Who is Very Small Exhibition?

Artist Wei, the creative mind and soul behind Very Small Exhibition. You might have seen, heard or interacted with his colourful pop-up artworks display. My first experience with Very Small Exhibition was the Malay Heritage Centre x Very Small Exhibition supporting World Mental Health Day in 2021, followed by Bring LOVE Everywhere in Singapore at East Coast Park, the prelude to his huge personal project bringing LOVE around Singapore. 

As I continued to follow and document Very Small Exhibition through their Bring LOVE Everywhere in Singapore, I began a new artistic visual storytelling journey. If you to know more in detail on this, this story “How I Met/Follow/Support Very Small Exhibition & Bring LOVE Everywhere” would reveal more. 

Oh yes, you might have heard of this pretty recent viral contemporary arts exhibition that they worked and collaborated with Japanese artist Yui Ozaki, where they explored and discovered your inner “Chin-Chin” world.

Your Artist Neighbour Exhibition

“Your Artist Neighbour Exhibition” is a new series of public space art exhibition by Artist Wei from Very Small Exhibition. They are going around Singapore at different neighbourhoods, collaborating with different artists at the respective neighbourhoods that they lived in. This is a pop-up artworks exhibition, just one night only each time. 

Just one night only, just a few hours, catch it if you can! With this “Your Artist Neighbour Exhibition”, it marks the start of another creative arts visual storytelling journey for me, I just hope that I am able to document and photograph all (if not most of them) of this ongoing Your Artist Neighbour Exhibition series artistic journeys by Very Small Exhibition. 

Your Artist Neighbour Exhibition 1

Your Artist Neighbour Exhibition 1 took place in the Mountbatten heartlands, at a small alley walkway in a private residential estate. A series of different coloured illuminated stones placed together in a wavy form, lighted up by the light emitting umbrellas, formed by artist Wei vision and feel. 

When you view the wavy colourful artworks, what could be story behind it? What does it mean to you? How does the various colours and artworks join from one to the other? Is it therapeutic for you to feel and connect with, by placing yourselves in between the two artworks and connect them together with you?

Your Artist Neighbour Exhibition 2

Your Artist Neighbour Exhibition 2 took place in the Simei HDB heartlands, with artist Joanne Lim from Joanne Lim Studio collaborating with artist Wei. 

The light emitting umbrellas came into play again, lighting up the drawings with chalk on the floor. This is Arts in Your Neighbourhood, it’s fun, interactive, letting people (from young and old) unleash their creativity and artistic talent in drawing with chalk. For some of us, it’s back to school days, for a younger generation, this might be the first time playing with chalk. 

Drawing and painting, whether with chalk, not only is it fun for the children, it’s also fun for the adults, that we saw when we were there. Arts can be a form of therapy, something that we might need it more than we ever know, in our stressful and pressure cooker living environment, swarmed by digital media and social media sharing.

It was more than just fun drawing, we met new people, make new friends, chatting and sharing a common interest in interactive arts and craft.

Since I am pretty bad at drawing, I will use my photography and visual storytelling talents instead, to bring out my creative arts visuals stories to the world. 

Is Your Artist Neighbour Exhibition coming to my neighbourhood?

That’s a very good question! I don’t have an answer to this question, I am just as curious as you, on when and where would Your Artist Neighbour Exhibition is going to visit, and is there any artist that is going to collaborate with Very Small Exhibition? 

Do remember to follow Very Small Exhibition on Instagram and Facebook Page, for their updates, where they are going to pop up with their bright, colourful and interactive artworks. 

Collaborate with Very Small Exhibition in my neighbourhood?

Should I collaborate with Very Small Exhibition as a collaborating artist, combining my photography + light painting with artist Wei’s bright and colourful artworks?

* A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R6 Mark II Explorer Series Production *

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TGH Photography x Canon EOS R50 Exploration 

Marking my first National Photography Month celebration, I would be showcasing some photos shot with the Canon EOS R50 that I am reviewing inside this article, published inside my maiden National Photography Month celebratory article. 

The #Canon #EOSR50 was recently launched in February 2023, a new compact and lightweight APS-C mirrorless #camera. Although the EOS R50 is an entry level camera, it is packed with fun, creative tools and automated features, allowing users to create fun and high-quality vlogs, as well as fun and nice photographs.

