PROJECT: slingSHORT @ SINEMA Old School

creative [SIN]ergy proudly presents PROJECT: slingSHORT at Sinema Old School, 11B Mount Sophia, Old School #B1-12 Singapore 228466. Sinema will be hosting Project:slingSHORT on 2nd of May 2009, 8.00-10.00pm. Tickets will be SGD$15 each. All proceeds will be donated to projectION, a social initiative in collaboration with PROJECT: slingSHORT and Sinema Academy of Motion Pictures.

There will be a post-dialogue session with the audience.

For enquiries, call Sinema at +6563369707.
Come show your support!


For more information:
www.sinema.sg
projectslingshort.blogspot.com

The films which are screened are as follows:
4 Days 3 Nights by Ming (PG)1 min 14 sec / 35mm Digital Cam / 2007
Zo Hee (Make Movie) by Jacen Tan (PG)15 min / miniDV / 2008
Wet Season by Michael Tay* (NC 16)Approx. 6 min / miniDV / 2007
Embryo by Loo Zihan* (NC 16)6 min 30 sec / miniDV / 2006
Haze by Anthony Chen* (R 21)14 min 18 sec / Super 16mm / 2008
Overhead Clouds by Yeo Lee Nah (PG)3min 16sec / 16mm / 2008
Love Through The Ages by Wendy Chee* (PG)5 min 04 sec / DV / 2007
Unarmed Combat by Han Yew Kwang (PG)20 min / miniDV / 2004
Nation Builders by Martyn See (NC 16)14 min / miniDV / 2007
* New short filmmakers who are currently in film school or recently graduated

SHOWCASE: Maria Fung

Maria Fung is a Singaporean graphic and web designer based in London. She graduated with a BA (Hons) Graphic Design from the University for the Creative Arts in Maidstone, one of UK's leading creative universities.

She has worked for the popular annual Sonic Music Festival in Singapore, and at some of UK's top creative agencies like The Design Conspiracy and Stylorouge, where she collaborated with the team to design for musician David Gilmour. Although the music business is her passion, she has a fond interest in diversifying her design magic to other sectors such as entertainment, games, film, corporate, publishing, PR, events and charity. Her clients include leading sports and entertainment giant AEG, which owns London’s O2 Arena, the NHS and Royal Holloway, University of London.

In December 2006 and 2007, Fung was one of the 30 students selected to showcase their video works at the ODEON cinema, Maidstone. Apart from having her works exhibited at the world-renowned D&AD New Blood Show in London, 2007, Fung came in second place in internationally famous digital design tournament, Cut&Paste, London 2009. She has been featured on Creative [SIN]ergy and Culturepush.

Fung loves experimenting and building her artworks from pixels and recycled materials, misses Singaporean food, enjoys cooking, loves dogs, wishes that people will know that graphic design is more than just computers, and that Singapore is NOT in China.

Name: Maria Fung
Location: Singapore
Website: www.mariafung.com
Contact: click here

creative [SIN]ergy @ Singapore Day 2009

A great day was had by all at Singapore Day.

creative [SIN]ergy booth @ Singapore Day

creative [SIN]ergy team


busy at the creative [SIN]ergy booth

We love creative [SIN]ergy !

Limited Edition creative [SIN]ergy badges designed by Brian Chia + David Lee

Flyer designed by: David Lee
Illustration courtesy of: Brian Chia

Portrait Day @ Singapore Day

creative [SIN]ergy's illustrator Brian Chia busy at work


Portraits drawn by Brian Chia

Another happy customer

creative [SIN]ergy's David Lee, promoting Portrait Day

Wong Kok Loong wins SUKA logo competition

Winning entry for SUKA logo competition. Designed by Wong Kok Loong

creative [SIN]ergy member, Wong Kok Loong wins SUKA logo competition.

Proposed brand idenity application for SUKA by Wong Kok Loong

SUKA selects creative [SIN]ergy member, David Lee as 1 of 3 finalist.

Support creative [SIN]ergy @ Singapore Day

Flyer designed by: David Lee
Illustration courtesy of: Brian Chia

Come join us at the creative [SIN]ergy booth shared with SUKA at Singapore Day, situated in the showcase area called "Roar@Kallang". SEE YOU THERE!

