Maya Gallery is delighted to present a solo exhibition by Singapore artist Jeffrey Wandly, at its inaugural debut at the ART EXPO MALAYSIA 2016, Booth 15, on 20–23 October 2016. Entitled “Bisikan Bangunan” or ‘conversations with buildings’, the exhibition features recent landscape paintings using ink and acrylic on canvas.
After a successful solo show at Singapore Contemporary in January 2016, Jeffrey Wandly continues to capture a visual diary of the past filled with intimate portraits of the energy and vitality of the places we have inhabited. The buildings he paints mark the sense of place, time and heritage in Malaysia and Singapore’s collective memory and physical experience.
Jeffrey is known for his distinctive style of fluid paint strokes which are created by pouring and swirling ink directly from the bottle. His affinity for music and nature enables him to find music in the environment, even in silence. Just like an orchestra score where the notes and lines all connect to form a composition, his paintings dance with their own frequency and energy, not unlike sound waves. “When I work it’s a spontaneity where I let gravity and a natural order flow. Using a brush seems forced, you indicate where each line goes.” Jeffrey prefers to let the medium take an organic, natural life of its own. When he paints, he is one with the medium, building structure and canvas. When he paints, he does not merely recollect a past memory; when he paints, he travels back to the building and retraces its stories as if he was actually physically present again.
It is thus not surprising that collectors of Jeffrey’s works have called him “Building Whisperer” because they connect to the conversations he has with buildings, and also able to recognise the soul of the buildings through his works.
While his first solo exhibition, Poetry of the Soul, in Busan, Korea, explored the idea of man’s connection with buildings of worship across Asia, and Building Whisperer, Jeffrey’s second solo show, showed the connection Singaporeans, its visitors and residents, had with the built environment and in turn, how they contributed to an archive of memories in the iconic buildings around Singapore; Bisikan Bangunan continues these conversations, now with landmarks in the heritage cities of Penang and Malacca.
(The above is an excerpt from the exhibition catalog by art writer Pamela Ng).
Jeffrey Wandly was born in Singapore and grew up with a love for drawing, learning, music and the outdoors. His childhood years were spent at his family home at Kampong Eunos, Singapore. At the age of 16, he became the school band conductor and leader, and Merit recipient at the Singapore Tourism Board’s Saces Sculptor Competition (1980). He also came in third (Seniors) at the Takashimaya National Student Painting Competition (1992). As the top Malay student at tertiary level, Jeffrey received the MENDAKI Excellence Award (1993) and the Architecture Angullia Scholarship (1987-89, 91-92). He excelled in his studies, graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture (Honours) from the National University of Singapore. He also holds a Masters of Project Management from Queensland University of Technology. Though he has built his career as an architect & property development professional, his passion for the arts never waned. Known for his works on heritage landmarks, painted in his own distinctive style of intuitive and fluid strokes, described as “fluid with bouncing and dancing lines”, Jeffrey has exhibited in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Korea.
About Maya Gallery
Dedicated to the promotion of contemporary art by Singapore and regional artists, Maya Gallery started with a passion in the arts, and a keen sense of design and architecture. Originally located in the historic district of Kampong Gelam in 2012, the gallery moved in 2015 to Ubi, an industrial estate historically known for its high concentration of automotive businesses and factories. Now a commercial hub combining the old and new – design and media, a hotbed of entrepreneurial activities as well as art galleries, Maya Gallery aims to add more of the arts, culture and heritage into the area through its curated exhibitions, programmes, art and design consultancy, and community projects. On the international front, Maya Gallery has exhibited in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Korea through participation at international art fairs and collaborations. It is a member of the Art Galleries Association Singapore (AGAS) and was awarded Favourite Recommended Art Gallery at the Expat Living Reader Awards 2014.
