We were delighted with the opportunity to collaborate with Singaporean artist Aaron Gan. This limited-edition series, called JOY, has bright colors, beautiful plants and flowers, along with a joyful little bird in each painting; this bird symbolizes gratitude with his backward glance towards the people who have helped in the past.
Aaron is a wonderful artist who works in a traditional technique but with a modern style. Born in Singapore in 1979, Gan graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Dean’s List) from the University of Western Australia in 2003. In 2012, he gave up his corporate career to fulfil his childhood promise to become a professional artist.
Following his numerous sell-out shows, Gan’s artworks have been collected and commissioned widely both in Singapore and internationally. He won UOB Painting of the Year 2015, Gold Award, Established Artist Category. In 2017, he collaborated with Nespresso on a regional media campaign spanning Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. And in 2018, Gan was appointed the Art Ambassador for Faber-Castell, Singapore.
Ho Meng Yee the founder of Qua fine lacquerware, felt that Aaron’s art was the perfect style to apply to the lacquer items. Qua products are known for their exceptional high-quality and he is a meticulous artist. When she first approached Aaron he was very exciting to see his art applied on a different medium.
The Ixora flower is also called Scarlet Jungle Flame or Flame of the Woods. This beautiful red flower is found everywhere in Singapore. It flowers all year in tropical climates, and with its large round clusters of many small flowers it really adds colour to any setting. The colour red represents good fortune and happiness.
The Orchid flower is delicate, elegant and a symbol of refinement. It symbolizes many children and abundance. Singapore has a unique culture of naming selected hybrid orchids after celebrities and heads of State that visit and Singapore’s own National Flower is a hybrid named Vanda Miss Joaquim.
Mandarins are a very auspicious symbol of abundance and happiness, being aligned with the yang (positive) principle. The Chinese word for Mandarin - kam – sounds similar to the word for gold. It is a tradition to have a pair of mandarins in your home for Chinese New Year.
Bamboo one of the most popular plants for Chinese New Year, is a symbol of good luck, prosperity and strength. This plant is also often used in Feng Shui around the home. The Bamboo shoots grow fast thus symbolizing your good luck piling up.
Six items were chosen to start the collection and focused on a round shape: a set of four coasters, a round tray, two sizes of Goodie Box, a tissue box and a round trinket box. The collection is very colorful, with the base colour matching the painting, this is perfect to add a hint of colour in your home!
When you purchase one of these items you are the lucky person to then own a piece of Aaron’s artwork for yourself! It is so hard these days to find gifts that not only tell a story but are also thoughtful and functional.
Launched in January 2020 the first run of Limited-Edition pieces virtually sold out! Click here for the launch event held on 18 Jan at Paragon Atrium.
Please look for the full collection on our website. http://qua.com.sg/Collections/Joy-By-Aaron-Gan