Limited Edition creative [SIN]ergy badges

Limited Edition creative [SIN]ergy badges to be given out at our booth, situated in the showcase area called "Roar@Kallang" during Singapore Day in London on 25th April 2009.

These Limited Edition badges will be given to all creative [SIN]ergy members*. So come by our booth to collect yours. If you are not a creative [SIN]ergy member yet, sign up on the spot at our booth. JOIN NOW!
*One badge per member, while supplies last.

These lovely badges are designed by creative [SIN]ergy members, Brian Chia + David Lee.

Portrait Day presented by creative [SIN]ergy

Have your very own portrait drawn by our illustrator.
Come join us at our booth between 10.30am - 1.00pm at Singapore Day, situated in the showcase area called "Roar@Kallang". This portrait-drawing session is absolutely FREE*, when you sign up on the spot to the creative [SIN]ergy mailing list or facebook group. DON'T MISS IT!

*Volunteery payment to charity is welcome.

SHOWCASE: Ning Kam

Ning Kam was born in Singapore and began studying the violin at age six with her father, violinist and composer, Kam Kee Yong. In 1987 she received scholarships from the Lee and Shaw Foundations of Singapore to enter the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, UK where she studied with Maurizio Fuks, Wen Zhou Li and the late Sidney Griller. In 1993 she entered the Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia to study with Jaime Laredo and Yumi Scott and received her Bachelor Degree there. She then went on to study with Donald Weilerstein at the Cleveland Institute of Music where she received her Masters of Music Degree and an Artist Diploma.

In 1991, Ning won First Prize in the junior section of the Folkestone Menuhin International Violin Competition, she was a prizewinner at the Third International Pablo Sarasate Violin Competition in Pamplona in 1995, a finalist in the 2000 Henryk Szeryng Career Awards, culminating in winning Second Prize "Prix du Gouvernement Fédérale Belge Eugène Ysaye" at the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition of Belgium in 2001. Hailed by De Standaard as "manifestly the best violinist of the competition" she also won the Flemish Radio and Television Audience Prize there. The Strad Magazine praised her as a "strong artistic personality". Ms. Kam has also been honoured by the National Arts Council of Singapore with the Young Artist Award, presented in 2000 to a young artist of extraordinary talent. She has been featured on the documentary "Portrait of the Artist" on SBC, Singapore, and has been broadcast on SBC Radio Singapore as well as on CBC Radio Canada's "Music Around Us" Series at the Glenn Gould Studio, Toronto. In October 2002, Ning was invited to perform at the National Inauguration of the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay Concert Hall in Singapore, where she partnered Sarah Chang in Bach's double violin concerto with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Lan Shui. This occasion was graced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore. She has also been invited to perform at the President's Command Performance in April 2009 which will be broadcast on national TV in Singapore.

Ning Kam has given many concerts in Europe, Singapore, Canada and the United States. She has performed at the Menuhin Music Festival in Gstaad, Switzerland. In 1988 she appeared on BBC's Blue Peter, where she played to a television audience of seven million. In that same year, she performed the Mendelssohn Concerto at the Royal Festival Hall, with the Wren Orchestra. Since then she has appeared with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, National Orchestra of Belgium, Royal Flanders Philharmonic, Flemish Radio Orchestra, City of London Sinfonia, the Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. As an active chamber musician, she participated at the prestigious Ravinia Festival at the Steans Institute for Young Artists 2000.

Ning released her first CD in 1997, featuring the works of Enesco, Sarasate, her father, Kam Kee Yong as well as transcriptions by Heifetz. Most recent releases are a CD dedicated to the music of the Americas entitled "Transatlantic", and a recording, "Cicada", dedicated solely to the music of Kam Kee Yong. American Record Guide has praised "Transatlantic" as "energetic and virtuosic" as well as having "humour, lightness and strength". ClassicsToday.com has called Kam's playing "stunning" and "fiendish" and a 10/10 was given by the Belgian music magazine "Crescendo" for this original recording. Most recently, Ning released her debut recording with orchestra of the August De Boeck Violin Concerto with the Flemish Radio Orchestra conducted by Marc Soustrot, under the Etcetera label. As a chamber musician, Ning is also part of the Elessar Trio. Their recording of the music of Astor Piazzolla was released in 2008 on Illuminate Records and is available for online download. Other releases in 2008 also include the chamber music of Alexander Goehr on the Meridian Records label, where Ning performs as part of the Chiron Trio with pianist Daniel Becker and cellist, Thomas Carroll. Upcoming releases in 2009 will include a disc of the complete chamber music for violin and piano by Belgian composer, Marinus De Jong, on the Phaedra label.

