Commissioned by the National Arts Council of Singapore as part of the “Pictures at an (SG) Exhibition” project

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Programme Notes

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Awash in white and grey hues, Singaporean artist Lin Hsin Hsin’s painting how deep is the ocean? (1989) presents a picture of serenity at first glance. While looking at it, however, I am immediately engulfed in the all-pervading sense of emptiness and death evoked by its pale tones, grey shadows, and the occasional spots of color, as well as the incomplete surrealist outline of a four-fingered hand boldly standing in stark contrast against the rest of the painting, conveying a sense of “not waving but drowning.” The abstract expression of muted horror is peaceful and even poetic in its subtlety, and I attempt to recreate that atmosphere through my music. My composition is merely a musical representation of my own emotional response to Lin's artwork.

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Performance History

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Premiered by musicians Sheng Jia-Min (piccolo) and Cheong Mun Hoe (clarinet) from the Philharmonic Winds, on 26 & 27 October 2019 at the National Gallery of Singapore