WONDERING
Climate crisis is the greatest existential threat to humanity. Like many of my generation, I worry about what the future will be like for my peers and I, and for life on this planet. Instead of taking to the streets to protest climate inaction, I choose to express my sentiments and reflections on climate change and ecological calamity through my artistic practice.
How would the world look like if the planet continues to heat up unabated? What will become of humanity? Of life on this planet? Through this series, I embark on a journey where I am able to contemplate the long-term impact of climate change on the place we call home. Through my mastery of the etching technique, I explore my concerns of the wellbeing of our planet; I invite the audience to reflect on the implications of our actions through this grim future scape.
Inspired by the work of Casper David Friedrich, I rely on the ‘wanderer’, a mysterious lone figure with only its back in view, to direct our gaze at the foreboding landscapes. Essentially, this wanderer is the personification of myself etched in to the landscape. Reclaimed by nature, the setting is devoid of people, with vistas of the future resembling landscapes of bygone times. I complement this approach of expression with a theatrical use of lighting, which Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 – 1778) has applied to good effect to invoke a sense of rebirth and renewal of ancient architectural monuments. Through these haunting images of our future world, I urge for us to be more environmentally conscious in our daily habits and lifestyle, to reduce our carbon emission and change the way we treat mother earth.
Gallery
Tan Kar Mern Aquatint and Etching on Fabiano Rosapina Paper 38.1 x 55.88cm (2021) Edition of 3 RM3,300.
Tan Kar Mern Aquatint and Etching on Fabriano Rosapina Paper 38.1 x 55.88cm (2021) Edition of 3 RM3,300
Tan Kar Mern Aquatint and Etching on Fabriano Rosapina Paper 38.1 x 55.88cm (2021) Edition of 3 RM 3,300
Tan Kar Mern Aquatint and Etching on Fabriano Rosapina Paper 55.88 x 38.1cm (2021) Edition of 3 RM3,300
Tan Kar Mern Aquatint and Etching on Fabriano Rosapina Paper 38.1 x 55.88cm, (2021) Edition of 3 RM3,300
Tan Kar Mern Aquatint and Etching on Fabriano Rosapina Paper 38.1 x 55.88cm (2021) Edition of 3 RM3,300
Framed first edition prints from the series Wondering
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About the Artist
Tan Kar Mern at printmaking studio Chetak 12
Tan Kar Mern at printmaking studio Chetak 12
Tan Kar Mern with Print series Wondering
Tan Kar Mern at printmaking studio Chetak 12
Tan Kar Mern (b.1989) is an artist and printmaker who specialises in etching (intaglio), screen print, relief, and lithography. As someone with Asperger’s Syndrome, her artistic practice has been crucial in providing herself with a platform to express her thoughts and concerns. Having pursued her further education in England, her time abroad allowed her to enhance her artistic techniques and foster her appreciation of the creative work of many renowned artists. Notably, she draws inspiration from Pirenesi’s prison etching series, Canaletto landscape drawing of buildings, Rembrandt’s play with light and shadow, and Casper Friedrich’s Wanderer above the Sea Fog.
Kar Mern has participated in over thirty-seven exhibitions in the last seven years, both locally and abroad. Her work has been showcased in the United Kingdom, Greece, Japan, Germany, USA, and Poland. Her first solo exhibition, entitled The Study of Life Adapting to the Chaos of Cityscapes (2018) was held at The Refinery Gallery in Kuala Lumpur. Her concern for climate change, and her fascination for science fiction movies and brutalist architecture have found expression in her artistic creations.
She holds a Master’s degree in MA Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking (2017), a Bachelor’s Degree in Drawing and Applied Arts (2015) from University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), and a Diploma in Illustration from The One Academy (2012).