An Image of a Tiger

Galerie Pompom

17 October – 11 November 2018

Special Thanks to Canbora Bayraktar, Tom Blake, Priscilla Bourne, Anne Bradford, Chris Dolman, Emma Fielden, Rebecca Gallo, Aaron Kiernan, Delilah Lyses-sApo, Chris Ross, Garry Trinh and Alana Wesley.

In An Image of a Tiger, Jess Bradford examines a Chinese cultural theme park in Singapore called The Tiger Balm Gardens to explore memory, cultural identity and representation. The fantastical Gardens depict traditional Chinese myths, history and folklore with outlandish painted concrete sculptures and dioramas set within fabricated grottos and mountainscapes.  In her first solo show with Galerie Pompom, Bradford presents a series of miniature photorealist paintings and ceramic sculptures based on photographic documents, all installed within an encompassing wooden installation reminiscent of forms and pathways within the park.    Having visited the park as a child, the artist now uses this site to explore her ambivalent connection to Singaporean-Chinese culture. She considers the site from both a personal and critical perspective, examining how the Garden relates to broader narratives of cultural and national identity.

Exhibition essay | Art Asia Pacific review | Running Dog review

Installation Photography by Docqment | Artwork Photography by Garry Trinh