Ning has performed in concerts all over the world with the Singapore Symphony, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Bournemouth Symphony, Royal Flanders Philharmonic, Flemish Radio Orchestra, Flemish Symphony Orchestra, Brussels National Orchestra, Liege Philharmonic, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. As an artist who has great interest in championing contemporary music, Ning Kam gave the world-premiere of Claude Ledoux's "Frissons D'Aile", a concerto for violin and orchestra dedicated to Ning and commissioned by the Liege Philharmonic. In January 2005, she performed with pianist, Daniel Becker at London's Purcell Room in the Park Lane Group Series for Young Artists featuring contemporary music. This concert was reviewed by the London Times as "gutsy and electrifying". The Telegraph also described Ning as a violinist with "much flair plus a totally confident stage presence and an absolute command of the music" and that the performance had "thrilling energy and control". She has also been invited to broadcast on the BBC Radio 3 programme, "In Tune" in January 2005 and made her successful Wigmore Hall debut in May 2006 with British pianist, Carole Presland, as part of the Park Lane Group Series. Concerts in the 2007-2008 season included appearances with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Klassische Filharmonie Bonn, Flemish Radio Orchestra, as well as recitals in Taiwan, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the USA. Special projects include a Taiwan concert tour with percussionist, Francis Kam in ground-breaking violin and drums programme. The 2008-2009 season will include a USA tour with the Phoenix and Tucson Symphony Orchestras as well as recitals and chamber music as part of the Concerts du Midi series at the Musee Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, at Kings Place, London and at the Ulverston Festival, UK.

Ning plays on a c.1730 Guarneri Del Gesu which is on generous loan from Mr and Mrs Rin Kei Mei of Singapore.

The Telegraph a violinist with "much flair plus a totally confident stage presence and an absolute command of the music"

Name: Ning Kam
Location: London, UK
Website: www.ningkam.com
Contact: click here


"...electric energy..." Cathalena Burch, Arizona Daily Star, 17th November, 2008 at the Leo Rich Theatre, Tucson, USA


"...electrifying results..gutsy and communicative performance..." Geoff Brown, The Times, London, January 13, 2005 on the Park Lane Group Series at the Purcell Room

"Even more impressive was the Singaporean violinist Ning Kam...who had just as much flair, plus a totally confident stage presence and an absolute command of the music...thrilling energy and control." Ivan Hewett, The Telegraph, January 13, 2005 on the Park Lane Group Series at the Purcell Room

"....Ning Kam building and maintaining tension with powerful tone and a sure technique..." Erica Jeal, The Guardian, London,January 13, 2005 on the Park Lane Group Series at the Purcell Room

"...this petite young woman filled the hall with passion...truly a superb finish to a superb programme..." Richard E.Campbell on the Brahms Concerto with the Pine Bluff Symphony, Arkansas, November 3rd, 2003

"Singapore's most exciting violinist." Straits Times, Singapore, October 10th, 2002

"Violinist Ning Kam thrills Jepson Gala Concert crowd.....with a rousing interpretation of Tchaikovsky's violin concerto, Kam demonstrated exceptional technical facility and warmth of tone....a spontaneous standing ovation..." Sterling Adams, Savannah Onstage, March, 2002

"Ning Kam is a totally different type of personality who will illuminate the end of the evening and the contest with tawny and entrancing colours...superbly controlled...sometimes humourous and devilishly sensual...moving victory of the most genuine music" Michel Debrocq, Le Soir, Brussels, on the Queen Elisabeth Competition of Belgium, 2001

