CAADcast: On Asian Art and Design: Recent Episodes
CAAD
CAADcast is a podcast by the Centre of Asian Art and Design based in the School of Art Design and Media, National Technological University, Singapore. Hosted by Dr Karin Oen, Principal Research Fellow at CAAD, the podcast aims to connect listeners to the world of Asian art through interviews with a wide range of creative practitioners. From street art to environmental architecture, learn more about what knowledge and insights the region has to offer.For any feedback or to get in touch with us, do reach us at caad@ntu.edu.sg.
More than just a tourist hotspot, Bali is also a place of nature and slow living. What better place for slow design and sustainable production? Previously an industrial designer in Milan, Eva Natasa decided to shirk off the excessive consumption of city life to become a furniture designer, creating limited pieces of wooden furniture, with a focus on respect for nature and the furniture's users. In this episode, listen to Eva and Karin discuss tourism, the environment, and falling in love with wood.
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Industrial designer Eva Natasa studied Interior Design at the Kent Institute of Art and Design in England followed by a Master’s degree in Industrial Design from the Instituto Europeo di Design in Milan Italy. She worked as an industrial designer in Milan at Design Group Italia on industrial and strategic design projects for international clients. She relocated to Bali, Indonesia in 2009, and continued to work as an independent designer for clients whilst conducting her own research and development for her furniture line. In 2013 Eva launched her own furniture brand EVA NATASA® that focuses in reconnecting human and nature through well-designed and long-lasting contemporary furniture that inspire mindfulness and awareness in daily life, by using selected natural local materials and pushing the Indonesian craftsmanship to another level. In 2018 she launched her industrial design studio:STUDIO EVA NATASA® in 2018 in Bali, Indonesia to connect and collaborate with other creative forces. EVA NATASA® and STUDIO EVA NATASA® are the culmination of Eva’s passion, philosophy and strong design ethos, along with her respect for her Indonesian roots.
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Dr Karin Oen is Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Asian Art and Design in the School of Art, Design, and Media, Nanyang Technological University where she also teaches in the MA Programme in Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices and the undergraduate major in English Literature and Art History. She was recently Deputy Director, Curatorial Programmes for NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore. Prior to that, Dr Oen was associate curator of contemporary art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. As the Asian Art Museum’s first full-time curator of contemporary art, Dr Oen was a pivotal figure in the growth of the museum’s contemporary collection — especially in new media and works by Asian diaspora artists, as well as in ceramics by modern masters. Dr Oen holds a PhD in History, Theory and Criticism of Art and Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MA in Modern Art History, Connoisseurship and Art-Market History from Christie’s Education and a BA with honours in Urban Studies, Art History minor, from Stanford University.
From its traditional origins in the 1700s, to being a banned and nearly extinct traditional craft under Soviet Occupation, and now being worn by models down New York fashion runways, Uzbekistan’s ikat has had a rich and fascinating history. One of its chief advocates is our guest Muhayo Alieva, founder of the fashion brand and social enterprise Bibi Hanum. Listen to her and Karin talk about all things ikat, including points about slow fashion, cultural preservation, and Jackie Kennedy.
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Muhayo Alieva founded Bibi Hanum, a fashion brand based on traditional textiles, in her mother’s garage in 2006, after watching the challenges faced by her older sisters, who had married strict, traditional men. She did not want to have a similar life and wanted to help women as much as she could. She believes working women have a better life. As a little girl, Muhayo would design clothes and her eldest sister Surayo would sew them, and they still do that today at Bibi Hanum. Bibi Hanum has trained over a dozen women in the past fifteen years, and some have moved on to work internationally. Muhayo believes that utilizing handmade textiles through fashion is a stepping-stone to a better life for the hundreds of women whom she eventually hopes to employ.
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Dr Karin Oen is Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Asian Art and Design in the School of Art, Design, and Media, Nanyang Technological University where she also teaches in the MA Programme in Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices and the undergraduate major in English Literature and Art History. She was recently Deputy Director, Curatorial Programmes for NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore. Prior to that, Dr Oen was associate curator of contemporary art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. As the Asian Art Museum’s first full-time curator of contemporary art, Dr Oen was a pivotal figure in the growth of the museum’s contemporary collection — especially in new media and works by Asian diaspora artists, as well as in ceramics by modern masters. Dr Oen holds a PhD in History, Theory and Criticism of Art and Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MA in Modern Art History, Connoisseurship and Art-Market History from Christie’s Education and a BA with honours in Urban Studies, Art History minor, from Stanford University.
Many of us today live in concrete jungles, surviving on coffee shops and constant air conditioning. How often do we think about the high environmental impact of our skyscrapers, apartments, and offices? To learn more alternative ways of construction, listen to our episode with Charles Gallavardin. Charles is a proud advocate of Happy and Creative Frugality, and in this episode he explains bioclimatic design and the various environmental innovations and techniques T3 applies in its projects. Be inspired by his commitment to sustainability and learn about architecture and design along the way.
