Drawing Le sson Ide as f rom
“you and me, we and us”
Art Masterclass
by Singaporean
multi-
disciplinary
artist -- Ezzam
Rahman
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
• Experience the use of body gestures and physical movement as a
means of narrative communication.
• Experiment with materials and appreciate how they could be used as
an extension of our body, thoughts and ideas.
Ms. Low Sok Hui
Senior Academy Officer (Art), STAR
O
bserving the experiential session conducted by Ezzam, I
noticed how the audience overcame their initial awkwardness
and gamely responded to his given prompts to ‘create’, perhaps,
their maiden act of performance art. Performance art is not about
entertainment, but about the artist’s challenge to make connections
through instincts, heightening senses and acknowledging
emotions. Under Ezzam’s guidance, the audience experienced
how the action of familiar gestures and simple everyday items can
affect one physically and psychologically.
Try out the following exercises (introduced by Ezzam during the
session) as introductory activities to learning performance art with
your students. Get them to share their experiences of participating
in a performative based artwork!
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Concept -- Artists build trust with their materials
Exercise 1a: Paper as a material
Duration: 5 mins
Materials: A4 paper
Instructions for students:
Take a piece of paper.
Stand with legs apart and hold the paper using your non-dominant
hand.
Use just your thumb and index finger to hold the paper.
Check that your arm is straight and is parallel to ground.
Look and stare at the blank paper.
Do not make any movement.
Breathe normally.
You will feel the tension on your shoulder.
You can close your eyes if you want.
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