Basic HTML Version
FireFlyz | 57
ous group shows, notably in the exhibitions organized by G13 Gallery celebrating
contemporary figurative art, he bloomed on the local art scene radar when he won the
United Overseas Bank (UOB) Painting of the Year competition, under the ‘Established
Artist Category’ in 2013, for his painting entitled ‘Old Man’. The Painting of the Year
Competition was started in 1982 as a way to recognise Asia’s budding artists and
provide them with the opportunity to showcase their works to the wider community.
Over the years it has developed into a stepping stone for many artists’ in Singapore,
Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Since then, Gan’s works have been sought after and avidly collected by major
collectors. His most recent participation in the successful ‘Tales from the City’, a joint
effort between G13 Gallery and Tin-Aw, one of the leading contemporary art galleries
from the Philippines, saw all of his works sold. Fresh from its successful outing at the
Bazaar Art Jakarta 2015, G13 Gallery, with its ongoing plans to introduce new local talents
to the world, will be featuring the latest works by Gan in the coming ‘Art Kaohsiung’,
being held in Taiwan during the month of December.
daily demons in a society that has grown
increasingly apathetic to the welfare and
plight of the elderly.
Subtle messages
Though a highly skilled painter, Gan
possesses a special knack for capturing
themore despondent aspects of the human
conditionwithout being explicitly obvious.
The soft and dreamy atmosphere in his
paintings accentuates the unreality of the
situation faced by his aged subjects, who
seem to be still trapped in a situation akin
to a nightmare that has no way out.
Though an active participant in numer-
Chinese Old Man
Indian Old Man
Malay Old Man