"The contest ended with the performance by Ning Kam...who was manifestly the best violinist of the entire contest. With a compelling Violin Sonata by Ravel, she presented herself with her clear line as the small Herge of her instrument.....Ning Kam is a very athletic violinist who never gets carried away by her phenomenal technique. She was one of the greatest musicians I saw on this stage. Her swinging, lively and yet controlled version of Eichberg was the most beautiful one of the series.....the heavy [Bartok] Second Violin Concerto was a complete success...Ning Kams performance is beyond words..." Peter Vermeersch, De Standaard, on the Queen Elisabeth Competition, 2001

"...Kam was able to achieve what few other finalists could: to communicate the respective styles of three strongly differentiated works. Her rendition of Eichberg's composition pulsated with vitality and joy and her Ravel Sonata created a tranquil, impressionistic painting awash with colour....she convinced the audience of her strong artistic personality in a strong and soulful rendition." The Strad, on the Queen Elisabeth Competition of Belgium, 2001

London Original Print Fair invites up for grabs

creative [SIN]ergy has 2 London Original Print Fair invites to give-away.

The London Original Print Fair, the longest-running specialist print fair in the world, will be celebrating 24 years at the Royal Academy of Arts. The Fair was founded in 1985 by its Chairman, Gordon Cooke, a Director of The Fine Art Society, London, and a specialist in Modern British Prints. It has been organised since 1987 by its Director, Helen Rosslyn, previously a member of the Print department at Christies.

Once again, the Fair is larger than ever and covers all periods of printmaking from the early woodcuts of Dürer and his contemporaries to the graphic work of contemporary masters such as Hockney and Hirst.
www.londonprintfair.com

The invite admits the bearer and their guest to the fair from Wednesday 22 to Sunday 26 April 2009.

Open daily 10am - 6pm, Friday late evening opening until 8pm

Royal Academy of Arts

Burlington House

Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD

NOTE: Invites will be give out on a first come first serve basis.

Please email info@creativesinergy.com with the following contact details to participate in this giveaway;
Name, Field of work/ study, Company name/ school, Mobile

Rebirth - Press Release

Rebirth

Islington Arts Factory
2 Parkhurst Road, London, N7 0SF
www.islingtonartsfactory.org.uk

18th April – 15th May 2009
Private View: Friday 17th April 7-9pm

Sawako Ando
Oona Culley
Mathilda Holmqvist
Bruno Jamaica
Virginie Litzler
Stella Orkopoulou
Fran Ortega
Edward Parkinson


This exhibition presents the work of eight artists whose varied approaches to their practice are framed by a shared experience of working as the assistants of another artist, Zadok Ben-David. Coming together to produce this exhibition, each artist has centered their attention on the ‘event’ of their encounter with one another, which has prompted the concept of ‘rebirth’ as a unifying theme for the exhibition. Each artist will present new work displayed here for the first time.

The idea of rebirth is both generative and destructive, but should not be seen as an entirely blank slate: on the one hand, we are able to locate a new space to inhabit, in which fresh opportunities present themselves and new directions are formed, whilst on the other, we are forced to adjust our way of thinking and to leave certain customs and presuppositions to one side. We remain ourselves, however – our singularity is not lost. Emmanuel Levinas describes the process of creativity and becoming as the moment when we escape from the awareness of our bodies regularity (blood circulating, hunger and tiredness forming), and are free to act creatively. We return, however, to our original state when this energy or inspiration temporarily runs out. We might think of our daily lives as a continual movement, which encounters new ideas and energies, prompting the possibility of finding new ways to work. An encounter with a group of other artists creates one such possibility.

The work of the artists in this exhibition follows a rhythm that emphasizes both continuation and renewal: each has presented new work that continues their ongoing engagements in particular forms of art practice (for example painting, photography or installation) where they have established specific styles and approaches, but which in this exhibition is given the opportunity to take a new form. An exhibition, as a site for experimentation, has here allowed for the different artists to revisit either discarded ways of working, finding in them new life and unexplored potentialities, or has provided the scope for a new approach to the production and display of their already demarcated practice. The works in this exhibition, engaging with display, the viewer and the represented figures and forms, ask of the viewer to actively ask questions about what is available to be seen, and what may be taken from the experience.

Islington Arts Factory is open:
Mon – Thu 10am – 11pm, Fri 10am – 7pm
Sat & Sun 10am – 5:30pm

Nearest Tube: Holloway Road or Caledonian Road
This exhibition is free of charge.

Please contact Siti Osman at siti.at.work@gmail.com for further information.

