Bangkok--29 Aug--TQPR
Mud & MashedHydrangea Leaves And Salad of Dandelion Greens
EIFFEL CHONG
16 – 30 August 2018
Richard Koh Fine Art
229, Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar
59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Richard Koh Fine Art (RKFA) is pleased to announce Mud & Mashed Hydrangea Leaves And Salad Of Dandelion Greens, an upcoming exhibition by Malaysian photographer Eiffel Chong scheduled to run from
16 - 30 August 2018 at Richard Koh Fine Art, 229, Jalan Maarof, Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar 59100, Kuala Lumpur. The exhibition will present a series of multipanelled and large format still life photography works
executed during his teaching stint in Thailand last year. The Opening Reception will take place on Thursday, 16 August, from 5 – 8pm.
Encountering anomalies upon returning to a favoured city, Eiffel's most recent body of works document the shift in his impression towards one of the world's top tourist destination, Thailand. Invited to Chiang Mai for a 3-month teaching assignment, the artist's eager visit to the country's capital resulted him returning with a conflicted internal battle. Coupled with the affirmations around the reason most cityfolk had decided to move to the outskirts, this prompted Eiffel to embark on a journey to observe and express the shifting worldviews taking place in a foreign environment.
These photography works serve as a documentation of flowers composed in various forms to convey Eiffel's preoccupation with individuality, life happenings and mortality. These images of flowers: papermade, packed, withering and otherwise deformed, are anything but the general consensus of beauty. The artist's manipulation and intent is apparent in each heavily manicured arrangement, blown up into larger than life prints that maintain their reality and waning presence.
Eiffel's floral arrangements, antropomorphised and staged by the artist to suggest a keen sense of interaction is devoid of human presence. They are executed in an aesthetic stoic and solemn, often familiarly associated with Eiffel's unique style. Juxtaposed against a backdrop of attention grabbing colors, the artist's removal from the artwork beckons for scrutiny, an invitation into an arena that some might deem too close for comfort. A closer look at the suggestive title would unveil the conditions that each flower responds to, a nod to the rollercoaster ride that life hands out to the best of us.
Mud & Mashed Hydrangea Leaves And Salad Of Dandelion Greens sets the stage for us to delve further into the artist's psyche and his ruminations of life through the language of flowers.
Eiffel Chong (b. 1977, Kuala Lumpur) graduated with an MA in International Contemporary Art and Design Practice from the University of East London and a BA (Hons) in Photography from London College of Printing. He is the 2nd Prize Winner in Category D for the Nikon Photo Contest 2014-2015, Japan, the finalist for the Asia-Pacific Photobook Award 2015, Australia and Sovereign Asian Art Prize 2014, Hong Kong. He was awarded The Man Of The Year 2016 by AugustMan magazine, Art Category. His recent
exhibitions include 'After Image: Contemporary Photography From Southeast Asia', Singapore Art Museum, Singapore; 'Others & Me: Contemporary Photography Exhibition', Sharjah Art Museum, Sharjah, UAE; and 'Malaysian Eye', Whitebox Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Besides his pursueing his photographic work, Chong is highly engaged with the Malaysian photographic
community; taking on the role of mentor for the Nikon Shooting Stars programme and Exposure+ Workshop. He sat on the panel of judges for the Kuala Lumpur Photography Awards 2013 & 2016 and 2017 Nikon Annual Photo Awards, Malaysia.
Richard Koh Fine Art has been in operation since 2005 and is regarded as a pioneer for introducing contemporary art to Malaysia and the region. Promoting an adventurous roster of emerging and established artists, the gallery regularly mounts exhibitions locally and abroad with a commitment to emerging practices and challenging media.
For further information about the exhibition, please do not hesitate to contact Michael Low at +6016 217 5112 or the gallery at
[email protected] / +6 03 2095 3300.