Artisan 2019

29 to 30 November 2019 I TENCEL™ Studio, Level 3 The Cocoon Space, 250 Orchard Rd I Supported by TAFF

Indian Contemporary dance - Pallavi With Stillness: Provenance & Process

Taken from an existing experimental work, ‘Pallavi with Stillness’ is a series of fluid, complex movements inspired by odissi, (one of the oldest known dance forms in India) broken down by choreographer Raka Maitre. The traditional style of dance has been reimagined devoid of story, character and context to focus on the dancers movements - controlled, slow and fluid. The accompanying music has been specially created for this performance.  

Matter Prints and Chowk could not be better paired. This mesmerizing piece is an exploration of contemporary dance. One which brings an Indian artform back to its minimalist roots, while echoing it's heritage, with Matter Prints stunning prints. Whether you love dance or are new to the medium, Matter Prints x Chwok’s performance will stay with you long after the performance ends. 

jazz - The Wedding Banquet

Elizabeth GraceCouture has always pushed the traditional boundaries of bridal fashion. Witness their 3-in-one, multi-functional gown. After the wedding day, the bride can transform it into a stunning piece for other occasions. The brand has also embraced modernity, for example by using 3-D technology to reduce fitting time. At Artisan you can view pieces from The Star Collection. Our favourite piece lights up at the touch of a button.

Andayoma is a jazz singer with soul. Her distinctive voice is testament to her Creole and Caribbean roots. Composer, songwriter and singer, Andayoma has performed gospel, led choirs and taught vocal training in Singapore since the late 90s. Her passion for songwriting and composition burns bright, culminating in her two albums; Palette of Colours (2010) and Shades of Love (2014). Andayoma is a familiar figure in the local jazz scene, with performances at Mandarin Oriental bar amongst others. 

Elizabeth Grace Couture creates an occasion dress that will last longer than just one day, with the understanding that the modern woman’s needs change. Andayoma’s jazz inspired original songs deal with love in all its shades and the reality of modern life. We invite you to a wedding banquet you won’t want to miss.

monologue - Ms British Meets Ankara

Olive Ankara styles itself as: ‘Modern Design Meets African Print’. Made from vibrant Ankara fabric the collection is for women and men who are not afraid to stand out. Blending quirky prints with Italian design, the founder Ify is of Nigerian heritage, born and raised near Venice. Part research project part filling a need, Ify started the brand in 2016 because she could not find anything similar in Singapore. Her Italian sensibility and attention to detailed, married with her love of vibrant colour, has created a coveted  brand in Singapore for women of all colours.

Sharon Frese is a British actress of Afro-Carribean ancestry who recently performed the sell out run of Ayer Hitam: A Black History of Singapore. As a 'global nomad', she is no stranger to making homes in foreign places. In this 20-minute excerpt of The Extraordinary Travels of Miss British, Sharon stitches together a brutally honest narrative marked by hostility, reductive stereotypes and a prevalent sense of homelessness —even in her birth country.

Based on an original idea by Sharon Frese, the monologues deal with prejudices and social hierarchies left behind by colonialism. First developed at The Orange Playground 2014 Lab #1 by The Necessary Stage and in 2019 commissioned into a full-length work as part of an Esplanade presents, The Studio, Sharon has recreated the show for Artisan as an intimate fireside chat with you, the audience.

For OliveAnkara cultural intersections are part of the brand's DNA. Designer Ify loves to see ankara fabric worn by people of different ethnic backgrounds - she  aptly coined the phrase cultural 'appreciation' rather than appropriation. To that end, Ify wants people who wear her clothes to feel a little piece of Africa in their hearts. This showcase Artisan performance is an exciting chance to experience African heritage in all its glory.

exhibition - binary style: Colourful Prints With A Unique Singapore Story

Binary style is inspired by Singapore stories past and present. Created in 2015 by twins Santhi and Sari Tunas. The scarves are meticulously designed with the eye of trained architects in a riot of vibrant colours. Each pattern is inspired by heritage districts, local anecdotes and daily life of Singapore. Their collection of over 60 scarves made from silk, chiffon and cotton feature urban life, nature, recognizable architecture weaved into vignettes of Singapore stories making them a unique gift. The designers use digital printing technology to transfer their artworks onto fabric allowing them to create intricate multi-coloured patterns.

exhibition - Ashepa Lifestyle x danielle solk

Launched in 2017 by Chetna Bhatt, a Kenyan Indian living in Singapore; Ashepa Lifestyle partners with African artisans to create accessories and homeware of the highest quality.  Each collection is built by first creating a relationship with the communities and artisans - from the Kazuri hand-painted jewellery (it means beautiful in Swahili) to traditional beadwork from Masai tribes women. The brand's creations have been recognized by the fashion press and the IFTA (International Fairtrade Association). Women who make up the bulk of the workforce receive 3 times the national wage of Kenya. 

Danielle Solk is a UK artist and Art Teacher whose work has been exhibited in SE East Asia. Recently commissioned by Intercontinental Hotel, Bugis, The Hawker is a mixed-media piece that celebrates the heritage of the area around the hotel. In addition to this piece, Danielle has created notable murals around the region. Consumed by the process of making, her hands-on approach to creativity, informs all aspects of her teaching and practice.  

Shirt Number White x Rowan Chanen

As the name suggests, "Shirt No. White" is an art-inspired concept with a single-minded focus: the shirt itself. Modern shirt making is woven into the brand’s DNA. Whether a refined shirt dress or simple button down number, designer Shannon Lee crafts his idea around function. Subsequently, he launches each capsule collection as a series of 5. The latest series on display at Artisan - 003 Ophelia - was inspired by his thoughts on weightlessness based on a scene in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and the familiar sense of falling in one's dreams.

Photographer Rowan Chanen is an international award winning Creative Director. His primary photographic interest is in exploring the unseen forces that surround us. Often, those forces compete and conspire to obscure truth and conceal reality. In seeking to reveal them, the camera compels us to find new meaning and understanding in what we might otherwise take for granted. Most recently, Rowan exhibited “A Dangerous Smile: Portraits from Tibet 1998” in Melbourne, Australia, featuring images from 35mm B&W film negative.  

The collaboration between Rowan Chanen and Shirt Number White, is entitled “Shirt 003, Ophelia”. Based on one of Shakespeare’s most poignant characters, as imagined by designer Shanon Lee, this is a suitably dramatic marriage of fashion and photography.

View more of Rowan’s work at www.88lumens.com

View more of Shirt No. White at www.instagram.com/shirtnumberwhite

Artists & Designers 2019