® ROFI

2009-01-12T13:00:00.000+08:00

Above all, it is a matter of loving art,

not understanding it. Fernand Leger

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2009-01-12T12:01:00.009+08:00

Forgive Me

2005
Oil on canvas,
100cm x 100cm x 4cm

Exhibitions:
The Singapore Art Show 2007, Singapore Art Museum
2 Aug – 3 Sep 2007

APAD Contemporary 2005
ARTrium@MICA, 6 – 9 Dec 2005

Text:
Forgive me, Have mercy on me, Give me strength, Raise me up, Sustain me, Guide me, Give me health, Pardon me

2009-01-12T10:44:00.018+08:00

Give Me Strength
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Give Me Strength

2008
Oil on canvas,
90cm x 1500cm

Exhibition:
APAD: Tradition, Innovation & Continuity, Singapore Art Museum
12 Dec 2008 – 5 April 2009

Text:
Send you the skies pouring abundant rain
Add strength to your strength
So turn not back in sin

Detail:

2009-01-11T10:37:00.000+08:00

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Storm 2006
Ink and Watercolour on paper
5" x 8"

2009-01-11T10:34:00.000+08:00

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Close at Heart 2006
Ink and Watercolour on paper
5" x 8"

News

2008-05-14T11:21:00.037+08:00

For the Love of Art

Earlier this year, I received an email forwarded to me by one of my colleagues. It was from a couple in their twenties, looking for people who have hidden artistic talents and would like to be a part of an art exhibition. They had an idea to organise an exhibition to show all types of art, from graphic art to painting, from sculpture to installation, from music to dance, from singing to poetry.

The twist was that they wanted to show works by people who are really talented but not fulltime artists: with no large portfolio of works, no long list of shows they've participated in, with no formal education in fine art and not equipped with a Masters Degree in Art. Basically those who are not recognised by the art fraternity and therefore don't get the opportunity to show their works as much. It was also meant to bring people together for networking. Whether for collaborative opportunities or simply to build new friendships.

It appealed to me. I thought it would be refreshing to be a part of a show in which there is a mix of genres. I have been involved in exhibitions that featured varied media and presentation styles, but it was all still visual art. This was different. Also, the idea of being among a group of raw talents was really appealing.

So after a brief exchange of emails I decided to meet the couple, Emy and Dan, over coffee. I had plenty of questions: Are you artists yourselves or are you art promoters? How many exhibitions have you organised? Who would be your curator? How are you going to market this event?

Emy and Dan are a lovely couple. As we enjoyed our coffee on that Saturday afternoon, I began to realise how sincere they were. I discovered that they are not artists nor have they had any kind of training in art. They have day jobs and this was going to be a personal project for both of them. They had never organised an event, let alone an art show. They had no experience.

They were inspired by the talent that exist among friends and wanted to give them the opportunity to express themselves. And Emy and Dan were willing to make it happen through their own funding. It was their dream they said, and they were determined to make it happen. Very anxious, but very determined.

That determination inspired me. By the time we finished our coffee, I was convinced I wanted to show my work. It was a good opportunity to see how my work would stand within that kind of context. But I also felt that I had to do it for Emy and Dan. It's not often that you can help make someone's dream come true.

Several weeks of sleepless nights later, they made it happen. There was a mingling of genres on and off the gallery walls. Photographers studying paintings. Painters appreciating sound art. Musicians admiring graphic art. You get the picture.

It was as refreshing as expected. The works were progressive. Raw, yes, but pure. No gimmicks. No commercialism. No pressure to fetch a high price. Just art for the love of it. All conceived by Emy and Dan.

®ROFI 14 May 2008

Biography

2008-01-04T03:16:00.000+08:00

Rofizano Zaino
Born in Singapore in 1970

I am self-taught. Drawing and painting have always been my passion since young. I remember spending a lot of time drawing and putting to paper, little observations of my world.

I am presently well established as a graphic designer, a career I've been building for the past 13 years. In that time, I've enjoyed art at a personal level. However, I began taking art seriously in 2003 when I started oil painting. I soon became a member of Angkatan Pelukis Aneka Daya (APAD or Association of Artists of Various Resources) and have since actively participated in their annual group shows.

I enjoy painting figurative subjects, particularly portraits. Just as I enjoy using metaphors and symbolism in graphic design, I try to include signs and messages in my art, be it through the use of objects, words or the pose of the human figure.

