ENVISION Sculptures@The Garden City 2016
16 January - 15 April 2016
organized by iPRECIATION
Through the three larger-than-life Common Mynas, I would like to draw greater attention to the changing environment and urbanisation of Singapore. As we humans progress, our habits and developments of our environment lead to drastic habitat loss for these birds. By magnifying the birds in my sculptures, I wish to bring to light the degradation of our natural environment and the resulting decline of the Common Myna. I believe that we humans should not be concerned about toiling for our own survival; we should, at the same time, preserve sanctuaries for local species on the threshold of extinction. The exhibition of these sculptures can further cement Singapore’s support of environmental and fauna preservation.
This set of work references the Myna birds, a species commonly found all over Southeast Asia. The local Myna is the indigenous species found in Singapore as early as the 1920s. It is identified by its brown body, black hooded head, bare yellow patch behind the eyes, bright yellow bills and a white patch on the outer primaries. The Myna birds have become part of our local life and environment, where we see them every day, on the road, in the park or at our hawker centres. The artist was inspired to make this work as he discovered that with the rise of the Javan Myna over the last thirty years, the native Myna species population has decreased substantially from 543 birds in 1986 only 28 birds during the last census count by the Nature Society. This work aims to raise awareness on man’s relationship with the environment, to highlight how migratory patterns or external factors can leave an indelible and sometimes irreversible impact on the local population.
“The Common Myna is one of the native species found in Singapore in the early 1920s. It is readily identified by its brown body, black hooded head and the bare yellow patch behind the eyes. The bill and legs are bright yellow and there is a white patch on the outer primaries, and the wing lining on itsunderside is white as well. Both sexes are similar and birds are usually seen in pairs.
The Common Myna ruled the roosts of Singapore 30 years ago, but since then, the small black and brown bird has suffered a dramatic reversal of fortunes, losing its lofty perch to a relative, the Javan Myna. Its fall has been so steep that Nature Society (Singapore) volunteers counted just 28 birds during the latest census in 2015, compared with 543 in 1986. That is a tremendous decline for a species that was our most abundant bird only three decades ago, and now close to extinction.
Through the three larger-than-life Common Mynas, I would like to draw greater attention to the changing environment and urbanisation of Singapore. As we humans progress, our habits and developments of our environment lead to drastic habitat loss for these birds. By magnifying the birds in my sculptures, I wish to bring to light the degradation of our natural environment and the resulting decline of the Common Myna. I believe that we humans should not be concerned about toiling for our own survival; we should, at the same time, preserve sanctuaries for local species on the threshold of extinction. The exhibition of these sculptures can further cement Singapore’s support of environmental and fauna preservation.” – Statement by Lim Soo Ngee
“The Common Myna is one of the native species found in Singapore in the early 1920s. It is readily identified by its brown body, black hooded head and the bare yellow patch behind the eyes. The bill and legs are bright yellow and there is a white patch on the outer primaries, and the wing lining on itsunderside is white as well. Both sexes are similar and birds are usually seen in pairs.
The Common Myna ruled the roosts of Singapore 30 years ago, but since then, the small black and brown bird has suffered a dramatic reversal of fortunes, losing its lofty perch to a relative, the Javan Myna. Its fall has been so steep that Nature Society (Singapore) volunteers counted just 28 birds during the latest census in 2015, compared with 543 in 1986. That is a tremendous decline for a species that was our most abundant bird only three decades ago, and now close to extinction.
Through the three larger-than-life Common Mynas, I would like to draw greater attention to the changing environment and urbanisation of Singapore. As we humans progress, our habits and developments of our environment lead to drastic habitat loss for these birds. By magnifying the birds in my sculptures, I wish to bring to light the degradation of our natural environment and the resulting decline of the Common Myna. I believe that we humans should not be concerned about toiling for our own survival; we should, at the same time, preserve sanctuaries for local species on the threshold of extinction. The exhibition of these sculptures can further cement Singapore’s support of environmental and fauna preservation.” – Statement by Lim Soo Ngee