Object size: (Opened) 8.0 x 112.5 x 0.3 cm
This album was created by Teo Sek Eng, a Collections Manager in the National Museum of Singapore, in response to Singapore's circuit-breaker. It is mini album featuring poetry, calligraphy, painting and seals (诗书画印). Sek-Eng chose to feature snails in her painting, poetry and seals as a symbol of peace and patience. The act of creating the album was a method for Sek Eng to practice peace and patience as calligraphy is a meditative practice in which she focused her mind on achieving a visual balance between her characters and the rest of her artwork.Teo writes her poem in running script (行书) and her seals are carved in seal script (篆书), an ancient form of Chinese calligraphy which was revitalised in the Qing dynasty. Teo varies the tonality of the painting such that some snails appear in the foreground while others appear in the background. She also carved two image seals (肖形章) in the image of snails, which act as the leading seal (引首章) and corner seal (压角章) of the artwork. The poem in the album translates to:《Amidst circuit breaker》The end of the plague seems distant and dark. We wait for sunlight, for laughter and joy.At dawn we find all things are quiet, at peace. My brushstroke responds to a snail’s call.
