Arts

A shot of the 7.15 million RMB (US$0.98 million) Cowherd and Weaving Maid sculpture in Pingdingshan city, Lushan County, in China's Henan province. (Internet)

Why did China's Cowherd and Weaving Maid statue draw flak?

Vanity projects in China often do not pan out as planned, and the latest project to make the headlines is a sculpture of the Cowherd and Weaving Maid in Lushan county in Henan province, which has been criticised for being expensive and ugly, and possibly a copy of another sculpture. Another factor is possible corruption and personal benefit, which is also difficult to root out.
One of two large inflatable yellow ducks named “Double Ducks” by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman is seen at Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, China on 12 June 2023. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP)

From East to West: Hong Kong art auction market's changing taste in the internet age

From establishing itself as a congregation of all and a cross pollination of buyers and art, the Hong Kong auction market has matured since 2000. It went from highlighting Asian art and artists to internationalising and conflating East and West, and then becoming a marketplace for a “curated” Asian palate with a huge appetite for Western contemporary works. The market has always ruled, and as the pace of life quickens and social media permeates daily life, so has the need for novelty and peer recognition increased.
The original artwork that appeared in Brick Lane, with the 12 core socialist values. (@yiqueart/Instagram)

No one wants to see China's propaganda slogans in London. Not even as graffiti

A London-based Chinese student’s graffiti has drawn widespread attention, as he painted the 12 core socialist values of the Chinese Communist Party on a wall in Brick Lane. While he denies political significance in the work, many local residents have responded to it by adding their own take, while netizens are debating its meaning. Lianhe Zaobao’s China Desk looks at the young student's motivation and its result.
Astrology has a longstanding history, different from the lucky number and colour of each horoscope that we see in the media. (iStock)

Taiwanese art historian: Reading the stars, reading people

Discovering that horoscopes could be a discipline in itself, Taiwanese art historian Chiang Hsun takes back his earlier dismissal of them as a cheap thrill. Studying the stars and how they gather and scatter with the life choices one makes is a teaching in itself.
Singapore artist Tang Da Wu’s Chinese ink paintings on display as part of the Singapore Art Week 2019. (SPH Media)

Tropical pursuits: Collecting ink paintings in Singapore

CEO of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Low Sze Wee traces the history of Singapore’s ink art collecting trends, and the bonds of friendship forged between Chinese and Singaporean artists.
Nanyang artist Sun Yee. (Dynasties Antique & Art Gallery)

Who are the Nanyang women artists?

Even those familiar with Nanyang artists may be hard-pressed to name other women artists aside from Georgette Chen. Actually, Sun Yee was a renowned artist in her own right, and in Singapore where she eventually settled down, she spent close to three decades heading an art academy. Low Sze Wee, CEO of the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, tells us more.
Cheng Pei-kai's “姹紫嫣红” on tea foam.

China's 'latte art' from a thousand years back

As cultural historian Cheng Pei-kai continues on his Changzhou intangible cultural heritage extravaganza, he retraces the steps of ancient literati like Song dynasty poet Su and Qing dynasty scholar Lü Gong who spent days of idyll in artistic pursuits. There was even an artist-monk who could write poetry with tea foam. This is the second article of a four-part series on Changzhou food and drink.
William Shakespeare's First Folio on display at Christies in London, England, 24 April 2023. (Anna Gordon/Reuters)

Shakespeare was the object of envy and slander, just as Li Bai was

Back in the days of Elizabethan theatre, there was competition among the playwrights, many of whom had gone to university. Shakespeare was the exception, the happy-go-lucky actor and playwright whose plays were well-loved. While he was despised and criticised by his fellow playwrights, he perhaps knew that this was out of jealousy, not so much spite.
K C Low (left) and Teo Han Wue at the talk on the art of Kaii Higashiyama. (Photo: Terence Tan)

Kaii Higashiyama’s art as tribute to Chinese monk Jianzhen

Attending a recent talk by veteran Singapore writer K C Low recently on the life of Japanese artist Kaii Higashiyama, Teo Han Wue hears about a series of temple murals Higashiyama painted in tribute to Jianzhen, a Tang dynasty monk who had spread Buddhist teachings and promoted the learning of Chinese culture in Japan.