#howlonelinessgoes

[nguanblr]

My solo exhibition “How Loneliness Goes” opens at FOST Gallery, Gillman Barracks, Singapore on 28 Feb 2017. It runs until 12 Apr. Full details here.

[charlottecrawford]

Top image taken from Nguan’s ‘Singapore’ series.

Bottom image taken from Nguan’s ‘How Loneliness Goes’ series.

Nguan’s images encapsulate the detachment of an extinct Singapore, having given way to urbanisation, and it’s forgotten inhabitants. The subjects rarely connect with the camera, instead they stare into the distance with blank expressions or even frowns upon their faces. The subjects often stand before grubby 50s and 60s constructions, neglected in favour of the sterile malls and offices. The people themselves appear trapped in time themselves, clad in dress-shirts, airy blouses and dresses. Disconnection between the people accompanied by vacant gazes represents the themes of detachment and urban loneliness, whilst the pastel tones evoke a feeling of nostalgia.

In the top image, a man sits on a red plastic chair, with white washed buildings in the background. Several other men are around him but all are preoccupied with their own activities, as one man reads the paper. We are drawn to the man in focus, who is staring into thin air and seems completely inaccessible to those around him. It is evocative of the sense of ‘feeling alone in a crowded room’. In a modern age, people are much more concerned with communicating via technology than with the people standing before them.

The bottom image deals with the same theme as the top image, but with an enhanced sense of loneliness. The woman dines alone, at a round table with empty chairs accompanied by similarly empty bowls, highlighting the absence of companions. She stares down at the table, her body hunched over, making her appear withdrawn from society. Overall, there is a sense of sadness. The people appear accustomed to this aloof life of detachment and it feels as though it will never change.