[SWAP]shop - CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS

Creative [SIN]ergy presents SWAP{box}, a cross-disciplinary design experiment aiming to showcase and explore creativity across cultures, design disciplines and individuals.

The format of the experiment is an online and real-life experience. The objects are exchanged through Creative [SIN]ergy between participants and they can track its evolution on the online blog. Altogether, there will be 4 rotations before the final showcase after 6 weeks.

Creative [SIN]ergy will be holding a poll amongst its member community to choose the top 3 threads which would then be showcased at our launch party. The other projects will be featured online and possibly in some form at the showcase.

The theme that binds the work together is a commentary of Creative [SIN]ergy members’ response to current global events and explores the diversity in cultures amongst its participants. The specific theme will be announced to participants at the start of the series.

In simple terms, we send you a box with instructions as to what to put inside it. You send it back to us. After we receive your item, we will send you another box, which someone else has put their 1st item in already (and we send your item to someone else to manipulate). Think about their item and you have 1 week to give your CREATIVE RESPONSE to it in whatever form you think is appropriate – deconstruct it, use it in a surprising way, film it doing something, destroy it… stick it down, make a pretty picture, make a pretty dance… Send it back to us… we send you a third box that someone has done stage 1 and 2 for. The Third and Forth time round you will get 2 weeks to think of adding to the “Artwork”. After the 4th box, we will have an exhibition and a drink to mark the first series of SWAP{box}!

We will be holding a poll amongst our members and only the top 3 boxes get shown so make it a good one!

All the while, you can track each box (total of 10) as it makes its journey to each participant.

SWAP{box} : Format + Theme

Interested? Please contact:
melisa.chan@creativesinergy.com
www.creativesinergy.com

SHOWCASE: Terry Tan

Terry Tan was born in Singapore to Straits Chinese parents (father was Indonesian-Chinese Hokkien Baba and mother was a local Teochew Nonya. After completing his secondary school education, he was a relief teacher for a year and in 1960, joined the then Radio Singapore as an announcer/producer. Trained by local BBC Far Eastern personnel, he worked until 1970 when he became an advertising executive working as a copy-writer and later as Public Relations Executive for multinational companies. He earned his management diplomas at the Institute of Management (Berkshire) and Cranfield Technical College in the UK in 1974.

Head-hunted in 1975 by the Straits Times, he joined Singapore Press Holdings and after gaining his Diploma in Journalism. He worked as features writer, sub-editor and subsequently Executive Editor for books and magazines division, Times Editions (Singapore/Pacific). Appointed Associate Editor for Lifestyle and Women’s Magazine (Her World), flagship issue of Times Annual and Sunday Nation (now defunct).

He also worked for one year as current affairs presenter for ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation Asia).

In 1983, he came to England to work as the Executive Chef (Chinese and South-east Asian cuisine, Rasa Sayang Restaurant and Butterfields, Margaret Street).

In 1990 he became Editor-in-Chief for Wine & Dine, Singapore Health, Singapore Restaurant Guide and other leisure publications. Developed Wine & Dine as the number one food, drink and travel magazine for Asia Pacific region. Uplifted magazine at first on 4 international airlines and currently on 20. Currently Editor-at Large for Wine & Dine.

Name: Terry Tan
Location: Northampton, UK
Website: www.terrytan.com
Contact: winding@atlas.co.uk

Other Junkets and books
As master chef on behalf of the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board
• 1985 - Liverpool Garden Festival
• 1986 - San Jose (Silicon Valley)
• 1980 and 1995 Master classes in Australia for the development of Asian food and Wine.
• Taught cookery for 8 years at Ken Lo's Kitchen, culinary theatre with Glynn Christian, demonstrations for IFE Olympia (1994, 1995, 1996 latterly for Amoy products) and Sunday Times Food Show (Oct 7, 1995. Harrods Cookshop, Books for Cooks, Tante Marie.
• Served as development chef for Amoy (HP Foods, UK) products for 10 years.
• Consultant for Asian section of Readers Digest Special Issue on Food.
• Restaurant reviewer for Time Out Food and Drink issue (1999).
Television
• Featured on BBC1 Bazaar with Nerys Hughes, four programmes co-presented by Paddy Haycock on Satellite TV Lifestyle, Anne Diamond's morning programme.
• Hosted three cookery series with Singapore Television (in English).

