Little girls embodying different stories of a life journey, superheroes reframed, human correlation adjusted, dolls alienated, faces and places reconfigured. These are just some of the narratives that unfold in the paintings and sculptures of nine artists gathered in
"We ARE Contemporary A R T !". They are transcriptions of new mythologies arising from the tensions and opportunities generated by globalisation and rapid modernisation in this part of the world, known as Asia.

The stories of Andre Tan from Singapore, You Jin Young, Lee So Yoon, Yi Hwan Kwon and Lee Myung Jin from Korea draw inspiration from urban life: the mass media, alienation and solitude for example. Sujana I Nyoman and Wiradana I Made from Indonesia, on the other hand, present a different set of mythologies. In their paintings, man plays in the laps of benign nature, and wildlife and humankind live in harmony. With the relatively conventional means of oil on canvas, they create a world of lyrical existence. The representational mode is distinct in its celebration of simplified forms and pictorial rhythms.

This idyllic world contrasts with the sculptures of Astari and Pintor Sirait - also from Indonesia, which slide between the idolisation and critique of popular and consumerist culture. No newcomer to the international arena, their works are bold in conception. In juxtaposing brand names and status symbols, Astari lays bare the absurdity of frenzied material pursuit.

In expounding subject matter that is close to their hearts, the artists draw on varied new media and technique. Sculpture in particular is here redefined in dynamic ways: Lee Myung Jin uses photographic images to add visual texture to the wall reliefs, whose palette rejects the immaculate white of classicism; Lee So Yoon closes the gap between her personal mythology and the audience by integrating her sculptures into the exhibition space with benches and other ingenious fixtures. Different media are combined in a single work: paint, fibreglass, polyester film, etc.

Myths populate ancient memory. The Greeks created Prometheus; the Chinese spoke of Hou Yi shooting down the nine suns; Indians gave us the Mahabharata and many more. Today, in our world of relativity where worlds collide and conflate, we continue to create mythologies. With "We ARE Contemporary A R T !", we look at young artists from this part of the world, who are ready to take on the larger challenges facing them today through myth-making - individuals each with their own dreams, hopes and aspirations.

YK