In The Raw | Wei Leng Tay

credits : Chan Hampe Galleries, Wei Leng Tay

Artist Wei Leng Tay explores the depth of connections between the artist and subject in her solo photography exhibition at Chan Hampe Galleries, How did we get here, curated by Lisa Botos. Just as her inquisitive title suggests, she delves into the status quo that surrounds the artist- subject relationship, and pries for traits that encompass their unique tie. The wide variety of works from her series, Hong Kong Living (2005 – ongoing), presents the lives of Hongkongers documented first-hand, providing a perceptive study into the connections they share with relatives. Yet, the photographs present an insight into the artist’s mind, and one cannot help but seek for the artist in her works.

Entering the space, one notices that the works are not outwardly beckoning to the viewer for his attention, but rather, at first glance, document the mundane aspects of life in Hong Kong. We see scenes of nondescript, old buildings in Community, 2007 (Archival pigment print, 120 x 94 cm, Edition of 5), and a family gathered around a table in Lee Family, 2013 (Archival pigment print, 150 x 120 cm, Edition of 5). Nonetheless, they raise questions that colour the way her viewers see the works. Why are they mundane? Why is the artist interested in capturing this scene? Why has the artist chosen to place her subject matter in such an unassuming light? Why are they placed in a gallery? There is a dense aura that surrounds Wei Leng Tay’s works, that transcend their flatness into the viewing experience of her viewers. A momentous question that stuck by me throughout viewing her works was the location that we are viewing her photographs at. What is she trying to achieve by placing the “common” scenes in the context of a gallery, where they can spark off critical thought?

The first piece that I was drawn to, which would be one of my favourites, was Fion and Hei Hei, 2013 (Transparency in Lightbox, 70 x 56 cm, Edition 1 of 5). Placed beside the exhibition title and the artist’s introduction, it set the tone for my viewing experience for the other works. A lady in a pink polka-dotted shirt appears to have her arm outstretched towards the other person’s head, while the latter’s back is concealed by the tall back of his seat. I assumed that the former was feeding the latter, as I caught sight of the plate of home-cooked food on the table beside her, with the spoon nowhere to be seen. The other character appears vulnerable too, as his unusual seat is reclined slightly, and seems to support a frail figure. These interpretations of Wei Leng Tay’s works visit our minds, after we, as viewers, critically analyse her photographs. One notes the skilful manoeuvring of her medium to capture the scene from a certain point of view, that in this case, manages to conceal the identity of the other person to lure out the imagination in the viewer. On the other hand, certain elements of the scene are revealed to provide context for free interpretation. When Wei Leng Tay reaches a compelling balance of mystery with clarity, her works exude an introspective air that coaxes the mind to think, and realise.

Wei Leng Tay’s choice to capture a moment or a scene, to elevate its status as part of a show in a gallery, inadvertently reveals her interests in dissecting the relationships of her subject matter to expose various facets. What we see are photographs of a foreign land, families and loved ones of strangers. There, we try to rationalise what we see into strings of interpretations based on our observations. Rather similarly, Wei Leng Tay as the artist, views the ties between her subject matter as foreign as well (because they are not the relationships she is involved in), and projects her questions towards us.

Throughout the gallery visit, there was a sense of voyeurism that bothered me initially — it was probably due to the sheer nakedness of the people in their unassuming, unglamorous daily lives. We do not see strangers this way, in their intricately messy homes with semi-lounge clothes on. Where does the artist fit in in the lives of her subject matter? Her photographic works are not answers that provide the viewer with narratives of the lives of her subject matter, but rather, a series of inquisitions on relationships and challenging our preconceptions of how we draw to conclusions when we view the world around us. The placement of her photographs into a gallery space is, to me, a pellucid revelation of the conflict between real human ties and how they are being projected in the mass media. What is about this cognisant indifference that we experience in looking at obstacles that the strangers are facing? Perhaps, what makes Wei Leng Tay’s exhibition so mesmeric is how introspective each piece can be, as if, through the viewer’s cogitation, layers of photographs are peeled off the surface to reveal a clearer, yet more muddled picture underneath.

How did we get here ? You can make your way to Chan Hampe Galleries, 328 North Bridge Road, #01-21, Raffles Hotel Arcade, Singapore 188719 for your last chance to catch her body of works by 3 May.

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