Cookery Books (published by Times Editions, Singapore)
• Straits Chinese Cookbook (updated for 2009)
• Oriental Cooking for Microwave
• Cooking With Chinese Herbs
• Fuss-Free Cookbook
• Complete Asian Cookbook
• The Thai Table
• Naturally Speaking - Chinese herbal recipes
Other non-food publications (published by Times Editions)
• Culture Shock! Britain (lifestyle)
Monsoon Book
Stir Fried and Not Shaken (2008) a part-biography and nostalgic trip down Singapore’s memory lane)

Other Cookery Books
• Oriental Cooking for Marks & Spencer.
Titles under Appletree Press (Belfast)
• Little Chinese Cookbook
• Little Vietnamese Cookbook
• Little Thai Cookbook
• Little Sichuan Cookbook

Anness Publishing (UK)
Four volumes of Regional Chinese Cooking:
South Chinese
To come 2010 – Eastern (Shanghai) Regional, Western (Sichuan) Regional and Northern (Beijing) Regional
The Food and Cooking of Indonesia and the Philippines
The Food and Cooking of Singapore and Malaysia

Aurum Press
Real Thai
Asian Cook (also translated into four European languages – Spanish, Dutch, Finnish, Italian.

Same Same But Different by Holly Pereira

Same Same But Different
New work by Holly Pereira

April 7th – 26th 2009
The Muse at 269
269 Portobello Road, London, W11 1LR

Private view April 7th, 6-9pm

The frantic race around London on Sunday evening and Monday morning looking for a picture frame shop has been tucked away somewhere in my memory. Somewhere where I’ll never have to think about frames again.

Arriving from Dublin on Sunday afternoon, I tried to find ten large frames for my drawings, which comprise half of my current show in The Muse at 269 Gallery on 269 Portobello Road. The show was hanging the next day and it was with immense speed and panic that I eventually turned up at the Muse on Monday morning, ten (surprisingly heavy) frames under my oxter.

This show is the culmination of a three month artist’s residency in Singapore finishing early this year. I had a small and very hot (non aircon) studio over the Post-Museum, on 107 Rowell Road, Little India. To those familiar with the street, you may realize it happily runs parallel to Desker Road, red-light district extraordinaire.

When I found this out, my eyes lit up with images of Moulin Rouge-type can-cans and glossily beautiful girls: the glamour! The material for art!

Obviously, when I had wiped my rose-coloured lenses down, the grotty reality hit me. This was the sex industry, and there is not much glamour in toothless pimps and prostitutes the age and look of your mother.

Saying that, I had an absolute ball in the studio in Rowell Road, and made many genuinely lovely friends. Singaporeans, in general, are friendly folk and, just like the Irish, like to have a natter and a bit of a groan from time to time.

--

So this show in The Muse at 269 is basically the product of what happened in Singapore. My paintings are female nudes with animal heads. I won’t insult the viewer as to try to explain what they mean: really they mean something different to everyone. I won’t even realize myself the full extent of meaning till maybe a couple of year’s time. There’s something about hybrids, interculturalism and fairy tales in there, but sure go and see them and tell me what you think.

The rest of the exhibition is drawings of mostly women. In my practice I swerve violently from fine oil painting, where realistic representation is everything, to crazily abstracted, joky, cartoons. In these drawings I deal with notions of femininity, sexuality, exoticness and beauty. I mostly use pencil and watercolour on heavy paper, and also in two pieces (Stories 1 & 2), I use a thin black pen to make intricate patterns akin to Peranakan beading coming out of Singapore airlines girls.

The opening night on Tuesday was fun, and a bit giddy for me. The set up took a lot longer than I had anticipated, and it was with much relief that the place no longer like a bomsite. I had spent a ridiculous amount of time the day before trying to stick my name on the glass window. Actually, if you go to see the show, forget the paintings, check out the lettering. That is real art.

The spot lights were on, the floor was swept, the wine was flowing…perfect. Now I can sit back and relax….till the next time.

--

Currently Holly Pereira lives and works in Dublin, Ireland, but she is constantly seeking a better climate and much more sunshine.

