“That which I see or hear, or both, often coalesce into a surreal vision. I unpack its relation to daily life, alter and make sense of it by forging an allegory of my own. In a sense, I am bringing past and present into conversation, into play.”
SHAYNE PHUA (b. 1997, Singapore)
uses the medium of clay to narrate stories and turn a critical eye on everyday realities. Her ceramic objects employ history, myth and literature to reflect on the world around her. She graduated with a BA(Hons) in Communication Design from The Glasgow School of Art, Singapore.
Phua enjoys observing the forms and functions of utilitarian objects. Her work focuses on these aspects of ceramics as the vehicle for exploring a host of discourses, including oral traditions, folklore, historical anecdote and socio-political ideologies. In a world increasingly flattened out by social media and cultural homogenisation, her practice is premised on a keen interest in the local and often overlooked – a register of things and tales that flicker beneath public attention. As the artist notes, “That which I see or hear, or both, often coalesce into a surreal vision. I unpack its relation to daily life, alter and make sense of it by forging an allegory of my own. In a sense, I am bringing the past and present into conversation, into play.”
In 2019, Shayne was an Artist in Residence at Zentrum für Keramik in Berlin and Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark. She participated in ‘Blended Tongue’ in Paris, featuring works of artists based in Singapore and France, along with botanical installations by This Humid House in 2022. The following year, she exhibited her works in a group show, ‘New Makers,’ in Bangkok, featuring Thai and Singaporean artists. Most recently, she held a solo exhibition with Yeo Workshop.