About
About
My name is Guo Yixiu and I am a multidisciplinary artist and educator. Born and based currently in Singapore, this website contains all of my works created from 2012 to the present, as well as some of the projects that I have pursued or am pursuing now to understand art education. I am very interested in ideas of “Play” both in my practice and in education.
In my fine art practice, my materials are focused objects found within the everyday. I find myself constantly surrounded by objects, and am often using my practice to make sense of the Singapore society. Growing up in a concrete jungle like Singapore, I am interested in the ways my psyche is molded by my environment. As an example, I find myself feeling affectionate towards the plenitude of objects that surround me, having lived through my childhood spending time in shopping malls. I also often feel trapped in two different minds; having trained as a painter as well as a photographer. Hence, “play” includes me abolishing our presumed stereotypes, and attempting to treat photography with a painterly perspective.
Having spent 5 years as an educator has cemented my passion towards understanding how children learn. As I now embark on various projects that I seek to use to expand my experience, I hope that one day I will be able to understand “Play” better, and help children and adults find that sphere of curiousity and experimental edge towards their own learning.
What separates the ordinary from the everyday and transforms it into the spectacular, is the power of “play”.
RESUME
AWARDS
2014 “View From the Top”, International Photography Awards
2014, “Fine Art: Abstract Category”, 2nd place Winner
2013 Finalist for International Photographer of the Year Award, International Photography Awards 2013
2013 “White Dreams”, International Photography Awards 2013, “Fine Art”, 1st Category Winner
2013 “White Dreams”, International Photography Awards 2013, “Fine Art: Collage Pro” Category, 1st Prize Winner
2013 “Castles in the Air”, International Photography Awards, “Fine Art: Still Life Pro” Category, Honorable Mention
2012 “Broken Spaces Series”, International Photography Awards, “Fine Art: Collage Pro” Category, 3rd Prize winner
2012 “Chope”, International Photography Awards, “Collage” Category, Honorable mention
2012 Kwek Leng Joo Prize of Excellence in Still Photography, First Award Winner
2012 “Singapore: “Culture is Dead””, 2nd Emerging Curators Show
2012 Winning Entry, Sculpture Square, Singapore
2009 – 2010 Research Experience on Campus (URECA) Exhibition and Competition
2009-2010, Platinum Award Winner, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
2008 “Comfort Zone”; 27th United Overseas Bank (UOB) Painting of the Year Competition, Representational Category, Award Winner
2008 “Peripheral Existence”; Singapore Youth Festival, Arts and Craft Exhibition, Gold with Honors Award
2006 “Breathing Space”; United Overseas Bank (UOB) Painting of the Year Competition, Highly Commended Painting, Youth Category
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014 “Artificial Love”, Solo Exhibition with OCBC Bank and Galerie Sogan and Art, Singapore
2012 “The Departed” Galerie Sogan and Art, Singapore
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2017 “Joined by the Crown” , George Town Festival, Curated by Sharon Cheah, Penang, Malaysia
2016 OH! Open House: Potong Pasir Edition, 2016, Singapore, Participating Artist
2015 OH! Open House: Joo Chiat Edition, 2016, Singapore, Participating Artist
2015 “After Photography”, Jeonju Photography Festival, Curated by Dr. Oh. Soon Hwa, Jeonju, South Korea
2014 “ The Best of Times”, Verve Arts Festival 2014 Participating Artist, The Art House, Singapore.
2013 “If the World Changed”, Singapore Biennale 2013 Participating Artist.
2013 “No Approval”, Curated by Louis Ho and Jason Wee, Grey Projects, Singapore
2013 “Conversations with the Everyday”; Kwek Leng Joo Prize of Excellence in Still Photography Award Show, with Nanyang Technological University and Centre of Contemporary Art, Gillman Barracks, Singapore.
2013 A:Edge ; Curated by Suzie Lingham, School of the Arts, Singapore
2012 Campaign City: Life in Posters, 2012, curated by Alan Oei of Evil Empire, Singapore, Singapore 2012
2012 International Photography Awards Best Of Show Exhibition, curated by Ms. Shelley De Soto, Culver City, California
2012 “Fantastic City Fantastic People”, curated by Dr. Oh Soon Hwa, Pingyao International Photography Festival
2012, Pingyao, China 2012 Asian Student and Young Artists Festival; Overseas Artist Section, curated by Dain Oh from Gallery LVS, Seoul, South Korea (Exhibitor)
2012 Affordable Art Fair; with Galerie Sogan and Art, Singapore (Exhibitor)
2012 Pameran Poskad, 2012, Singapore (Exhibitor)
2012 " The Super Singapore Sale" curated by Vera Wijaya; ION Art Gallery, Singapore
2012 “ You and I: Identity and Society” Duo Exhibition with Sarah Choo Jing, Marsio Fine Art Gallery, Indonesia
2012 “A Reflective Dialogue” Nanyang Technological University; Art, Design and Media School Graduation Show. 2902 Gallery, Singapore
2011 Affordable Art Fair Singapore; Galerie Sogan and Art, Singapore (Exhibitor)
2011 Harper's Bazaar Art Fair; Galerie Sogan and Art. Jakarta, Indonesia (Exhibitor)
2011 “Mother”; Galerie Sogan and Art, Singapore
2011 “Incandescent: Shedding Light on the Culture and Caves of Yunan”; 2902 Gallery, Singapore.
2010 “Variegated Realities”; Curated by Dr. Oh Soon Hwa, Alliance Francaise de Singapour, Singapore
PROJECTS
2018 “Wau Wow” Printmaking workshop held at Great Wisma, Geylang Serai for PassionArts Festival, Singapore.
2016 “Memories of Home” Photography Composite Mural Project cum Workshop, Our Gallery at Taman Jurong, Taman Jurong, Singapore
PUBLICATIONS
2014 “郭奕秀；在格子中找到本土美学”－周雁冰， 聯合早報 21/10/2014 , Singapore . (“ Guo Yixiu; Finding Aesthetics within Structures” )
2014 “Attached to our Urban Jungle” By Rachel Loi, Business Times, 17/10/2014, Singapore
2014 “ Can ‘affordable art’ be a good investment? “ By Helmi Yusof , The Business times, Singapore , 23/05/2014
2013 “Art Season” By Huang Lijie, The Straits Times, Singapore, 15/10/2013 2013 “People Powered” By Deepika Shetty, The Straits Times, Singapore, 15/10/2013
2013 “ New Talents for Bienalle” By Deepika Shetty, The Straits Times, Singapore, 10/05/2013
2013 “Patrons and Pals” By Huang Lijie, The Straits Times, Singapore, 22/01/2013
2012 “母親和女兒的鞋子”－ 郭奕秀个展， 吴启基， 聯合早報 28/08/2012 , Singapore . (“ The Shoes of Mother and Daughter” , a solo exhibition by Guo Yixiu , written by Mr. Goh Qi Ji, Lian He Morning Papers, Singapore)
2012 “Bringing Artists and Curators Together” By Gladys Teoh, Pocket Arts Guide, April Issue, Singapore
2011 “Photographic Composition”; Written Paper by Guo Yixiu for the Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA) Programme, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
2010 "Staging Narratives: The work of five emerging fine art photographers" by Yvonne Lim, Confabulation magazine
EXPERIENCE
2012 - 2018 Educating Officer at Ministry of Education, Singapore