Text by Holly Pereira
www.hollypereira.com
www.myspace.com/hollypereiraart

Maria Fung wins 2nd place in internationally renowned digital design tournament, Cut&Paste.

Maria Fung drawing her 2D artwork on the Wacom Cintiq 21UX monitor on Saturday’s competition. Photo by Samuel Cho (www.samuelcho.com)

Maria Fung, a self-employed graphic and web designer, won second place in internationally renowned digital design tournament, Cut&Paste, in London on Saturday, 4th April 2009, in the Coronet Theatre.

The London-based designer was the only Singaporean out of the 8 finalists who competed in the main arena, after defeating hundreds of hopefuls through website submissions and a 15-minute 2D digital design test round.

Cut&Paste, which occurs in various major cities worldwide, celebrates emerging talent in 2D, 3D and Motion Design. The London event was filled with a large vibrant young crowd and huge projector screens that monitored each competitor's progress. It was broadcast live on the web to viewers world-wide.

Participating in the 2D category, the competitors had to create artworks based on given themes in 15 minutes using Wacom Cintiq 21UX monitors, without any premade or finished images, or sketches as references. Competitors had to use their own props like cameras and objects instead. Fung emerged second place in the overall competition.

This is not the only achievement she has. During her student days at the University for the Creative Arts, her video works were among the 30 students selected to be screened at the ODEON Student Film Night in Maidstone, in 2005 and 2006.

Less than 2 years after she graduated, Fung already has an impressive client list, including the NHS, leading sports and entertainment company AEG and Royal Holloway, University of London, in addition for working with some of UK's top design agencies such as The Design Conspiracy and Stylorouge, where she contributed some of her design ideas for musician David Gilmour.

The music and video games lover, who describes her style as being experimental and flexible with an illustrative mix of vectors, mixed media and creative digital retouching, has worked for various sectors such as music, games, entertainment, PR, events, publishing and charity.

Fung misses Singaporean food, enjoys cooking, loves dogs, wishes that people will know that graphic design is more than just computers, and that Singapore is NOT in China.

Her Cut&Paste winning entries can soon be seen on www.cutandpaste.com.

Check out her website at www.mariafung.com.

Taking photos of her mouth and fingers, Maria Fung created this 2D digital piece based on the theme ‘Bliss’, in 15 minutes during the test round. The entry won her the enviable place among the 8 finalists who competed in the main arena.

Re-birth: A New Lease of Life

creative [SIN]ergy cordially invites you to the Opening Preview night of:

Re-birth: A New Lease of Life
Curated by: Siti Osman

Friday 17th April 2009
7.00pm - 9.00pm

Islington Arts Factory
2 Parkhurst Road
London N7 0SF, UK

Re-birth: A New Lease of Life
Re-birth is an association with forms of repetition in that it expresses a fresh beginning, a commencement, and its on-going transformation through repetition (the same again, seen differently).

The artists in this show have acknowledged something that both connects and separates them all: a shared experience (they met working for an established artist) and the differences of their own experiences. This then induces a learning, which suggests a transformation. The daily routine of working engenders a development. It is both true that the artists in this exhibition are the same as they were and have been irreparably changed by the experience of spending time together. Their work is a conversation that is expected and is yet a complete surprise. A return to the (un)known. Artists: Sawako Ando, Oona Culley, Mathilda Holmqvist, Virginie Litzler, Stella Orkopoulou, Fran Ortega, Bruno Marques and Edward Parkinson."

"They met and worked for an established artist. Now they are 're-born'.

Re-birth: A New Lease of Life
Exhibition date: 18 April until 15 May 2009.

Same Same But Different opens @ The Muse at 269

Same Same But Different is a collection of new work by Holly Pereira. A result of a three month residency in Post-Museum, Little India, Singapore, Holly Pereira’s work investigates how we create, perceive and maintain identities; cultural, racial and familial. Pereira explores her Singaporean heritage through the lens of half- ang mo (or white Westerner) while investigating notions of female stereotypes, roles and characters, and in particular that of the Asian woman.

Holly Pereira’s work investigates how we create, perceive and maintain identities; cultural, racial and familial. Pereira explores her Singaporean heritage through the lens of half- ang mo (or white Westerner) while investigating notions of female stereotypes, roles and characters, and in particular that of the Asian woman.

