FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Dotty about Yayoi

Dotty about Yayoi

Singapore's Gallery & Co celebrates the National Gallery Singapore’s exhibition “Yayoi Kusama: Life is the Heart of a Rainbow” by Japanese avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama, aka the polka dot queen, by offering exclusive merchandise.

The firm, which holds the exclusive rights to products featuring Kusama’s artwork, has created the items to run in conjunction with the exhibition, which continues until September 3.

Polka-dot patterns in different colour combinations and with recurring pumpkin motifs are the icons of the eccentric Japanese purveyor of optical delusions and these now decorate an umbrella, enamel pins, tote bags, pouches and homeware, bringing her fantastical imagination to life.

Dotty about Yayoi

"Dots Obsession" by Yayoi Kusama at the courtyard of the Nation Gallery Singapore

Kusama, 88, is eccentric for an understandable reason. She’s experienced hallucinations since childhood and now lives in her Tokyo studio close to the psychiatric hospital where she’s resided by choice since the mid-1970s.

Gallery & Co has also collaborated with local creative studio and gallery shop Supermama to launch two pairs of socks, made in Nara, Japan and adorned with Kusama’s artworks from the exhibition. The socks will be available from early July.

Dotty about Yayoi

“Supermama works closely with many Singaporean designers and Japanese craft facilities to produce omiyage (contemporary giftware) representing contemporary Singaporean culture,” says Arthur Chin, partner and design lead of Gallery & Co. “Their strong representation in fusing Japanese craft with Singaporean culture drew us to collaborate and create a unique, yet relevant, Yayoi Kusama product that caters to Singapore’s market.”

Dotty about Yayoi

Gallery & Co at the National Gallery Singapore

Going one step further, the cafe, situated adjacent to the art shop, is offering dishes that reflect the vibrant colours of Kusama’s artwork and draw inspiration from her constant emphasis on dots as “a way to infinity”. The ingredients used in the dishes will be familiar to locals and visitors from the region and include coconut mousse, shimeji mushroom, dragon fruit, bubble tea balls, and more, all presented in a manner that embodies her work in culinary form.

Dotty about Yayoi

The appetiser is pickled baby beetroot, feta cheese and pistachio crumble (S$12/Bt295) while the main course features pan-seared chicken, quinoa, fregola, pumpkin puree, pickled seasonal vegetables and shimeji mushroom (S$25). Creatively crafted in pumpkin-like form dotted in black, the dessert of coconut mousse, mango curd and cubes, pumpkin sponge and pumpkin biscuit pleases both the taste buds and the eyes. It’s priced at S$12.5. The meal can be washed down with bubble tea (S$7.5) – a combination of black tea, passion fruit and strawberry syrups, chia seeds, and dragon fruit balls.

For details, go to www.Galleryand.co.

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