The Singapore Art Museum never fails to amaze with its repertoire. Last Friday (29 Jun), it dug deeper into its bagful of surprises to bring us its first celebrity tour by MediaCorp actor Qi Yuwu, through Idealism – an exhibition by Chinese contemporary artist Zeng Fanzhi. Packed with fans and art connoisseurs alike awaiting the commencement of the tour, the number of people milling around the lobby was a clear indication of both the artist’s and artiste’s attraction.

Fans of Qi Yuwu, otherwise more fondly known as ‘715’, waited in tense anticipation for the gallery tour by their idol.

A curator briefed the 80 lucky participants in preparation for the tour, including reminders not to use camera flashes in the building to protect the paintings from light-exposure. These exhortations fell on deaf ears when MediaCorp star led the tour, with the gallery exploding into a supernova of blinding flashes as star-struck fans frantically snapped away. (Ok, so maybe I exaggerated.)

Star-strucked! The charismatic Qi Yuwu and Zeng’s paintings certainly made many coverts among the visitors, with doe-eyed fans snapping away at both the celebrity and paintings.

Idealism, as the exhibition was aptly named, showcases an eclectic selection of Zeng Fanzhi’s works, including paintings from his record-setting Hospital, Meat, Mask, Portraits and Untitled (Night) series. Some of these works have never been displayed before. A fan of Zeng Fanzhi’s works himself, the soft-spoken Qi Yuwu led the tour with various introspective questions for the visitors. These form the basis for each viewer’s unique perspective throughout the tour, exactly the way Zeng Fanzhi would have desired. Guiding such a tour is indeed an art in itself, and I must say Qi Yuwu did a terrific job with his own style shining through!

An animated Qi explaining how Zeng’s signature chaotic strokes came about.

Qi engaged the audience with accounts of how Zeng got his inspiration from everyday experiences to create the Meat series.

Oversized hands, bulging eyes, and various exaggerated features are mainstays of Zeng Fanzhi’s works. They reflect Zeng Fanzhi’s interpretation of his subject’s experiences and history. In particular, one observes that hands are drawn in a variety of gestures and sometimes contrasting styles. Harsh, bold strokes seem to indicate a weathered life, whereas smooth, fair lines are sometimes drawn with concealed gestures to hint at murky emotions beneath the calm exterior.


Qi Yuwu also introduced his personal favourite, a simple portrait of a man staring boldly back at its viewers. The portrait conveys a sense of inner strength and confidence, traits admired by the star himself as he guided the group with choice anecdotes on Zeng Fanzhi and the source of the inspirations for the paintings.


Finally, the tour drew to a close with this star attraction of the exhibition — a set of three semi-identical self-portraits of Zeng Fanzhi treated with whorls of paint.

These whorls interacted with the play of light to reveal a sharper image when viewed through a camera, as compared to what one sees with the naked eye. It was an astonishing find for many of us with cameras that night. One wonders what went on in Zeng’s mind when creating this unusual piece that leveraged on the characteristics of modern technology.

Pictures alone cannot do justice to this ingenious masterpiece. Do come down to experience this visual feast yourself!

The Zeng Fanzhi – Idealism exhibition is on until 16 July 2007 at the Singapore Art Museum. The opening hours are 10am-7pm, Mondays to Sundays and until 9pm on Fridays. Free admission on weekdays, 12noon – 2pm and on Fridays, 6-9pm.

See more photos at CNA