Art

The last decade has seen Hong Kong blossom into one of Asia's true artistic hotspots, with its galleries, art projects and fairs now flourishing along with local and international audiences. At the centre of this cultural renaissance are the artists themselves - working as both products and interpreters of Hong Kong's complex historical legacy. Though often finding themselves at odds with society's values, they have developed a wholly unique genre of art that acts as a vital bridge between a place and its people. The artist interviews in Contemporary Art in Hong Kong expose the countless links between history, culture and identity as well as Ha Thuc's conviction that art not only reflects society, but can also mould it.

Reflection and Refraction is a retrospective collection of self-portraits and floral works shot by the renowned Daido Moriyama over the course of four decades. Having witnessed the startling transformation of postwar Japan, Moriyama possesses a dark, intense eroticism and an appreciation for the tragic. His black-and-white photographs form a cumulative record - in the language of the everyday - of Japan's often contradictory social fabric. Underpinned by his forceful points of view, Moriyama's extraordinary 'street snap' style brings a loose and casual aesthetic to scenes that would otherwise appear uninteresting, occupying a unique space between the objective and the subjective, the illusory and the real.

This is the third edition of Tokyo Compression. With Tokyo Compression, Michael Wolf struck a nerve. His portraits of people who are on their way in the Tokyo subway, constrained between glass, steel and fellow travelers, have won many awards and were shown in exhibitions around the globe. The first two editions of this book were sold out. This third edition includes many so far unreleased images and an entirely new "hidden track" at the end of the book.

EXIT into a World of Powerful and Engaging Experiences showcases 38 projects drawn from Pico's vast portfolio of work from around the globe. Innovative and sometimes breathtaking in their ambition, these project 'case studies' represent the full spectrum of experiential marketing - including events, exhibitions, themed environments and interiors - that comprise the immersive world of 'Total Brand Activation'.

Kowloon King is Joel Chung's third collection of works commemorating Tsang Tsou-choi, the late Hong Kong graffiti artist self-styled as 'Kowloon King'. Chung personally knew Tsang for more than 15 years, and was dismayed by the gradual erasure of his works in the years following his death. Subsequently, Chung initiated Disappearance, a project to recreate some of Kowloon King's graffiti. By reviving these distinctive creations, Chung attempted to alert Hong Kong to the systematic vanishing of its old buildings and traditions, and reveal the emptiness of an existence devoid of art, music, poetry, crazy ideas and love.

Oasis Volume 2 introduces another intriguing line up of artists 'at home' in their studios. The spaces, works and psyches of renowned artists Wucius Wong, Yank Wong and Danny Lee Chin-fai, among others, are lavishly featured along with cultural commentary from internationally recognised figures such as graphic designer Kan Tai-keung, painter Wan Qingli and calligrapher Yip Man-yam. The latest edition of Oasis also has the honour of being edited by esteemed artist-academic Victor Lai, whose immense experience and social network have allowed this volume to match and transcend its predecessor. As with the original Oasis, the volume is beautifully illustrated and includes detailed descriptions of each artist's professional life, lists of their exhibitions, awards and activities, and well as a unique studio location map. A must-have for art lovers everywhere.

Oasis Volume 1 invites the reader to the birthplace of art: 25 unique studios in which the best of Hong Kong's painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, installation and mixed-media work take shape. The spaces range from luxurious homes to starkly-lit workshops in industrial buildings, and each offers fascinating insight into the psyches of the artists who inhabit them. Oasis - Artists' Studios in Hong Kong welcomes readers into the day-to-day world of the artist. In spontaneous face-to-face interviews, artists describe how their studios have stimulated their creativity, how their works relate to their neighbourhoods, and how these creations can help shape our perspectives in ways both subtle and obvious. Lavishly illustrated with professional photographs that are works of art in themselves, Oasis - Artists' Studios in Hong Kong includes detailed descriptions of each artist's professional life, with lists of their exhibitions, awards and activities within the world of art, as well as a unique studio location map.

Comprising 65 images, Convergence is an intimate look at segments of the Chinese community in Singapore and Malaysia. This book questions and records the changes current generations experience as they grow increasingly distant from their grandparents’ homeland, as attitudes and values shift with each generation. It also looks at how this Chinese community has evolved with characteristics shaped by the co-dependent history, and social landscapes particular to Singapore and Malaysia. Convergence explores the ways of life and relationships of these people and reflects the ideas of race, heritage and language that are ingrained in the community.

First published in 1992, this new edition presents new material including the latest trends since 1990: video art, new media (digital & internet), photo based work, figurative imagery and neo-expressionism, conceptual art, installations, artist cooperative collaborations, and the resurgence of traditional craft in painting. It takes art history out of the realm of dreary textbooks, demystifies jargon and theory, and makes art accessible.

