Black Banquet

This set of Siamese chairs was borne out of a project Yeo Chee Kiong undertook in his residency in Vermont in 2008. These chairs are a complement to the other set in the gallery. They are the ying to the yang of the other set. This set is to be seen as more gentle and feminine, as can be seen from the careful and seamless joining of two very distinct and different chairs. Yet because the entire piece is painted a matte black, the lines are blurred and they become one and the same work, instead of two separate entities.

The chair on the left is a traditional Chinese rosewood chair. While it is a recent piece from 2010, it is modeled after traditional Chinese hardwood furniture styles of yesteryear. It is juxtaposed with a vintage American Portland chair from 1970. This beautiful piece with a rattan seat is rounded and soft, while its rosewood companion is more angular and hard. Again, within the piece itself, Chee Kiong plays with opposites and juxtaposition. 

Because both chairs come from vastly different time periods and cultures, Chee Kiong wanted that reflected in the title. For him, the chairs are akin to human relationships. When two people are in an intimate relationship, they are both an item as well as two individuals. Likewise with the chairs. Here, what we have is a relationship of two individuals with a 30 year age difference, hence the title. On one hand, they are separated by over generational difference yet, they so seamlessly meld together like a joining of equals. 

Accompanying the Siamese chairs is a Balinese side-table and a lamp with one of Chee Kiong’s signature wigs. The side-table with the open drawer filled with water signifies the oddity of the piece. While it is practical and usable. They are chairs that can be sat upon after all. You begin to question that when you see the open drawer that cannot possibly function as a drawer for keep-sakes when it is flooded with water. It echoes the patch of “water” that resides on the chair, calling into question whether they are actually chairs if they look like chairs but cannot always function as a traditional chair. That is an important aspect of Chee Kiong’s work. The lamp functions both as a companion to the scene that is set before us, but also a reminder that this piece is part of a larger installation piece – Black Banquet and of the characters that make up the guests, and of the on-going dialogue and interaction of the piece.

1970 . January-December Relationship . 2010 is more intimate as compared to the dining table in the next room. It is private while the dining table is public, and acts as a reprieve for guests who wish to discuss matters discreetly and privately.