James Bacon reviews Temenggong-SuperAni 2025, a stunning exhibition of art in Singapore – the first of three special reports for downthetubes from Asia…
As I left the incredibly vibrant Singapore Comic Con (more on that soon) to make my way to the Temenggong-SuperAni 2025 Exhibition, I felt an incredible change in environment, as I left the futuristic city and entered leafy surroundings; and then into the hilly forested area of the Temenggong artists residence. It’s as if one is entering an oasis of calm, relaxed quiet and a special place that is about art and the artists.
The residence itself is an extraordinary building: historical and beautiful.
Henri Chen KeZhan is a Chinese ink painter and the founder of Temenggong Artists-In-Residence, a place where he can take time and space to be, well, artistic, and with the artistic director Reis Lee there was a unique desire to bring works to the people. Temenggong exists as a refuge and incubator for artists to create, and so a selection of artists were invited.
Originally, the invitation had been extended to the renowned artist Kim Jung Gi, but he sadly passed away before he could attend, so, in his honour, SuperAni sent a delegation of art and artists, and this was hugely popular with the local audience.
The original exhibition was such a success, and the SuperAni artists enjoyed the experience so much, this has become an annual event, this year marking the third collaboration between Temenggong and SuperAni. This year, the exhibition built on that, recognising the growth and importance of internationalism.
The residence contains the selection of works, combining pieces submitted from 50 Korean artists as a nod to the 50th Anniversary of bilateral links between Singapore and Korea, complemented by ten pieces submitted by Singaporean artists for a total of sixty pieces, referencing the SG60 events, celebrating the 60th year of Singapore’s independence.
I was astonished at the grandeur and atmosphere of the Temenggong residence, and of course the art. I got the opportunity to peruse the sixty pieces of art on display thanks to Reis Lee and was delighted by the wonderful selection of work by Kim Jung Gi. Readers will recognise Kim Jung Gi as an artist who worked on Marvel’s Civil War II, Image Comics Firepower and also appearing in Heavy Metal. His style is instantly recognisable from the fluid brush strokes and immersive composition, which he was famous for creating, without any reference material or pauses, seeming to flow directly from his mind to the canvas.
The art showing is stunning, there is a uniformity here as despite mixture of approaches, painting, sculpture, comics, photography, installation and design – all looking at “spirit and stories”. There was a requirement to produce work in a 21 x 21 cm, although it is clear that the constraints of any physical dimensions were not an issue for the unrestricted imaginations of the artists. The back grounds of the artists involved is amazing,
Present were three artists: STONEHOUSE, Kim Dongho and Kim Hyun Jin, each popular and distinctively brilliant, but very different in styles.
In a beautiful high ceiling room, one is confronted by 24 pieces, all square, perfectly hung on every wall. But there is incredible variety, and distinctiveness.
A subtle pair of paintings, by Ashley Yeo and Luke Heng start one off gently, but soon there is excitement.
“Working Boyz in Merlion City” by BAZBON depicts his caricature characters The Working Boyz climbing atop the Merlion, the symbol and icon of Singapore.
Leo Park, who is currently sixteen, created an incredible piece “Voyage to Singapore: The Ship of Korea” capturing a selection of Singapore Architecture with a sense of symmetry and combination which is brilliant. (Leo published Leo’s Art Adventure in the United Kingdom: The Boy Who Draws the World when he was thirteen!)
Kim Hyun Jin’s “Singapore Lady in Opera Costume” is very beautiful, an oil of a woman in Singapore in “exquisite traditional Chinese opera attire.” He is both a teacher and an artist and founded Superani in 2001 with the late Kim Jung Gi as a collective resource for artists which led to the creation of the Superani publishing house in 2007
Song Jihyun’s “Myself” was unexpected, “Exploring the inner self, the artist portrays distorted human figures through deformed dolls that reflect society’s imposed standards. She personally feels that the deformed dolls are shaped to fit the mould of our fast society, representing both myself and the portrait of us all. Within them lies the imbalance of the inner self and the tremor of existence.”
… While VAGAB (Kim Jungyoun)’s “Singapore GP” combined two passions, Formula One and popular culture, as portrayed by Ash in an F1 setting.
