Term: March – May 2020
Pacific-Leipzig stipendiary of the Goethe-Institut
“I am trained as a painter but I like to explore the symbolic and alchemistic meaning in common, everyday materials I found around me, even materials that are considered to be useless and thrown away. Using a ritualistic approach to art-making, I transform them into ‘magical’ objects that encourage contemplation and reflection about the normal things in life and their relationship to our private memories and collective experiences. Materials contain within them histories, be it natural or cultural, that could be unleashed and re-arranged to form new ways of retelling old stories of universal truths. This opens up the possibility to rethink our own everyday existence as something much more profound, layered in meanings and potential.
My process of art-making is consciously slow, labor intensive and repetitive. I do this everyday that it has become my ritual. I do this as a counterpoint to the fast-paced, modern lifestyle we live in. Only when we slow down; look, touch and feel, does an alternate life reveal itself to us.”
CV
b.1975, Kuala Lumpur
Diploma in Fine Art (Major in Painting), Malaysian Institute of Art
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2019 Floating World, a site-specific intervention on Kyuyorin Cafe, Shiraoi, Japan
2018 Chang Yoong Chia: Second Life, Mid-career survey exhibition, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2018 How Are You? I Am Well, A+ Works of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2017 Second Life, Hokkaido University of Education Gallery, Sapporo, Japan
2016 Body of Water, Art-U Room, Tokyo, Japan.
2013 Immortal Beloved, Richard Koh Fine Art, Malaysia
2011 The World is Flat, Richard Koh Fine Art, Singapore
2009 The 2nd Seven Years: Quilt of the Dead, Flora & Fauna IV, Narratives, The Annexe Gallery, Kuala Lumpur
Selected Group Exhibitions
2018 People’s Marchings in May, Seonygoun Gallery, Gwangju, Korea
2017 KL Biennale, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2016 Asia Contemporary Art Exhibition 2016 – ASIA YOUNG 36, Jeonbuk Museum of Art, South Korea
2015 Open Sea, Musee d’Art Contemporain du Lyon, France
2013 Welcome to the Jungle, Yokohama Museum of Art, Japan & Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto, Japan
2014 Journey, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
2011 2nd Chongqing Youth Biennale, Sichuan Fine Art Institute, Chongqing, China
2010 14th Bangladesh Asian Art Biennale, Dhaka, Bangladesh
2007 Discovery of May, 5.18 Memorial Foundation, Gwangju, Korea
2005 3rd Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale, Japan
Public Collections
National Art Gallery, Malaysia
Central Bank of Malaysia
Singapore Art Museum
Gwangju City Art Museum, South Korea
Jeonbuk Art Museum, South Korea
Artist Residence
2019 Uymam Project Artist Residency, Shiraoi, Japan
2017 Second AIR, S-Air Artist Residency Program, S-Air, Sapporo, Japan
2014 Re:Engage: The People’s Court, Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia, Run & Learn, Japan Foundation
2012 1 Shanthi Road Artist Residency, Bangalore, India
2010 Artist residency in Pinyao, China
2010 Valentine Willlie Fine Art & Tembi Contemporary artist residency
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
2008 JENESYS Program, Sapporo Artist in Residence & Japan Foundation, Tokyo, Japan
2008 WANAKIO, Meijima Art Center, Okinawa, Japan
2007 Art as Environment in Tropic of Cancer artist-in-residence, Chiayi county, Taiwan
2007 Ujiae Art Studio Artist Residency, Gwangju, Korea
2006 Rimbun Dahan Artist Residency , Rimbun Dahan, Kuang, Malaysia
2006 C21 Residency, Blackburn, United Kingdom
Award
Finalist, APT SIGNATURE ART PRIZE 2011 juried by Fumio Nanjo, Ranjit Hoskote, Gregor Muir, Tan Boon Hui and Hendro Wiyanto, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore.
