P A I N T E R A N D D R E A M E R
HELLO, I AM
DANIELLE TAY
A little bit about me
I am Danielle, a visual artist based in Singapore. I became a mom this year to a very cheerful little girl & am also a cat-mom to Buddy, a tuxedo cat whom I used to foster & eventually adopted. I love coffee & tea equally & have trouble choosing between the two options on a daily basis. Can’t live without my teh-si siu dais (tea with milk less sugar), earl greys & flat whites.
I love going for walks in nature & exploring all the parks in Singapore. Botanic Gardens & East Coast Park are my go-to places when I need to take a breather.
I create vibrant paintings, murals and installations which enliven the spaces which they inhabit. Painting & collaging are two core processes which I adopt in my practice & I go back & forth between the two constantly. They are so different in nature yet so complementary, each method of making enabling me to become better at the other.
I am pretty obsessed with colour. I love it & can’t live without it (I have tried to make monochromatic work before but it didn’t quite work out). I just love how colour can completely transform your mood, the vibe of a space & just simply delight you.
About my work
My work traverses the boundaries of painting and craft, abstract and figurative. I grew up dabbling in all kinds of art-making and thoroughly enjoyed the process of creating with my hands as a medium of expression.
At age 16, I knew that I wanted to do something creative when I grew up and as such I started my higher education studies at Lasalle College of the Arts and specialised in Fine Art Painting. I fell in love with it. I wanted to take my art journey to the next level and pursued my Bachelor’s degree at the renowned Slade School of Fine Art, University College London (UCL), graduating in 2014 with First Class Honours.
It was during this period when my wall-based paintings evolved into large-scale installations and murals. This approach allowed me a spontaneous approach to making as each work grew wildly across the walls, resulting in whimsical creations which exude vibrancy and energy.
My work is influenced by small events and happenings in daily life which are sometimes overlooked, bringing the unseen to life and capturing the essences of fleeting moments which resonate with me. I hope to share these moments of magic with my viewers. Intrigued by the mystery of nature, I draw upon it as one of my main sources of inspiration, fascinated by its facets; that it is at once comforting yet anxious, awe-inspiring yet threatening.
When one views my works, one is often struck by the vivid use of colour. Colour is a key element of my work and I often spend lots of time working out the right shade to create harmonious palettes and combinations as I believe that they have the power to create different vibes and atmospheres in each piece.
I have had the privilege to exhibit in different parts of the world since very early on in my career including Moscow at Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, a couple of exhibitions in London including STRATA Art Fair at Saatchi Gallery, Artify Gallery in Hong Kong and Asian Students & Young Artists Festival together with Gallery LVS in Korea.
In Singapore, I have participated in multiple exhibitions over the past years. A few worth mentioning include a show at OCBC Banking Hall, Locals Only, TAKSU Galleries, This tree sees at the Esplanade and UNTAPPED EMERGING organised by the Visual Arts Development Association SG. This group show led to my solo exhibition with Chan Hori Contemporary which is my favourite one. This was titled ‘Uncertain Discoveries’ where I presented a collection of collage artworks. My works are held in private collections in Singapore, the USA, UK and Australia.
Apart from these exhibitions, my artworks can be seen at a variety of public & private locations in Singapore. I have created commissioned works for Facebook, Google, Starbucks, ShakeShack, JTC, CapitaLand and Singapore Tourism Board amongst others.
Solo Exhibitions
2017 - Uncertain Discoveries, Chan + Hori Contemporary, Singapore
2013 - The Important Bits, Artify Gallery, Hong Kong
2012 - Disposable Cities, Institute of Contemporary Arts, Trispace, Singapore (single installation)
Selected Group Exhibitions
2021 - Art in Motion, Light to Night Festival, Singapore
MOO MOO PARK, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Singapore
2020 - Emerging: Collecting Singapore Contemporary – Selections from the DUO Collection,
The Private Museum, Singapore
2019 - DOWN river UP stream, Coda Culture, Singapore
This tree sees, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore
Prismatic Segments, NPE Print & Communications, Singapore
2018 - Art Expo Malaysia plus 2018, Taksu Galleries, Malaysia, Oct 2018
Risograph exhibition, Islands_Peninsula, Singapore
Maybe it’s magic, SPRMRKT Cluny Court, Singapore
Publications
2015 - In/Visible Catalogue, Galerie Steph & OCBC Singapore
2013 - The Important Bits Catalogue (Artify Gallery, Hong Kong)
2013 - STRARTA Art Fair Catalogue (UK)
2011 - 9+9 Catalogue (Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore )
2010 - Trispace Newsletter (Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore)
Awards
2017 - Shortlist – BEERS London Open Call – Contemporary Visions 8
2017 - Highly Commended - Rise Art Prize, UK
Participation
Jan – Mar 2019
Artist-in-residence, NPE Art Residency
Nov 2018 – Mar 2019
Selected artist-in-residence collaborating with SUPERHEROME for PEEKABOO! Festival
June 2018
Elements of relief, Commissioned Artwork, Facebook Artist in Residence Programme Singapore
22 Sep 2018 – 1 Oct 2018
Selected artist for the EPIC Programme, organized by The Art Ground, Supported by National Arts Council