News

2007-09-22T13:40:00.004+08:00

My Home Studio

News

2007-08-20T16:05:00.004+08:00

The Enlightenment

I came across my ex-teacher Iskandar Jalil today. The quiet art dissident who would send our shoddy work flying from the third storey studio of our campus (I'm sure others would have other endearing ways of remembering him). He also happens to be Singapore's master sculptor of ceramics and a Cultural Medallion winner.

"So are you still painting?" he asked as we queued for nasi padang at Jalan Kandahar.

Ya, I am!

"Use a very big canvas lah, or do an installation piece, or do something controversial!", he sneered softly.

Okay... ((where is this heading?))

"That's what young artists now do to get attention. They either create over-sized paintings, or do installation art or do something controversial."

Well sir, I recently saw a couple of works at an exhibition that have naked female bodies and cropped-off male heads and they generated a lot of discussion. The execution wasn't spectacular or ground-breaking. But I guess in a clean and safe environment like Singapore, where we don't really have anything substantial to argue about, nudity and sex becomes controversial. For me, I want my art to be conceptual and make a point... but not necessarily controversial.

"You know, when young Singaporean artists do conceptual work, their work is usually not good... cause you don't know what the hell they're trying to say"

Bah, but then sir, they say a lot of bull. Yes sir, yes sir, 3 paragraphs full. Just that whatever they say in writing is not reflected in their works.

"Hah, and that's what the galleries and the curators want, concepts. And the art suffers. Because the concepts are not strong."

"What do you want to drink?"

Teh-O

"Dua teh-o, satu chendol! Get your food... I'm paying."

Mr. Iskandar Jalil is never short of opinion. That's why some people don't like him... and why some really do. He's one of my best teachers.

So how do I create a strong concept and make a point? How do I stand out as an artist here? Poor me... no oppression, no suffering like my fellow artists in other countries. So what do artists in Singapore talk about to make a mark? Shall I use nudity to create a stir? Is ethnicity a tool? Should I talk about gay or sex issues like a lot of plays are doing now? That will make me appear open-minded and progressive won't it?

Or maybe I should just forget about the whole conceptual thing and just create beautiful paintings. Happy-happy stuff like cats or something. Or just use bright colours and create an abstract painting with a title like "The Enlightenment". That should look good on the wall of a multi-million-dollar apartment in a downtown condominium.

Or maybe I should just use my creativity and speak from the heart. Even if it doesn't sell.

®ROFI 20 August 2007

News

2007-08-04T23:26:00.002+08:00

Opening Day

The opening of the Singapore Art show was was an eye-opener for me. So this is what happens when artists congregate? You get a motley crew with weird dressing and hairstyles trying to look casually eccentric. For a while there I thought I was in a designers' convention. Okay, there's free drinks... but when do we get to see the art?

Here comes the bride... all dressed in white... well, not quite the bride... although he does sometimes wear all white. It's the guest of honour (you can't have an event in Singapore without a guest of honour.... cannot lah!) Mr. Lim Boon Yang, Minister for... guess? They laid a red carpet for him. He probably took only five steps on it. "Don't be afraid to step on the red carpet", he coaxed the artists to move forward for his speech, "you're the special guests here". Touching.

"...and now it is my pleasure to declare the show opened..."

And then there was the dancing... A dance performance with batik. No, not only were they wearing batik, they used batik as props while dancing. It's a batik dance you see. Batik the art form, not just the sarongs. So it's an art dance, yes. Wah... I was waxing lyrical over this batik impression.

The main gallery... where people enjoy the art of discussing art. I was surprised that each piece of work was displayed with an explanation of its idea or message. It's the same text the artists were asked to write when they submitted their work. I was more surprised when I saw that some artists wrote really long explanations. Mine was done in a sentence. I was even more surprised when I read some of the explanations. Really? That's what your piece is about? I must say, some artist write better than they paint. Literally speaking.

Hey, that looks familiar... Wonder what these guys were discussing. I'm not keen on explaining my art to people face to face. It's already up there. Look at it. Understand it. Enjoy it.

For all the opinions people might have of my piece, good or bad, they'll never see it the way I see it. Because I saw it becoming. When I look at it, I don't just see the final state. I remember how I got the idea. In my mind, I see the moments when layers covered layers. That is what the painting is to me.

And that was what I sought from the others in the room. How did he feel when he laid that stroke? What emotions filled her when she chose that colour? The exhibition is the end game really. The time when your thoughts and feelings are made bare for all to see.

