Meet The Women Behind Singapore's First Australian Art Gallery
From photography to design production, curating galleries to setting up modern creative communes – the people here are all carving out names and niches in the art and design industries (or in some cases, both). Here's why they’re the ones to watch.
Australians Ursula Sullivan, 43, and Joanna Strumpf, 42, made quite the splash in June last year when they opened their gallery Sullivan+Strumpf at arts enclave Gillman Barracks – it’s the first Australian gallery in Asia (a surprise, given Singapore’s relative proximity to the country).
From left: Golem Effect by Alex Seton (2016), Fameg Bentwood chair, Pillsborough Green, Wombeyan nylon digital print, steel and string and Meno’s Paradox by Alex Seton (2016), Fameg Bentwood chair, Wombeyan
Performance artist Hiromi Tango at Art Basel Hong Kong 2016
Make no mistake, these ladies are no amateurs, but major players in the Australian art scene (their original Sydney gallery has been in business since 2005). While they represent a diverse group of artists, the pieces they display are often visually provocative.
Babies by Sam Jinks (2013), silicone, pigment, resin, human hair
Take the realistic life-sized human sculptures by Australian artist Sam Jinks. It’s January’s must-see: The high-profile sculptor is the gallery’s anchor artist this month and presents his first solo exhibition in years, showcasing brand new works.
Oneirophrenia #2 by Tim Silver (2015), pure white concrete, marble dust and pigment
The duo plans to put up a total of eight shows in Singapore this year, with the exhibitions changing every six to eight weeks. And what of including Singapore artists (currently absent) in their roster? The jocular women say that anything’s possible.
This story first appeared in Female's January 2017 issue.
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