Through a Glass Darkly – Opening Night

PEER is delighted to present Through A Glass Darkly.

Feedback, criticism and discussion often lies behind the creation of an artwork; for many artists, conversations and exchanges between peers charges the creative process, an aid in navigating through the complex entanglements of history and contexts artists finds themselves in. What centers around the artwork is an unseen network of communication, horizontal pinging between various nodes that span the artist’ community.

To see “through a glass”—a mirror—“darkly” is to have an obscure or imperfect vision of reality; or rather, it is an acknowledgement of the limits of our knowledge. In the past, mirrors take shape as polished brass, cut obsidian, their uneven surfaces casting indistinct forms and imperfect reflections. A certain obscurity was expected.

To look through such a glass is very much like that of the creative process - to take action amidst ambiguity. Taking the phrase as an entry point, artists Ben Yap, Nhawfal Juma’at and Qamarul Asyraf, will explore its intricacies, or more importantly, its ensuing ambiguity, within their own individual practices, and simply as peers making art together. What surfaces is a reminder on the fundamental aspect of art-making: honest, sincere and productive relationships.

Ben Yap (b.1985, Singapore) is a visual artist who works predominantly in the photography medium, but utilizes appropriation methods and a mixed media approach in his installations. Ben completed his BFA (Hons) at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (SG), in partnership with Loughborough University (UK), where he clinched the Best Graduate Award.

Some of his selected group shows in Singapore include 8Q SAM (2013), Lim Hak Tai Gallery (2016) and The Private Museum (2017) and Interweave (2018).

Nhawfal Juma’at (b.1991, Singapore) makes conceptually driven artworks which is then translated into several necessary mediums. His works directly respond to the surrounding environment and use everyday experiences (observing nature, the state of being, conversations, relationships between being qua space) from the artist as a starting point. Often these are framed instances that would go unnoticed in their original context. Nhawfal graduated with a Diploma in Fine Art in 2012 and in 2016; he received his Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Fine Art from Loughborough University (UK) in partnership with Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (SG).

His works has been showcased at Maya Gallery, Jendela Gallery in Esplanade and NAC Arts In Your Neighbourhood: Placing Home in Woodlands and a solo exhibition, Wind Though: The Physicality of Thought, at Supernormal in 2018.

Qamarul Asyraf (b.1990, Singapore) is a practicing printmaker based in Singapore. He works with a multitude of mediums from printmaking to installations, he draws inspiration from the fantastical world inside human imagination to project the cluttered paraphernalia of his own understanding of its idiosyncrasies. Qamarul received his Diploma in Fine Art printmaking from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (SG) and his Bachelor of Fine Arts program from Loughborough University (UK) in partnership with Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (SG).

He has showcased in the most recent exhibition, Interweave (2018), and was one of the performers in Ezzam Rahman’s performance piece, Your ghosts from yesteryears visit me once in awhile. at ArtScience Late in 2018.

Supported by National Arts Council and ArtGlassCentre.