BEHOLD Art Exhibition 2022
Flora Chan
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Contact:
Instagram: blissappointed
Facebook: blissappointed
Becoming Real
(Lessons from The Velveteen Rabbit)
Medium: Tapestry weaving on a peg loom (acrylic yarn)
with felted rabbit
Size: 11.81” x 11.81” (30 x 30 cm)
Completed: 2022
Selling Price:
SOLD
The Velveteen Rabbit is a children’s book that I read a long time ago which resonated deeply with me. It is about a toy rabbit who longs to be real but ends up being discarded. When he meets real rabbits in the wild, he realises the truth of what he is - a stuffed fabric rabbit.
This tapestry depicts this part of the story:
“Wasn’t I Real before?” Asked the little Rabbit.
“You were Real to the Boy,” the Fairy said, “because he loved you. Now you shall be Real to every one.”
And she held the little Rabbit close in her arms and flew with him into the wood.
It was light now, for the moon had risen. All the forest was beautiful, and the fronds of the bracken shone like frosted silver.
…And he found that he actually had hind legs!
…He gave one leap and the joy of using those hind legs was so great that he went springing about the turf on them…
- - -
“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day…
“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”
A Summer Garden
Medium: Latch hook tapestry in acrylic yarn
Size: 12.4” x 8.9” (31.5 x 22.5 cm)
Completed: 2022
Selling Price: S$253/-
This is an expressionism tapestry that conveys a garden in full bloom. The garden is a motif that I often revisit in my work to convey the idea of beauty, regeneration and repose. Juxtaposing vivid colours from remnant yarn is a highly enjoyable process for me because I enjoy the challenge of creating beauty from leftover yarn. While it allows me to minimise my environmental impact as an artist, I see it as an act of redemption because it saves the bits of yarn from being discarded and gives them a second chance to be included in another work of art. What you see here is my emotional response to the colours that speak to me. I want the viewer to taste these colours bursting forth from the confines of the frame as if they were visiting a garden in summer, surrounded by flowers in full bloom.
Spa for the Soul
Medium: Tapestry in acrylic yarn
(comprising 40% yarn waste)
with wooden dowel
Size: 9” x 10” (23cm x 26cm)
Completed: 2022
Selling Price: S$151
This tapestry was totally inspired by a Russian friend who went on a long hike in the mountains with his homies. I was completely captivated by the photos of them luxuriating in a few hot spring pools in a remote part of the mountains. It must have been so welcoming and refreshing to dip in the water after days of trekking through unfriendly terrain.
So I created a piece for visual contemplation. To illustrate the idea of beautifying our soul by taking the time to refresh our soul by dealing with unprocessed emotions which often create distress in our body, mind and spirit. Thus the title.
Sitting by the well, Jesus said this to the Samaritan woman who came to draw water:
“If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
Those who immerse themselves in Him will never thirst.
Bloodline
Medium: Tapestry weaving with
upcycled fabric & remnant yarn
hung on a found branch
Size: 12” x 13” (30 x 33 cm)
Completed: 2021
Selling Price:
SOLD
This abstract piece is the artist’s impression of the highest expression of Love which is the giving up one’s life for others that they may also live.
Through His death, Jesus Christ bore the sins of mankind (signified by the spots) and through His shed blood (signified by the red), He opened the way back to Heaven (signified by the blue) so that those who follow Him can find themselves in the presence of Yahweh. The apostle Paul talks about God’s mystery (symbolised by the black yarn entwining the red) as Christ Himself in Colossians 2:2. This mystery is found in Colossians 1:27:
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Thus, the title of this piece. Blood is kinship.
The redeemed of the Lord Jesus has His DNA indwelling in them.
The brown yarn sticking out at the bottom of the tapestry symbolises the crown of thorns while the brown yarn right at the top of the stick is how the artist illustrates the idea of a divine transaction being witnessed or verified (by the cloud of witnesses, the 24 elders, the men in white linen and the other heavenly beings) just like in a blockchain.
Also, the measurements of this piece (taking the median number) are significant as well - Jesus Christ began His ministry at age 30 and was crucified at age 33. The number 12 in Hebrew is the number of perfect government and the Hebrew word for love has a gematria of 13.