She is fascinated by the weird, the unusual, and the bizarre. Taking references from German fairy tales, Kung Fu films and the popular press, she creates images that are both disarming and slightly disturbing.

The title “Same Same but Different” refers to a South-East Asian maxim of how cultural differences and divides do exist, but essentially we are all humans; we are all the same.

Same Same But Different
Exhibition run from April 7th - 26th 2009
The Muse at 269,
269 Portobello Road, London W11 1LR

SHOWCASE: Kok Loong Wong

Kok Loong Wong moved away from London five years ago to seek tranquility and openness in an Essex seaside town. A graduate with merit from Temasek Polytechnic School of Design, he worked as an Interior Architectural Designer before relocating to UK to continue his studies in architecture.

Loong is interested in the inter-disciplinary approach to life and design, with the intention of cultivating alternatives and experimentation in arts, architecture and design. He is currently working independently on architecture/ design projects in Malaysia while working on various housing and arts related projects in collaboration with offices in London.

Name: Kok Loong Wong
Location: Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, UK
Website: www.mindlab-uk.org
Contact: click here

About Short Circuit – London

Creative [SIN]ergy proudly presents Short Circuit – London.
After three hugely successful annual one-night-only film screenings that celebrate queer short film-making in Singapore. Short Circuit is finally making its international debut in London. This non-profit event will be a lead up to the Pride London festivities, scheduled for a one night only screening on Friday 3rd July 2009, 8.00pm at the 75 seater MPC screening room in Soho. In addition to the pre screening reception, a specially curated exhibition of prints by Steven Lim
entitled "Slumber series" will be on view. The evening will end with post screening celebration at The Shadow Lounge in Soho.

Short Circuit – London is presented by creative [SIN]ergy and supported by Objectifs films, Fridae, Peccadillo Pictures, Freedoms Shop and The Shadow Lounge with all proceeds from this event donated to Oogachaga in Singapore.

Short Circuit – London is curated by Boo Junfeng and Alfian Sa'at. This showcase brings you a selection of works by some of Singapore's most promising young directors. Also featuring the short films, "Lola" by Singapore/ London based short filmmaker Rae Lyn Lee and "Summer" by
Hong Khaou.

Short Circuit – London showcases 13 short films made by either queer filmmakers or those dealing with queer subjects. Spanning a wide spectrum of genres, these local shorts display the talents of a diverse local queer filmmakers community capable of contributing to local queer discourse.

Oogachaga is a counselling and personal development organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning ("LGBTQ") individuals. They are a non-profit organization, run fully by motivated volunteers and their services are supervised by credible agencies.
For more information: www.oogachaga.com

Creative [SIN]ergy in talks with FARM.sg

Creative [SIN]ergy and FARM.sg are very keen to see how we can host a collaborative curation of ROJAK in London.

The SG-London ROJAK version will possibly have a mix of both creatives from Singapore, and Singaporean creatives based in London. Through this mix, we will see how cultural, geographical differences might have any impact/influences (if any) on the designers & artists. We find it intriguing to investigate how much of our sensibilities are shaped by our immediate environments. And to see where these confluences of thinking would meet. We are in talks to possibly host the SG-London ROJAK either in the 3rd Q 2009 or 1st Q 2010.

"It's certainly getting us all fired up and interested in a possible SG-London tie up!"

Willie Koh - FARM.sg

Brian Tan selected in C&IT's A List

The A List, a 32-page glossy supplement published in the April edition of C&IT, shines the spotlight on the future leaders of the events industry.

Conference & Incentive Travel's first-ever A List began as a quest to seek out the future leaders of the events industry. We've scoured the UK, approaching the key decision-makers of the country's most profitable and creative event agencies, and asked the bosses to share their best talent - tomorrow's leaders of their businesses. Just 35 agency professionals, who are 35 and under, form the A List.

C&IT launched its first ever A List celebrating 35 agency players under 35 at an exclusive event at Andaz in London.

SUKA selects David Lee as logo competition finalist

creative [SIN]ergy member David Lee finalist of SUKA logo competition.

Proposed brand idenity application for SUKA by David Lee

Wong Kok Loong wins SUKA logo competition.