations
and paintings currently showing at
the one-and-a-half-year-old MAD.
Given that you can get yourself to a
sugar high right by a high-valued Zeng
Fanzhi or Chen Yifei oil painting, this
arts venue clearly isnt the typical stuffy
joint. And thats the whole point. The art
collector with an enviable bank account
is not the only kind of patron Tay is after.
She wants the young and inquisitive,
too. For this reason the 20-year veteran
gallerist has chosen to stage MAD
as a museum rather than a gallery.
If its a gallery, those who arent
able to afford pieces will think twice
about coming in. But a museum is for
all, shares the mother of two. My
intention is to have everyone come in to
enjoy the space without fear. Educating
about art and making it a part of their
lives, especially for the kids, is more
important. And since the ordinary
student may likely afford only the
paraphernalia, but not the real deal,
MADs range of in-house Yoshimoto
Nara T-shirts, Chen Yifei postcards and

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Dr Pwee Keng Hock | Utterly Art

Singapores appreciation for art has
grown by leaps and bounds, says
co-founder of Utterly Art Dr Pwee Keng
Hock. So much so that Singapore is now
in a very happy state of having a whole
plethora of art activities, making it more
difficult to attract an audience because
there are so many events to choose
from, he says. When he was organising
his Oktoberfest! exhibition, it opened
on the same evening as at least four
other gallery and museum functions.
Pwee, whose gallery showcases
the work of established and emerging
artists from around the region, is one
of the vanguards to have enlivened the
visual arts scene. In the last decade
he has with business partner
Kenneth Tan staged more than 300
exhibitions for some 300 artists. Many
have subsequently won awards and had
their artworks collected by museums or
bid for at top-ranked auction houses.

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Im interested in art that

isnt minimalistic. Thats not
my style, and...thats not the
South-east Asian style. I prefer
things to be more crafted, so
theres more to appreciate

We want to develop long-term

relationships with our best artists and
grow with them. We dont believe in
the flash-in-a-pan approach, shares
Pwee, a molecular biologist by training,
collector by passion and gallery owner
by trade. Artists such as Singaporeans
Wong Shih Yaw, Boo Sze Yang and
Martin Loh, and Filipinos Michael
Cacnio and Andres Barrioquinto have
even returned to Utterly Art for solo
exhibitions a half dozen times each.
Although Pwees appreciation for
art began in Europe he made it a
point to visit the museums of each
European city he visited while still
a student at Cambridge it was
practical considerations that led to
Utterly Arts specialisation in Southeast Asian art. We are from the region,
we will not only know the art better,
but its also easier to source for works
and meet the artists, he explains.
What are his personal preferences
though? My taste is quite catholic, he
says. Im interested in whatever attracts
my eye. And that means art that isnt
minimalistic with, for example, just a
splash of paint in the middle of an empty
canvas. Thats not my style and you will
find that thats not the South-east Asian
style as well. I prefer things to be more
crafted, so theres more to appreciate.
And how many artworks are there
in his personal collection? You are
only defined as a collector once your
collection surpasses the amount of
space you have to display them! A good
estimate would be 300 to 400, he shares.

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Dr Pwee Keng Hock

with In the Beginning
and Pleasure Alley by
Max Balatbat

4/27/12 11:04 AM