Reflections on Man, Nature and the Urban Environment

What do Hilmi Johandi, Takao Minami, Tang Dixin, Cheng Ran and Guo-Liang Tan, five of the most brilliant and active artists in Japan, China and Singapore, have in common? A focus on the element of landscape, whether it is natural or urban, the complex rapport between man and nature, nature and the urban environment. These are the themes that dominate the collective exhibition Habitat, acting as a through-line. Hilmi Johandi finds inspiration in postcards and posters from the Eighties and Nineties of the last century to paint familiar nature scenes but with the addition of surreal elements. Takao Minami uses the classic oriental format of the roll, while associating it with digital technology, mixing natural elements with neon, the silhouettes of trees with human figures. Tang Dixin draws on experiences in Singapore, presenting paintings that pay homage to its rich vegetation, an outright urban jungle. Meanwhile, the paintings of Guo-Liang Tan are more abstract, without even the touch of the artist’s hand, who uses aeronautical fabrics to spread paint on the canvas. Snow-covered mountains are the stars of the collage Scenario Hypothesis 2 by Cheng Ran. A balanced mix, at the same time surprising, with its colours and forms that invite viewers to reconsider the rapport of humans with nature and its presence in human life.