I thought that “Bloom in Between by” Zipcy (Yang Se Eun) was really interesting, as she captured “Two blossoms bloom within a single breath. In the stillness between them, her gaze bridges two worlds.”
In another room, there were ten pieces by Kim Jung Gi, arranged sequentially by year to show the last decade of his work – some directly inspired from films, book illustration, and a reflection of the incredible penwork that Kim Jung Gi possessed, as well as a beautifully coloured Seal Team, which became his logo.
Kim Dongho’s “Prawn Noodles” draws on both local and popular culture as we see the Marvel Comics anti-hero Venom in a Singaporean setting eating the popular local dish. Kim Dongho is keen to share his love of art, and he has a You Tube Channel, where he posts instructional videos and some of his live drawing events. As one of the visiting artists, he had eight other pieces on display, and they really demonstrated the action and imagination that are his signature style.
Also a further selection of Kim Hyun Jin’s work, which was lovely to see. Song Min Chan’s “Mermaid in Hanbok” mixed Singaporean and Korean cultural aspects, in a piece in graphite, which was really quite eye-catching. Song Min Chan is a Korean webtoon artist, currently working on the ongoing series, “Gwanjon Lee Kangjin”.
“Singapore Girl” by MISS JISU (Jisu Kim) was another artist, whose beautiful depiction of a Singapore Airlines hostess was one of the first pieces to be sold, in part due to her popularity as one of the previous Superani visiting guests. She is currently working on a full-color Sci-Fi military action webtoon “Kill the Dragon“, in a very different style from her usual ‘softer’ pieces, showcasing her versatility as an artist.
Lee Seung Lim’s “Singapore Merlion” and Animato’s (Lee Seungjin) “Singapore Iconic Landmarks”, was grouped with Peter Han’s “Badang x Banjjogi”, and gave a sense of the amazing skill and variation that was being presented. Peter Han is notable for being the only US based member of SuperAni, being Korean-American, but has a global reach via his website where he hosts in-depth illustration courses.
STONEHOUSE (Seok Jung Woo), “Superhero in Singapore” was superb, “combining iconic elements such as the Merlion, the myna bird and Marina Bay Sands”. STONEHOUSE is a Marvel Comics cover artist, as well as former Professor of Webtoon & Illustration and author of “STONEHOUSES’s Anatomy” anatomy tutorials, utilising an innovative story telling approach to the structures of the body.
As one enters – for I had viewed the exhibition in reverse – is a wonderful, massive piece by Kim Jung Gi in the lovely entranceway of Temenggong. This is “Soohorang and Bandabi”, a 145 cm x 106 cm incredible piece in brush and pen, which was an official promotional illustration for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, with Soohorang (the white tiger) and Bandabi (the Asiatic black bear/Moon Bear) building a snow sled together. These two animals are inspired by Korea’s foundation myth, the Dangun legend (the founding myth of Gojoseon, Korea’s first historical kingdom). “Soohorang and Bandabi” symbolise the tiger and bear from this ancient legend, representing protection, strength, and the deep historical roots of Korea, while also serving as the friendly mascots of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics.”
(There’s a picture here on Instagram of the piece and Kim Hyun Jin, who chose it for the exhibition).
This is an incredible piece, that greets viewers as they enter Temenggong, it’s so wonderful and represents so much positivity and is presented in an incredible artistic style and I was not alone in my appreciation of the work.
The importance and deference given to Art by both Singapore and South Korea. Two countries which are very clever when it comes to both economics and internationalism, must be noted. I observed a very large and sleek Mercedes-Benz arriving amongst other prestigious vehicles, and soon we were joined by the ambassador for South Korea, amongst other dignitaries, including Singaporean Members of Parliament and several of the local artists participating in the exhibition.
Unfortunately, the Chairman of Temenggong was stuck performing surgery, so the opening remarks fell to Christopher Hwang, who, with fellow writer Elwin Chan, helped provide guidance literature for many of the works here. He spoke of the importance of art and development and how both countries embracing one another’s cultures was so positive and his passion for art was clear.
Simon Tay (Ambassador & Chairman, Singapore Institute of International Affairs) then also spoke eloquently and was followed by Ambassador Hong Jin-wook, of the Republic of Korea, who gave him very delightful speech which was followed by the enthusiastic Member of Parliament for Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC David Hoe, who was effusive about his support for the exhibition, and then the Exhibition was officially opened as Artists joined for photographs and led the considerable amount of people around the exhibition.
