The ExtraOrdinary

The artist’s other recent works also signal a return to simplicity. He turns away from landmark architecture to deal with the most ordinary and common little objects in life. Resultant works like Extension Cord, Fire Extinguisher, Measuring Tape, Pencil Sharpener and Salvation (lady's handbag) either unveil the “as-is” nature of things or lead us to perceive deeper meanings (or broader implications) through the titles or otherwise. Notably, trickles from a flat brush on the canvas contribute to the variegated visual polyphony, particularly by underscoring the impermanence and vulnerability of being in the phenomenal world. After all, the painted images could have ceased to exist in a moment of inattention as fluids flow over them by accident, rendering forms unrecognisable.

Chua Poh leng, Lecturer, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, 2011