In our first ConversAsians, we are very proud to bring together in Singapore a group of outstanding Asian artmakers, ranging from master artists to rising stars. They have been invited because they have forged unique styles that are unmistakably their own, yet reflect deeply the individual cultures they come from. Each of them is making a significant impact in the societies they live in, going beyond the mastery of technique to transforming the way we all experience art.
Dance doyen Lin Hwai-Min, founder of the renowned Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, was named “Asia’s Heroes 2005” and hailed as “Asia’s synthesizing genius” by Time magazine. His recent Wind Shadow represents yet another stage of his artistic evolution. In recent times, Jecko Siompo has emerged as one of Indonesia’s most exciting names in the contemporary dance scene as a result of his fresh approach that stems from his aboriginal roots and love of hip hop.
Dancer and choreographer Aditi Mangaldas is acclaimed for her dances that at once reflect the spirit of Kathak and go beyond its form and content. Earning both notoriety and acclaim for his efforts to contemporise the Thai classic dance of Khon, Pichet Klunchun continues to bridge the traditional language with contemporary sensibility, while keeping the heart and wisdom of ancient ways. An exquisite performer of Kuchipudi who counts Pina Bausch as a major influence, Shantala Shivalingappa remains devoted to traditional dance even as she experiments with deconstructing it to include Western and modern techniques. Working with a diverse range of artists is Amrita Performing Arts, an organisation that has been credited for helping to preserve and sustain Cambodia’s ancient heritage of dance and theatre while developing contemporary creativity in the performing arts.
Two ballet-trained multi-award winners, Edwaard Liang and Xing Liang, bring their individual styles to contemporary dance. Liang, one of Dance Magazine’s “Top 25 to Watch” in 2006 for choreography, has created works for major dance companies around the world that have regularly earned high praise from critics. Xing, whom LA Times described as “a star dancer of inexhaustible energy and fabulous pliancy”, is fast gaining international recognition for his choreography.
In music, Huang Ruo, noted by The New Yorker magazine as “one of the most intriguing of the new crop of Asian-American composers”, draws equal inspiration from Chinese folk, Western avant-garde, rock and jazz while his writing spans from orchestra to sound installation. Chen Mei-O, one of Nankuan music’s foremost masters, is held in great esteem for her role in the revival and regeneration of the 14th century musical art form – researching, documenting, staging and bringing it to the world. She is founder and artistic director of Taiwan’s Han-Tang Yuefu Music Ensemble whose goal is to “re-create tradition by being rooted in tradition”. British-Indian producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and DJ Nitin Sawhney is highly regarded for his pioneering ideas, versatility and ability to transcend cultural barriers. He eschews the terms ‘world music’ and ‘fusion’ preferring to look at music as created from a ‘palette of influences’.
Joining them are two experimental theatre directors from different generations who are known for their cutting-edge works. Danny Yung, an experimental arts pioneer since the 1970s, a keen advocate of new art forms and one of the most influential artists in Hong Kong and Asia, is constantly challenging perceptions with his conceptual works, including his recent exploration to reinvent Chinese opera. Playwright and director Han Tae-Sook, founder of Korea’s Theatre Moollee, seeks to employ drama to unveil the essence and to burrow into the darkest aspects of humanity.
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