This Canon EOS R50 is your ideal daily camera companion, lightweight and compact with its kit lens setup, delivering both quality photographs and vlogs, and most importantly bringing you fun and enjoyment. 

You can now move into a new realm of fun and enjoyment  in both photography and vlogging with the Canon EOS R50.

Suggestions to Celebrate National Photography Month

Here are some suggestions to celebrate National Photography Month that I reckon would allow you to explore and have fun with your photography adventures during this National Photography Month and beyond.

Go out explore your neighbourhood with your camera

How well do you know your local neighbourhood? It’s time to explore and rediscover your neighbourhood, you might have been missing out some gems that you might not have realised it.

Go for a photo walk with your photography friends or join a photo walk outing

A photo walk with your photography friends can be a fun group outing with liked minded photography friends. Or you can join a photo walk outing and make new photography friends! 

Take a photo of your favourite pet (dog/cat)

Alright, you have watching cute and adorable dog or cat photos and videos on social media, you also love your pet dog/cat, take many photos of your favourite pet! For me, I have my cute and adorable neighbourhood community cats to photograph and enjoy my time with them!

Visit a photography exhibition, as well as arts, history, heritage and culture exhibition 

When was the last time you visited a photography exhibition, or an arts, history, heritage and culture exhibition at the museum? Check out your local museums exhibition listings or discover where local creative artists are showcasing their artworks, support fellow local artists too!

Embark on a new personal photography project

Do you have a personal photography project on your mind but you are hesitant and afraid to take the first step? What interests you or something that is precious and close to you, that you would like to document them via your photographs and stories?

We all have the fear and anxiety before we embark on a new photography project. Why not take this National Photography Month to break this chain of fear and embark on your new personal photography project? 

Publish a photo book or a photography zine 

Have you ever completed personal photography projects, or a series of photographs that you really like, and wanted to publish your own photo book from your collection of works? Are you hesitant and afraid to take the first step? I published my first photo book, a black and white Hokkaido landscapes photo book in 2015, I hope my story would inspire you to take the first step to print your photography works, and your first photo book. 

From a photo book, I went on to publish smaller photography works through the form of a photography zine. At that point in time, I was hesitant and afraid too. Slowly and surely, I overcame them, published two photography zines, first zine is “TGH Photography Zine Vol 1: SG55 Special Edition”, and my second zine is “TGH Photography Therapy Zine and Playbook”. 

If you like, they are available for purchase as physical copy and/or digital copy on the MagCloud platform!

Read a photography book (photography tips, photo book, visual stories, photoblogs)

There are a lot of photography books providing photography skills, knowledge and tips, there are also photo books of various photography genres and interest. National Geographic magazine visual stories and photographs have been one of my early key influences and motivation to enter photography, and they are the foundation to how I pursue my visual storytelling, as well as the art and craft of photography, that can be read on my TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog. 

Support your photographer friends

If you have photographer friends who are providing commercial/professional photography services, support them, recommend/refer contacts/business to them. As for those serious enthusiast photographers or those just starting out, encourage them and support them in their photography journeys! 

Enjoy and have fun taking photographs!

Whether you are a photographer with decades of professional experience, serious enthusiast or just starting off on your photography adventure, National Photography Month gives each and everyone of us photographers to celebrate our love, passion, dedication and flair for photography.  

Time to head out and enjoy having fun taking photographs with your camera! Happy National Photography Month! 

Oh, for all fellow Star Wars fans out there, it’s the month of May! You know the drill! May The 4th Be With You (May The Force Be With You)!

* A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R50 Explorer Series Production *

The post Celebrating National Photography Month in May 2023 appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Who is Yui Ozaki? 

Yui Ozaki is a Prague-based Japanese artist, her artworks express her playful and curious personality.

Yui-san loves to explore gender, sexuality and comedy through her artworks and in the form of various mediums. Her colourful visual artworks contain and deliver hidden meanings, allowing her to express her artistic vision and challenging the societal norms in the world of art. 

