Two of a Kind I: : Shen Jiaqi and Israfil Ridhwan
Two of a Kind I brings together two concurrent solo presentations by two Singaporean artists at Cuturi Gallery: ___ was here by Shen Jiaqi and Still Air by Israfil Ridhwan, presented across the gallery's spaces. Bringing together their latest bodies of work, the exhibition foregrounds two distinct artistic approaches, each rooted in its own inquiry.
___ was here by Shen Jiaqi (b. 1989, Singapore) draws inspiration from neighbourhood playgrounds and everyday architecture, spaces that are constantly transformed through the city’s redevelopment. Through these familiar sites, Shen explores the interplay between play and memory, and our instinctive desire to hold on to places and experiences long after they have changed. This exploration emerges from a sense of childhood stubbornness that Shen approaches through the language of play rather than nostalgia. For her, childhood embodies a quiet form of resistance, a refusal to accept that some things are simply beyond our control.
Spanning across paintings and light work, this series also introduces a new body of sculptures that combine reclaimed concrete collected from renovation and demolition sites with hand-blown glass forms inspired by childhood balloon toys. Each glass element is carefully moulded to fit its corresponding concrete fragment like a jigsaw puzzle; an attempt to piece together places from fragmented memories.
Still Air is a new series by Singapore-born artist Israfil Ridhwan (b. 1999), centred on the quiet rhythms of everyday life under the constant presence of heat and humidity. For Ridhwan, heat is not simply temperature but a physical and emotional state, at times oppressive and disorienting, at others warm and sensual.
Windows return throughout this series of works – frame after frame, every window carries the same unanswered question: is this an escape, a longing, a promise of freedom, or simply a way of facing where we are? The city has taught us to seek shelter indoors, beneath the hum of air conditioning and the restless turn of fans. Yet behind closed doors, the outside world refuses to stay outside. There is something particular about a humid Singapore night, when the heat clings after dark and the air seems to slow everything down. It softens the body, lowers the guard, and forces surrender. Humidity makes everything feel heavier, and the nights louder. What do people become under these conditions?
Two of a Kind I will be on view at Cuturi Gallery Singapore, 61 Aliwal Street, Singapore 199937 from 26 September till 7 November 2026.
