12 LUMEN | EVENTS
By Michael Ee
Josephians brought life back to the chapel at its former campus at Bras Basah Road ( now known as the Singapore Art Museum ) with works of art . The exhibited works of these art alumni provided a platform for dialogue between the creator and the viewer , and also provided a glimpse into the artists ' journey after their graduation from SJI .
On 3 September , I walked into the Singapore Art Museum ( SAM ) to see the former chapel transformed into a space where Josephians young and old would be able to gather , journey and dialogue with one another . As the first art public exhibition by 12 art alumni across a nine-year period , I was both in disbelief and awe that we were able to dream about it , plan it and finally see it come to fruition . Having worked closely with Alvin Ong ( Class of 2004 ), curator of CREATION , the experience of seeing months of work culminate into the transformed chapel space was rewarding , nostalgic and hopeful .
Walking through the three sections of the exhibition : Creation , Journey and Freedom , I saw many people from various backgrounds , cultures and countries appreciating the works on display . It was exciting to observe the willingness of the visitors to engage with the artworks , spending time contemplating what these works stood for , and also having a rich insight into the life of a Josephian .
The first section , Creation , featured artefacts from the old SJI as well as works that explored the Josephian identity by Bonaventura Kevin Satria ( Class of 2012 ), Ernest Wang ( Class of 2007 ) and Alvin . To hear Josephians talk about their memorable days at SJI is different from reading rich visual narratives of Josephians ’ similar experiences . One example was Lim Jun Hong ’ s ( Class of 2008 ) large oil painting , Today , the Perseverance of Faith that examined the religious symbols of Catholicism and their relevance in the world today .
The second section , Journey opened with Reuben Pang ’ s ( Class of 2006 ) Relentless , a diamond-shaped piece that spoke of the