Yui-san uses her superpower humour to raise awareness about gender stereotypes, breaking down barriers to create a timeless and uninhibited connection with her audience of all ages. Her artworks serve as a form of commentary on the taboos that we see and feel in society today. She hopes to inspire people through her artworks to let it go, the inhibitions holding them back and embracing the inner creativity, inner playfulness, bringing out the fun and joy trapped inside them.

Through her contemporary and colourful artworks, she strives to spark meaningful conversations with her audience, encouraging viewers to question the status quo. 

Explore, Interact, Discover and Engage with Your Inner “Chin-Chin” World

The world we live in, the human race and we human beings have our own set of stereotypes, thinking, biases and mentality, from gender, culture to societal. How much do we know ourselves the biases that we have inside our heart, mind and soul without us really knowing or understanding the meanings behind it?

Through the contemporary art medium platform, this is the time for you to explore. We can learn and unlearn about our stereotypes, thinking and biases. Probably in everyone of us, we all have our own inner “Chin-Chin” world, that we may not have known or realised. Would you like to explore, interact and discover your inner “Chin-Chin” world? Once done, how would you like to engage with your inner “Chin-Chin” world?

Touch the cute piece of artwork hanging in the gallery, unzip it and discover for yourself, what is the message for you inside that artwork? 

When you enter into 7879 Gallery and Clayworks, you can’t miss this tall and big colourful rainbow artwork on the right side of the entrance. This is a hallmark of artist Wei from Very Small Exhibition, whose Bring LOVE Everywhere artwork attracted heartwarming support and fanfare (Check out my story on how I met/follow/support Very Small Exhibition and Bring LOVE Everywhere). 

Artists Yui and Wei combined their artistic talents and strengths together, to produce this iconic artwork symbol, bright, colourful, friendly and huggable. 

While you are reading the write-ups on the various contemporary artworks on display, I would like you to engage and interact with them. What are some of the societal thinking, biases, mentality and challenges in relation to gender and its stereotypes? 

How do you feel about the issues, the stereotypes and biases that are entrenched inside us? How can we take the steps to change for the better of ourselves, the society and the world?

Breaking through our own biases and stereotypes

Whether you are viewing Chin-Chin ちんちん – Yui Ozaki 2023 Art Exhibition in person at the gallery, or on social media platforms, when you are viewing the artworks for the very first time, there will be something that comes into your mind immediately, you know it yourself and I would let you decide for yourself how you want to describe your thoughts and experiences. 

We all have our own stereotypes and biases entrenched deeply inside us. We need to break through our own biases and stereotypes. Therefore when you are viewing Yui-san thought provoking artworks, tell yourself to put aside those stereotypes and biases inside you, approach the artworks deeper and further into the stories behind them, understanding and discovering the issues that the society is still facing today.

From gender issues, inequality and challenges, societal expectations on arts, work, how we live, the world might have changed and transformed over the centuries. The world is still far from perfect, each one of us still can play our part to be the change, to make the change, break the barriers, stereotypes, biases and mentality.

In a modern digital world swamped with internet and social media consumption, arts and culture could be one of our key elements that the world needs as we navigate into a new future.

I met Artist Yui Ozaki!

I met artist Yui-san at the official opening event, she was very friendly, more than willing to share about her stories, thoughts, feelings and experiences on what goes on behind her various artworks on display. 

Thanks to Wei and Gary from House of VSE, it was a great experience chatting with creative artists from other creative genres across from my photography and visual storytelling.

Personally, I appreciate exchanges with artists from other creative disciplines, as maybe some day, I might be inspired to embark on my own cross/inter-disciplinary artwork production along with my photography and visual storytelling.

Chin-Chin ちんちん – Yui Ozaki 2023 ART EXHIBITION

Exhibition Details

• Dates: 7th April to 2nd May 2023
• Hours: 1pm to 8pm (Closed on Mondays)
• Venue: 105 Desker Road #01-01

“Chin-Chin” is brought to you by House of VSE and 7879 Gallery and Clayworks. Yui Ozaki is represented by House of VSE, if you have any enquiries, please contact House of VSE.

* A TGH Photography x Canon EOS R50 Explorer Series Production *

The post Explore and Discover Your Inner “Chin-Chin” World appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.