A CUBE IS A CUBE IS A CUBE

A CUBE IS A CUBE IS A CUBE
11 January 2025 - 1 March 2025
FOST Gallery, Singapore

The geometric principles of shape and their potential to evolve into a progression of forms have been central to Grace Tan’s aptly named artistic practice, ‘kwodrent’, spanning two decades. From her earlier works, which employed paper, plastic and textile to explore the possibilities of sequence and structure, Tan has expanded her oeuvre by investigating how the properties of materials intersect with her fascination for reimagining forms derived from a shape or object’s fundamental characteristics.

In this exhibition, Tan engages with materials such as metal, marble and light, harnessing their intrinsic qualities to construct new forms. Taking the cube as her focal subject, she challenges conventional notions of its immutability, probing new possibilities for how it can be reimagined and perceived. The 12 works presented chart her experimentation with the cube through a series of creative gestures: splitting it at right angles to recompose its parts, exploring the interplay between two- and three-dimensional perspectives of the cube, and using repetition to generate shapes that, while appearing distinct, remain rooted in the cube’s essence. In some pieces, tessellated cube components create illusory effects, altering perceptions of the cube itself. Other works investigate the act of viewing, examining how spatial context can transform visual perception.

The exhibition invites viewers to reconsider the identity of a cube: Is a cube simply a cube? Under Tan’s meticulous manipulation, the cube is dissected, reassembled, and reframed, encouraging us to explore its lines, proportions, patterns, and perspectives anew. Through this process, she expands our understanding of the cube as both a collection of parts and an interconnected whole, with infinite possibilities for reformulation. By reimagining the cube as a medium of flux, she challenges us to rethink our own views on solidity and stability.

Source | FOST Gallery