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Charles is a French architect trained in France, Sweden and the Czech Republic. He also has expertise in Heritage and more particularly in the renovation of historic centers in the Middle East countries (Syria and Egypt). He has worked as a junior expert for UNESCO where he collaborated with the Maison du Patrimoine in Hue (Vietnam), then as Director of the NGO Villes en Transition Vietnam that works to reduce urban poverty through micro-finance and the construction of social housing. He founded T3 Architecture in Marseille in 2007, and there developed timber construction and bioclimatic and energy efficient projects. In 2011 he decided to bring these skills and expertise to Vietnam under the T3 ARCHITECTS agency, and continue practicing and advocating for sustainable architecture and interior design. Charles also recently set up the startup KANOPYA LIVING, which produces sustainable lodges for the high-end eco friendly hospitality industry throughout the World.
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Dr Karin Oen is Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Asian Art and Design in the School of Art, Design, and Media, Nanyang Technological University where she also teaches in the MA Programme in Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices and the undergraduate major in English Literature and Art History. She was recently Deputy Director, Curatorial Programmes for NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore. Prior to that, Dr Oen was associate curator of contemporary art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. As the Asian Art Museum’s first full-time curator of contemporary art, Dr Oen was a pivotal figure in the growth of the museum’s contemporary collection — especially in new media and works by Asian diaspora artists, as well as in ceramics by modern masters. Dr Oen holds a PhD in History, Theory and Criticism of Art and Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MA in Modern Art History, Connoisseurship and Art-Market History from Christie’s Education and a BA with honours in Urban Studies, Art History minor, from Stanford University.
If you’ve spent any time on Instagram, you’ve probably seen teamLab’s work at least once. They are responsible for one of the most popular instagram spots in Singapore, the Future World permanent exhibition at the ArtScience Museum. Given the breathtaking nature of their art installations, it’s no surprise that they’ve become attractions in their own right. Listen to Karin chat withKazumasa Nonaka, project manager at teamLab, about the processes of creating these installations, the power of social media, and what he predicts for the future of art and technology.
Prior to teamLab, Kazumasa had worked at an art gallery, supporting various artists of a diverse range of media, from painting to sculpture. With an education in architecture and work experience in art, he is committed to connecting art and technology. Kazumasa works to realize teamLab's ideas in physical space alongside other members of teamLab, ranging from engineers, designers, and artists to many others. Kazumasa now manages teamLab's projects outside of Japan, including those involving museums and other institutions.
Dr Karin Oen is Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Asian Art and Design in the School of Art, Design, and Media, Nanyang Technological University where she also teaches in the MA Programme in Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices and the undergraduate major in English Literature and Art History. She was recently Deputy Director, Curatorial Programmes for NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore. Prior to that, Dr Oen was associate curator of contemporary art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. As the Asian Art Museum’s first full-time curator of contemporary art, Dr Oen was a pivotal figure in the growth of the museum’s contemporary collection — especially in new media and works by Asian diaspora artists, as well as in ceramics by modern masters. Dr Oen holds a PhD in History, Theory and Criticism of Art and Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MA in Modern Art History, Connoisseurship and Art-Market History from Christie’s Education and a BA with honours in Urban Studies, Art History minor, from Stanford University.
Artwork: teamLab, Forest of Resonating Lamps - One Stroke, Fire on Ice, 2016, Interactive Installation, Murano Glass, LED, Endless, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi © teamLab, courtesy Pace Gallery
In this episode, listen to Jas Charanjiva, co-founder of Kulture shop (“The Coolest Shop in Mumbai”) and creator of the Pink Lady, talk with Karin about moving to Mumbai, starting Kulture shop, and the inspiration behind her art. She discusses the accessibility of street art - “It can be discovered by anyone on the street”, she says in the episode – and how that makes it a powerful vehicle for meaningful messages, such as the calls for gender equality which are a common thread running through her work.
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Jas grew up in California amongst skateboarders and graffiti/street art. With social change as her passion, Jas gained popularity as a street artist in India through Social Media. Her work has been featured in GQ, Vogue, Conde Nast Traveller, ELLE, The Guardian, Public Radio International, Mashable and more. She was chosen amongst 5 creative individuals around the world by Dulux Paints UK to appear in an Artist profile series on colour and creativity. She has also gained the attention of several international brands/companies and national art projects. Her work in 2011 was recognized by The Skoda Prize as “one of the best examples of graffiti being such a prolific part of an artist’s world here in India”. Jas most popular artwork 'Don't Mess with Me' (aka The Pink Lady) is currently displayed at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Jas currently lives in Mumbai where she is a co-founder of Kulture Shop, a platform for leading Indian graphic artists from around the world
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Dr Karin Oen is Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Asian Art and Design in the School of Art, Design, and Media, Nanyang Technological University where she also teaches in the MA Programme in Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices and the undergraduate major in English Literature and Art History. She was recently Deputy Director, Curatorial Programmes for NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore. Prior to that, Dr Oen was associate curator of contemporary art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. As the Asian Art Museum’s first full-time curator of contemporary art, Dr Oen was a pivotal figure in the growth of the museum’s contemporary collection — especially in new media and works by Asian diaspora artists, as well as in ceramics by modern masters. Dr Oen holds a PhD in History, Theory and Criticism of Art and Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an MA in Modern Art History, Connoisseurship and Art-Market History from Christie’s Education and a BA with honours in Urban Studies, Art History minor, from Stanford University.
Artwork: Don't Mess with Me, courtesy of Jas Charanjiva and Kulture Shop