Have the world in your hands with these compact, illustrated natural history guides. From red beryls to rubies, pick through "Nature Guide Gems", a beautiful guide to earth's most precious stones. Part of a new generation of compact natural history guides, "Nature Guide Gems" is packed full of stunning images that reveal the intricate details and unique characteristics of earth's treasured jewels and metals. Expertly written and including over 400 examples from across the globe, these guides will give you knowledge of the natural world at your fingertips. With a detailed introduction on identifying and classifying gems and 140 individual profiles with clear, informative descriptions of each type of stone, "Nature Guide Gems" is the ideal identification guide.

Inaugurated by the Singapore Art Museum in 2001, the President's Young Talents is Singapore's premier commissioning exhibition, featuring the island's most promising artists under the age of 35. Selected by an independent curatorial committee of local art professionals, this year's PYT features new commissions from Boo Junfeng, Liao Jiekai, Zaki Razak, Grace Tan, Ryf Zaini and Robert Zhao Renhui. The catalogue features a dedicated section for each of the six artists, including curatorial essays and artist interviews, as well as showcasing previous works and the new PYT 2013 commission, offering a comprehensive overview and insight into the art-making processes of some of Singapore's most talented contemporary artists today.

This book offers a glimpse of the Malaysian art scene in the making, seeking out and briefly documenting practices and tendencies that have emerged over the past several years which have captured the attention of contemporary audiences. It showcases the works of game-changers and risk-takers in a shifting art ecology with the greater aim of capturing the spirit of a rising generation. Artists featured in the book include recent winners of The Young Contemporaries and Malaysian Emerging Artists Awards. Many of them are painters but there are also those focusing on photography, sound, street art and design as well as performance, installation, video and object-making.

This book presents many of the beautiful images in the Library of Natural History Museum, London, from fine botanical and zoological illustrations through to depictions of colorful artifacts and trinkets purchased in local markets. The artworks originate from a variety of sources that include individual artists and collectors as well as organized studies of Indian natural history in the pursuit of science, commerce, and politics. Spanning a period of more than 200 years, from the 18th to the 20th centuries, they depict the rich variety of animals, birds, and insects to be found in India and the magnificent flora of the different regions. They were produced by European and Indian artists who worked to advance the understanding of Indian natural history by recording, describing, classifying, and naming the flora and fauna of the country.

Behind the Camera is a snapshot of the contemporary Singapore film industry through the personal stories and photos of some of its most talented creatives, including Boo Junfeng, Chai Yeewei, Djinn Glen Goei, Colin Goh & Woo Yen Yen, Wahyuni A. Hadi, Eric Khoo, Adrian Pang, Jack Neo and others.

This inaugural issue of Reflect / Refract: Essays On Photography In Singapore includes essays from Lee Weng Choy, Charmaine Toh, Yeo Wei Wei and Bridget Tracy Tan among others. The series aims to compile and put forward writings on photography over a range of concerns: the politics of representation, visual performativity and fiction, documentation and documentary etc.

ViVa! spotlights 50 of Singaporean visual artist and author Adeline Yeo's most exciting art pieces, embracing the trinity of life - love, joy and faith - and accompanied by captivating poems and writings that express her inner thoughts and life perspectives. This stunning, hard-cover coffee-table book is set to enthral readers with its eclectic, adventurous collection of contemporary works, fused with earnest literary works, and subtly encapsulated in each of the 100 pages.

This is a magnificent record of both the famous and lesser-known lacquerware centres of Myanmar. Over a six-year period, the author and photographic team travelled to visit peoples such as the Gadu-Ganan in Sagaing division, or sites in Lower Burma in order to find the most beautiful and meticulous lacquerware. All types of lacquerware, whether plain black and red, elaborately gilded or intricately incised, are discussed and illustrated in over 660 photographs.

This book surveys the astonishing array of textiles made, worn, used and displayed throughout the Islamic world. Lavish illustrations feature examples from around the globe, including embroidered Persian prayer cloths, Anatolian ikat coats, Ottoman knitted purses, Caucasian striped silk bags, Berber women's shawls, Arab appliquéd tent decorations, Yemeni indigo robes, Indonesian batik sarongs, West African strip-woven cloths, and much else besides. Region-by-region coverage offers concise details of local history, particular textile traditions, materials, dyes, special forms of decoration and information on current practice.

The best way to learn to draw is to draw! And this book will help you to do just that. It is filled with 900 adorable, modern drawings of all your favourite animals - from songbirds and jellyfish to elephants and otters.

The stylized flowers, trees, leaves and clouds are simplified, modernized, and reduced to the most basic elements, demonstrating how simple abstract shapes and forms meld to create the building blocks of any item that you want to draw. Each of the 20 interpretations provides a different interesting approach to drawing a single item. Presented in the author's unique, appealing style, this engaging and inspirational guide provides a new take on the world of sketching, doodling, and designing!