As cultures merge together in increasingly cosmopolitan societies, it’s nice to see artists clinging on to the traditional crafts of their forebears, keeping them alive, learning from them and remixing them into new, more relevant work. Neo Folk 2 is a shining example of this retrospective recycling. Miffed with the usual souvenir stall tat, 17 Asian artists have gone back to their roots and turned out some modern treasures that go beyond the mass-produced archetypes, brought together by curators at Kult (Singapore), Clear Edition & Gallery (Tokyo), and Damien Brachet (Paris).
Some of the countries of origin are immediately recognisable. Take, for example, Hideyuki Katsumata’s Yaoyorozu, alive with the mischievous faces of the many spirits of the Japanese folk religion Shinto. Dina Gadia’s collages subverting retro Filipino illustrations put a somewhat warped spin on the innocence of childhood. Irreverent or not, it’s a thoroughly fascinating collection, on show at Singapore’s Ikkan Gallery from 15 January, ending 1 March.
Dina Gadia,
Bad Innovation:
Pointless Riffing on the Same Theme
Collage
Hideyuki Katsumata,
Yaoyorozu, 2009
Acrylic and ink on paper
Rudy Atjeh,
Welcome to the Jungle,
2012
Hand cut paper
Dina Gadia,
Yeah! Smash Everything and
Don’t Expect Changes
Collage
Howie Tsui,
Celestials of Gold Mountain,
2010,
Acrylic on Canvas
Mikito Ozeki,
Big Body 2,
2013,
Hand cut black archival paper
Dina Gadia,
The Creeping Unknown
Collage