But if they don't see the message... they can always read the explanations... and if they still don't understand after reading the explanations, hopefully they enjoy the sight. Above all, it is a matter of loving art, not understanding it.

Go catch the exhibition if you can. It's on at the Singapore Art Museum at Bras Basah until the 2nd of September.

®ROFI 5 August 2007

2007-07-05T23:46:00.005+08:00

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Think Exist 2008
Pencil on paper,
13cm x 21cm

2007-07-05T22:45:00.004+08:00

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The Heart 2006
Ink, Watercolour and Inkjet print on paper
420mm x 590mm

Poem:
In your chest hides a dancing flesh
Pure at birth, heavy in death
An invisible compass to your journey’s end
From truth to falsehood, then back again
Keep it true and you shall prevail
Let it stray and you’ll surely fail
A prey to whispers so guard it well
Don’t let your body be an empty shell
®ROFI

2007-07-05T22:44:00.002+08:00

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Sins 2006
Ink, Watercolour and Inkjet print on paper
420mm x 590mm

Poem:
To some freedom means fulfilling all desires
They slave and toil to serve inner masters
With faltering hearts that they’ll never tame
Like fluttering moths to an open flame
Your passions give you wings to fly
You spread your sins till they reach the sky
But to your desires you’ll always be bound
Until you fall and kiss the ground
®ROFI

2007-07-05T12:00:00.014+08:00

Love & Mercy
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Love & Mercy
Love & Mercy

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2007
Oil on canvas

Text:
...so that you may find rest in them
and put love and mercy between you

Detail:

2007-07-05T11:00:00.000+08:00

Kevin
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Kevin
Kevin

2008--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acrylics, Graphite and Ink on canvas
120cm x 60cm

Detail:

2007-07-01T23:58:00.002+08:00

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Dragon Wings 2006, Pen on paper, 5" x 8"

2007-07-01T23:56:00.002+08:00

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3 Perkampongan 2007
Pencil, Acrylic
25cm x 50cm x 3 pieces
APAD Contemporary 2007: Kampong, Malay Heritage Centre, 25 May – 15 June 2007

This was intended for an exhibition with the theme Kampong which means village in Malay. I interpreted the term perkampongan as a compound occupied and shared by a group of people. But instead of a compound in the physical state, I'm conveying perkampongan as a state of the mind in which a group of people put themselves in. 3 Perkampongan is my view of how groups in my community occupy three states of mind.

The first belong to those who cling on to heritage, for better or for worse. They uphold our traditions heroically, but cannot let go of customs that are irrelevant to the present day.

The second belong to the elites. The ones who consistently seek knowledge, both for this world or the next. But they, mentally, live within their own confines and find it hard to link themselves with others who are outside of their group.

The third belong to the materialistic. Those who enjoy the material world and don't look beyond the confines of their existence.

At different times, I may occupy one of these states myself. Sometimes, I'm a bit of all three.

2007-07-01T23:31:00.008+08:00

Colours
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Colours

2004
Oil on canvas
127cm x 152cm x 4cm

Exhibition:
APAD Racial Harmony 2004, Braddell Heights CC
20 – 25 July 2004

Two boys representing two groups of people. I've used symbols to highlight aspects of each group and used a composition that describes their relationship.

2007-07-01T23:31:00.007+08:00

Atok
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Atok

2003
Oil on wood
46" x 48"

Exhibition:
APAD Racial Harmony 2004, Braddell Heights CC
20 – 25 July 2004

My late grandfather was a big sturdy man with a soft demeanour. And somehow painting a large portrait of him on a worn, discarded wooden panel seemed apt.

2007-07-01T10:50:00.002+08:00

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Mixbreed 2006
Pen on paper,
5" x 8"

2007-07-01T10:47:00.002+08:00

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What am I doing here? 2006
Pen on paper,
5" x 8"

2007-07-01T10:43:00.002+08:00

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Promised Land, Occupied Land 2006
Pencil, Pen, Watercolour, Ink-Jet print on paper,
8" x 11"

2007-07-01T10:29:00.003+08:00

Selves
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Selves

2003
Oil on canvas
20" x 24"

This is a self-portrait. I often have to grapple with two sides of my personality, one side shy and the other, fiery.

2007-06-29T23:08:00.003+08:00

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Untitled
2003
Oil on canvas,
20" x 24"

2007-06-01T10:52:00.001+08:00

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Go fly kite 2006, Pen on paper, 5" x 8"