Jane Lee: Enjoy the Silence.
Leading Singaporean contemporary artist Jane Lee explains why, with her new exhibition at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute, she has chosen to eschew the rich, dessert-like impasto and vibrant palette that are her trademark, instead exploring the tranquility of black and white.
Installation view featuring Jane Lee’s first I 初 I, 2023.
JOURNEYS IN ARTISTRY: You typically embrace colour in your work. Why have you employed a more subdued palette with most of the pieces featured in your new exhibition, In Praise of Silence?
JANE LEE: The beauty of art is that the making is a reflection of the artist and their growth through the different stages of life. My earlier showcases, which were made up of vibrant colours, reflected my state of being during that period in time.
Jane Lee, be - still, 2023, Airbrushed cel vinyl paint stencilled on crushed clear quartz, on cement coated paper casting, 14.5 x 15 x 6 cm; 15 x 15 x 11.5 cm © Jane Lee / STPI.
In my earlier years, my interest was in the material world, and now, it has grown into a journey of looking inwards. Now, I am interested in finding the essence of being.
In my own life, this has meant searching for my truest self — who I am fundamentally. This spiritual growth has tremendously shaped me in whatever I think and do, so it naturally reflects on how I approach my art practice.
Jane Lee, first I 初 I, 2023. (Detail.) Flocking on paper, on crushed obsidian crystal on STPI handmade paper, 170 x 170 x 2 cm © Jane Lee / STPI.
My latest works are mainly monochromatic, black and white, or they rely on the original colours of the natural materials that I am playing with. This reduces the use of manipulated, man-made colours which may serve as a distraction to what I truly wish to express conceptually. By doing so, my viewers can read my works without being distracted by non-essential colours.
What does the symbolism of the egg mean to you? When and why did you begin thinking about exploring this motif?
I have always been interested in finding the essence of things, be it through questioning the essence of painting, or in my life in general.
For this exhibition at STPI, the cracking egg symbolises rebirth, essence, and the absolute. If one were to try to describe this in words, it would all point towards the same direction — the force of life. Some may call it God.
In Praise of Silence, installation view. Lee says the egg motif reflects spiritual breakthroughs, but also acknowledges the parallels with society emerging from the confines of lockdowns and social distancing.
How does In Praise of Silence contrast with or complement your exhibition LILA: Unending Play, being held in parallel at the Singapore Art Museum?
Both exhibitions, while titled differently, point to the same concept of the ultimate essence of life. For me, silence is the core of our existence, and the essence of true being. In human cultures, we can most easily equate silence as God, the ultimate, or Tao, the natural order of the universe.
Silence is hidden behind all words, all activities—it is the largest, hidden canvas of our life.
‘LILA’, a Sanskrit word, loosely translates to ‘divine play’, which refers to the effortless way silence, or God, relates and plays with the world.
Jane Lee, samsara II 回 II, 2023. (Detail.) Spray paint on mulberry paper casting, on pigmented STPI handmade paper, 51 x 51 x 5 cm © Jane Lee / STPI.
Your work is known for being visceral, three dimensional — how do you translate those qualities to the ‘flat’ medium of print? Or is the idea that print is flat a misconception?
Great question. For me, many things and beliefs that we have been taught or inculcated into us are, in some form, misconceptions. Being an artist, I have the luxury to be able to deconstruct these misconceptions by asking questions, then breaking existing rules and making new ones through my artworks. Print is traditionally thought of as a two-dimensional form of art, but my previous STPI residency allowed me to explore three-dimensional printing techniques where printing was done on uneven paper surfaces without direct contact.
Jane Lee, Bless me, Bless you, 2019. UV inkjet print and stamping on paper, stacked, 55 x 41.5 x 12 cm © Jane Lee / STPI.
How did your experiences during the pandemic, in particular lockdowns and social distancing, affect your practice?
Actually, the social distancing period during the pandemic was one of the most fascinating periods for me.
I enjoy my own company in quiet and solitude most of the time, and the social distancing restrictions gave me the time to fully reflect, meditate, contemplate on my practice, and nourish my inner being.
In Praise of Silence, installation view.
You’ve collaborated repeatedly with STPI. What draws you back and what interests you about the techniques you explore here, in contrast to your painting?
The Creative Workshop is a precious space where an artist can go in and explore new ways of art making, with the full support and resources of the team and the space. For us, artists, this is a rare opportunity to really focus on producing something different from one’s studio practice, knowing that the workshop team is there to support all your ideas and experiment alongside you to create something really exciting.
Jane Lee at work on 1 to 2 at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute. Photo by Toni Cuhadi. All images courtesy of the artist and STPI – Creative Workshop & Gallery, Singapore.
For this exhibition, I worked closely with the STPI Creative Workshop to find new innovative ways to creatively embed semi-precious crystals into handmade paper from STPI’s paper mill, which has a raw beauty to it. The eventual outcome is beyond what I could have imagined.
In Praise of Silence runs until 3 September at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute. LILA: Unending Play at the Singapore Art Museum ends 24 September.