Narratives
Medium: Weaving with assorted yarn blends
Size: 16” x 17” (40.5 x 43 cm)
Completed: 2022
Selling Price:
SOLD
This is an abstract piece that portrays how a righteous narrative structure can impact the outcome of your life. The blue square symbolises the essence of your soul. The colourful shapes that surround it form the mental architecture.
Media narratives are fuelled by agendas that recruit our minds through fear, uncertainty and doubt. They are created to hijack our linguistic system, thus stealing our capacity to think coherently for ourselves. Since what we believe about ourselves determines our reality and frames our destiny, developing a habit of taking captive any thought that isn’t life-giving is imperative to my personal wellbeing.
If you like to nourish yourself with narrative structures that builds faith, hope and love around you, may I recommend the apostle Paul’s advice in Philippians 4: 8 as an antidote for anxiety and despair:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - meditate and dwell on these things.”
Garden at Sunrise
Medium: Latch hook tapestry with remnant yarn
Size: 16” x 20.19” (41.5 x 51.3 cm)
Completed: 2022
Selling Price:
SOLD
I learnt latch hook rug making in primary school and it was one of the crafts that I thoroughly enjoyed as an 8-year-old. Currently, every latch hook tapestry I create is usually made of bits of remnant yarn that I’ve saved because I love the challenge of creating with it. It’s like putting a jigsaw puzzle together.
Once again, the garden is a theme I revisit often as an artist because I really love flowers, trees and all things botanical. Personally, I see the heart as a garden where we need to regularly weed out words, attitudes and beliefs that are detrimental to our emotional wellbeing. More importantly, a garden blooms best when there is light and it’s up to us how much light or darkness we allow in our hearts.
The number for the price of this work kept flashing in my head even while I was deciding on the value of my work. So down the bunny trail I went and to my great delight, I discovered that the Hebrew letter Shin when spelt has a gematria of 360. The letter looks like a crown and the vertical lines may be interpreted to represent the will, intellect and emotions which dovetails neatly with the idea of the heart as a garden.
The Lighthouse
Medium: Tapestry weaving with acrylic yarn and roving
Size: 35 x 44 cm (13.77” x 17.32”)
Completed: 2022
Selling Price: S$566
The lighthouse is a recurring symbol in my work. I use it to represent a number of things such as a light source, a symbol of reassurance or the presence of God.
For this tapestry, I deliberately made the rocks and the waves the point of focus. They represent distractions and challenges which constantly battle for our attention. But like ships out in the ocean, our navigation through the rocky coastline of straits and difficulties is illuminated by the lighthouse that guides us safely to port when everything is dark around us. Although the lighthouse serves to warn against shipping hazards, not many see it first because our line of sight is often drawn to what is in the foreground of our lives.
While modern sailing vessels nowadays are equipped with GPS, electronics have been known to fail sailors as well. For me, when my visibility is compromised in the ocean of life, my encouragement comes from these promises from the Bible:
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runs into it and is set up on high. (Proverbs 18:10)
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119:105)
Return to Tranquillity
Medium: Tapestry weaving with upcycled fabric (3%)
and acrylic yarn (70% remnant yarn)
Size: Top width 44cm/bottom width 55cm x 46cm
(17.32”/ 21.65” x 18.11”)
Completed: 2022
Selling Price: S$1,476
This is the largest tapestry that I’ve woven to date. It began with an idea to use the remnant yarn to create a field of flowers on both banks of a river. As I worked on it, the image expanded to include a calm sea and the rest of the landscape. I wanted to create a place of beauty that speaks of the presence of God through its vibrant colours.
While finding tranquillity in a city might be a challenge, I discovered that when I gaze at a beautiful landscape, I often experience repose. I hope to help my viewers to achieve this through this piece of art.
Come Up Higher
Medium: Tapestry Weaving with Acrylic Yarn
and Felting with Wool Roving
Size: Without frame :
top width 33cm/bottom width 40cm x 38cm
(13”/ 15.74” x 15”)
Completed: 2022
Selling Price:
SOLD
Spyhopping is something that orcas do to survey the surroundings above water.
It’s their way of gathering information since they are such curious and intelligent creatures.
I used this as an analogy to illustrate Ephesians 2:6
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms
because we are united with Christ Jesus.”
If we keep our sight earthbound, we won’t see what’s above but only what’s below.
Which was why the apostle Paul was encouraging believers to view things from their heavenly seats,
which came with a better perspective of things.