Quek Kiat Sing, Dahlia on Newsprint, 2009

Woodblock print
28.6 x 35 cm (visible), 42.5 x 32.5 x 3.5 cm (framed)
Condition: Good, with undulations on the work
Edition of 10

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Quek Kiat Sing (b. 1972, Singapore) juxtaposes modern-day subjects with traditional Chinese Ink to emphasise the relevance of Asian culture in contemporary life. She received numerous awards and has a permanent site-specific commission Everyday Singapore 每日所见 at Shenton Way MRT Station featuring familiar scenes in the vicinity depicted in her signature contemporary ink style with a tinge of humour.

The artist is an accomplished ink painter and seal carver who occasionally creates limited-edition prints. Here she experimented with print-on-newsprint on different broadsheets. As with most Chinese ink artists, flowers and what they represent, are regular subject matter. The dahlia symbolizes beauty, resilience and rebirth as its genetic diversity allows for easy hybridization. 

I found the juxtaposition of the indomitable dahlia on the distinct peachy hues of the FT clever and ironic in light of the then recent Lehman crash. The original market data on the page has been obliterated by ink and rendered irrelevant, but in its destruction, the sheet has attained a new status as art. Similarly, the annihilation of Lehman Brothers cemented its name in history.  

The painting is framed without glass/acrylic.