Re-evaluating 'feminism' in the art practice of Amanda Heng from the 1990s to the present

This study is an urgent call to redress the conflicting definitions of ‘feminism’ in Singapore and its resulting effect in the study of the Singaporean artist Amanda Heng. It seeks to understand how certain labels – such as “feminist” – promote essentialist tendencies that ignore the diverse diff...

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Main Author: Chang, Natalie Min
Other Authors: Marc Gloede
Format: Thesis-Master by Coursework
Language:English
Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/157106
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-1571062023-03-11T20:03:37Z Re-evaluating 'feminism' in the art practice of Amanda Heng from the 1990s to the present Chang, Natalie Min Marc Gloede School of Art, Design and Media marc.gloede@ntu.edu.sg Visual arts and music::Art museums and galleries This study is an urgent call to redress the conflicting definitions of ‘feminism’ in Singapore and its resulting effect in the study of the Singaporean artist Amanda Heng. It seeks to understand how certain labels – such as “feminist” – promote essentialist tendencies that ignore the diverse differences in the study of (women) artists in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Can women ever be perceived outside of their prescribed gender roles? Can a woman artist ever be defined as merely an artist? How has feminism/-s abetted or hindered specifically gender-centric discourses in Singapore and Southeast Asian contemporary art history? Taking these questions as a starting point, the study proposes a repositioning of feminist parameters that have restricted Heng’s practice while subtly addressing the intersectional concerns of women’s experience in the mainstream. Through an analysis of the artist’s work from the 1990s to the present, it will examine aspects of community and collaboration by bringing into focus the universal aspects of cultural and collective memory. Although performance art has become an important mainstay in Heng’s practice, this study will instead focus on her more project-based and collaborative work as a means of identifying how her practice has evolved over time. Such a focus allows for parallel contemplation of her early and more recent work by instigating dialogue between the two with each other. The study concludes by highlighting the language of feminism that Heng has adapted in creating a discourse of gender that benefits society as a whole. In so doing, it argues that Heng has used this language to call into question and break down the different hierarchies of gender, domestic labour, and the role of the artist within her practice. Master of Arts (Museum Studies and Curatorial Practices) 2022-05-10T13:00:18Z 2022-05-10T13:00:18Z 2020 Thesis-Master by Coursework Chang, N. M. (2020). Re-evaluating 'feminism' in the art practice of Amanda Heng from the 1990s to the present. Master's thesis, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/157106 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/157106 en application/pdf Nanyang Technological University
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic Visual arts and music::Art museums and galleries
spellingShingle Visual arts and music::Art museums and galleries
Chang, Natalie Min
Re-evaluating 'feminism' in the art practice of Amanda Heng from the 1990s to the present
description This study is an urgent call to redress the conflicting definitions of ‘feminism’ in Singapore and its resulting effect in the study of the Singaporean artist Amanda Heng. It seeks to understand how certain labels – such as “feminist” – promote essentialist tendencies that ignore the diverse differences in the study of (women) artists in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Can women ever be perceived outside of their prescribed gender roles? Can a woman artist ever be defined as merely an artist? How has feminism/-s abetted or hindered specifically gender-centric discourses in Singapore and Southeast Asian contemporary art history? Taking these questions as a starting point, the study proposes a repositioning of feminist parameters that have restricted Heng’s practice while subtly addressing the intersectional concerns of women’s experience in the mainstream. Through an analysis of the artist’s work from the 1990s to the present, it will examine aspects of community and collaboration by bringing into focus the universal aspects of cultural and collective memory. Although performance art has become an important mainstay in Heng’s practice, this study will instead focus on her more project-based and collaborative work as a means of identifying how her practice has evolved over time. Such a focus allows for parallel contemplation of her early and more recent work by instigating dialogue between the two with each other. The study concludes by highlighting the language of feminism that Heng has adapted in creating a discourse of gender that benefits society as a whole. In so doing, it argues that Heng has used this language to call into question and break down the different hierarchies of gender, domestic labour, and the role of the artist within her practice.
author2 Marc Gloede
author_facet Marc Gloede
Chang, Natalie Min
format Thesis-Master by Coursework
author Chang, Natalie Min
author_sort Chang, Natalie Min
title Re-evaluating 'feminism' in the art practice of Amanda Heng from the 1990s to the present
title_short Re-evaluating 'feminism' in the art practice of Amanda Heng from the 1990s to the present
title_full Re-evaluating 'feminism' in the art practice of Amanda Heng from the 1990s to the present
title_fullStr Re-evaluating 'feminism' in the art practice of Amanda Heng from the 1990s to the present
title_full_unstemmed Re-evaluating 'feminism' in the art practice of Amanda Heng from the 1990s to the present
title_sort re-evaluating 'feminism' in the art practice of amanda heng from the 1990s to the present
publisher Nanyang Technological University
publishDate 2022
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/157106
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