I quietly slipped away, but one felt like OUR ART was being really appreciated here, do you know what I mean? This fusion of youthful ingenuity and experienced brilliance, the pop culture, the vibrancy of the imagery, the influences, the Manhwa, the comic and manga influence and characters, it was all welcome, all being appreciated here on a level that was impressive, thoughtful, courteous and available to see, to enjoy and reflect on.
It’s the collaborativeness, internationally that is so very remarkable, of course, we know that there is appreciation for comics, in all their forms, but it is always especially wonderful to see.
Jame Bacon
Many thanks to Reis Lee and Christopher Hwang for facilitating a downthetubes to visit, and accommodating James Bacon on his visit.
• Temenggong-SuperAni 2025: Celebrating 50 Years of Singapore-South Korea Bilateral Relations and Singapore’s 60th Anniversary, Artists-In-Residence, 28 Temenggong Road Singapore 098775 | Website | Facebook
Vision: Inspiring people and the world with our art and cultural heritage values
Mission: To create multifaceted and authentic content based on art, culture, and heritage backgrounds, and leave positive ripple effects for people.
Artists Helping Artists: Established in 2009, Temenggong Artists-In-Residence is a nonprofit arts company founded by Singapore artist Henri Chen KeZhan. By presenting authentic and meaningful events, Temenggong strives to educate and inspire the public about the arts, heritage, and cultural appreciation.
Temenggong features visual arts, films, design, music, architecture, artistic, cultural, and heritage traditions to enhance multicultural exchanges and learning, augment public educational outreach, and foster cross-cultural understanding in a diverse and inclusive Singapore. By doing so, we engage in deeper communication, participation and learning.
The first arts residency in Singapore with such initiatives and content, Temenggong is a living museum of art and historical artefacts. Together with our dedicated Board of Directors and volunteers, they strive to continue providing free events for all to attend.
Exhibits and Live drawing was occurring from:
STONEHOUSE Kim Dongho and Kim Hyun Jin
Participating artists from Korea:
Yang See Un
Park Jae Kwang
Choi Yun Jin
Kim Dae Yeon
Kim Tae Yeon
Choi Hyung Nae
Kim Ji Su
Park Jun Ho
Jeung Kiu Ha
Kim Dongho
Park Ji Hoon
Yu Yong U
Lee Seung Jin
O Hyun Seok
Gwon Seok Bin
Song Jihyun
Lee Seung Lim
Kim Chan Young
Son Chang Hyun
Kim Han Soo
Song Min Chan
Kim Kwang Sung
Lim Kye Oul
Song Jin Woo
Jang Hye Mi
Shim Jae Woo
Kim Hyun Jin
Hwang Mi-young
Seok Jung Woo
Peter Han
Lee Bo In
Jo Eun Byeol
Choi Yoon Ji
Joo Jae Bum
Lee Dong Hoon
Seol Don Hju
Kim Seunghye
Kang Yeon Seok
Lee Hee Jun
Kim Jung Youn
Byeon Ye Gyeong
Choi Bum Sik
Park Yu Na
Yang Ye Ri
Go II Kwon
Park So Hun
Sang Hyun Cho
Kim Min Jung
Cha Yu Jeong
Cha Cha
Participating artists from Singapore:
Ashley Yeo
Anna Du Toit
Chen KeZhan
John Clang
Luke Heng
Milenko Prvacki
PHUNK
Roy Wang
Sonny Liew
Theseus Chan
The exhibition was supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Singapore. Exhibition content was written by Elwin Chan & Christopher Hwang
All Photos ©️ James Bacon | All art ©️ respective creators
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
James Bacon (he/him) is an Irish fan, a train driver living in London. A Hugo Award-winning editor of the fanzine “Journey Planet”, he is a comic fan and enjoys comic art, war Comics, Star Wars, Irish aspects to comics and railways in comics or otherwise. He has been writing about comics for over thirty years.
Categories: Art and Illustration, Comic Art, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, Exhibitions, Features, Other Worlds, Reviews
In Review: Into Battle: The Art of British War Comics 
Comics Abroad: A Visit to the Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco
Leave a Reply