Eye/Feel/Write: Experiments In Ekphrasis

What happens when art meets literature? How does a writer view an artwork, and render new writing that stands on its own as a work of art? A special commission by the National Arts Council for the Singapore Writers Festival, Eye/Feel/Write: Experiments in Ekphrasis, edited by Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé, is an ekphrastic project that pairs twenty eminent writers in Singapore to pen texts inspired by artworks exhibited at The National Gallery Singapore and Singapore Art Museum. The twenty distinguished contributors include: Alfian Sa’at, Alvin Pang, Anne Lee Tzu Pheng, Chow Teck Seng, Divya Victor, Edwin Thumboo, Eric Tinsay Valles, Gwee Li Sui, Isa Kamari, Jerrold Yam, Jollin Tan, Joshua Ip, K. Kanagalatha (Latha), Leong Liew Geok, Ovidia Yu, Ramanathan Vairavan, Robin Hemley, Tan Chee Lay, Yeow Kai Chai, and Yong Shu Hoong. The selected artworks cover a wide range, from contemporary to heritage. Each text interacts with the artwork’s material while also exploring new interpretations: teasing, testing, extending, tasting, in acts of transference. This relationship between the artist and writer produces a form of experimentation in literary expression. Desmond Kon Zhicheng-Mingdé is an author and editor, founding editor of Squircle Line Press, and has edited over fifteen books and co-produced several audio books, including projects for non-profit organizations.