Come April, TheatreWorks/72-13 will be presenting RPM –Associate Director Choy Ka Fai’s new work for 2009, which also sees him collaborating with Japanese dance company, Contact Gonzo and director/performer, Li Xie from Singapore.

Revolution-Per-Minute -or RPM- is entirely based on the state of the human condition when involved in extreme shock. Together with writer Robin Loon, Choy displays this reaction through three protagonists: An accident involving a high-speed motorcycle and a pedestrian, witnessed by a passer-by. Contact Gonzo creates a form of contemporary dance where movements are derived from everyday actions. The performance will tie in with a sound and multimedia installation by Zulkifle Mahmod, making RPM a sensory piece of work. Expect a brilliant portrayal from Li Xie as she plays out the witness’ psychological trauma due to the accident.

23 to 25 April, 8pm (3pm matinee on 25 April) at TheatreWorks, 72-13 Mohamed Sultan Road. For ticket purchase ($15-$28), please call 6737 7213 or email to tworks@singnet.com.sg.

How do you sit? Sideways, cross legged, stretched out?

Char Xinyan recently obtained her Diploma in Interior Design from the Singapore Polytechnic School of Design. Her ‘Gorgeous Style’ chair forms a long chain of relaxation allowing just about any seating position. “The chair is designed for all age groups, allowing readers to sit any way they like. Books, laptops and magazines can be placed and slotted anywhere you want,” she adds.

What happens when you combine photography with all things sweet, lovely and delicate? Fever Dream, that’s what.

Founders of this fresh off independent zine, are 18-year-old shutterbugs Tiffany and Sarah. “We feel that Singapore does not yet have a magazine that focuses on the softer, scones-and-tea side of life,” Sarah explains.”We wanted to create something less mainstream and commercial, something that will inspire people to love and create their own art. We hope to create a somewhat “simpler” world, where instead of glossy images of luxury items, we feature quirky and vintage household deco and items as simple as handmade notebooks. We love all things eclectic! From random musings about life to interesting reads and beautiful writing, the zine features everything and anything that relates to the chosen theme for each issue.”

Says Tiffany: “We both choose film over digital anytime, because we appreciate the fact that one gives each frame deeper consideration when taking a photograph, as there is no previewing of the photograph one is about to capture. It makes it all the more magical when you see how the photograph turns out.”

Fever Dream’s first issue, themed ‘Bedrooms and Secrets’, boasts 58 pages of the sweet creativity you crave. Check it out, it’s well worth a peek.

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Imagine pandas reciting haikus, twirling paw for paw in ballet shoes to the tunes of the Beatles … Welcome to the fantastical world of fine art painter Lee Shuxian. Currently studying film in her third year at NTU Art, Design and Media, Shuxian has already showcased her works in sizable art exhibitions at venues like *Scape Youth Park and Ngee Ann City. She has also co-organized and exhibited in a group event entitled “Will You Be So Close” at Chinatown’s Forth Gallery in April 2008. While not painting or making films, she plays bass for her band, The Lentor Incident.

Shuxian’s creations run like the thoughts of a full-time daydreamer, and curl up like a cat on a rainy afternoon. She is heavily inspired by artists such as Gustav Klimt, Jenny Saville and Audrey Kawasaki; and it shows. Yet every piece of work which jumps out of her imagination evokes a quality that is all her own. Preferring oil portraits of female subjects, Shuxian buries an untold story behind every canvas.

“NOW YOU SEE” marks Lip’s first solo exhibition, and presents a retrospective view of the young artist in relationship with his culture. The execution of his visual forms an expression of the artist’s interests to present the quality of paints, transition of figures into paintings, and paintings into emotions, and attempts to question the relationship between the artist, his subject and his audience. His unique artistic style – a juxtaposition of images from difference sources such as magazines, movie stills and the Internet, followed by the application of different painting techniques in a single artwork best describe his intention of capturing Singapore’s “Rojak” culture. 2 April – 2 May at Marina Mandarin Singapore, Level 5.

Simon Kang runs a small design company called BlackOink Design. But Simon is also an avid toy collector. Seeing the work of the toy designers, inspired him to take a hiatus from work and create his own toy. “It is a little dream of mine,” he adds, “something which I wanted to accomplish in this lifetime. I am a very hands-on and curious person and I like to explore and create new things. Passion has always been a part of me and I always believe that with passion, one can achieve more in life.”

Simon about his slick pig: “The BO9 design is based on my company’s profile of “oink” aka the pig. This is no ordinary dude; he is full of passion and zest. Always serious in what he is doing, he never backs down on challenges coming his way. Armed with a never-say-die attitude, he will conquer whatever the future throws at him. To spice things up a little, I have featured two of my favorite passions within BO9, cars and graphics. As a result BO9 sports racing stripes, complete with carbon fiber packaging.”

Keith Lee aka Lodestar is a computer engineer by training and an interactive designer by trade, with a strong interest in the areas of usability and interactive design. Self-taught in the foundations of design theory, his philosophy is intuitive minimalist –influenced by Apple- with a focus on precision and accuracy. “My work spans across the realms of physical, print and interactive design,” he adds. “I am inspired by the likes of Steve Jobs –I am an Apple fanboy- Laurent Baumann and Andy Warhol. My clientele includes Omega, Braun Buffel and Elle eyewear.”

About the featured work, Keith says: “The concept for the piece is inspired by the ideology of arranged marriages. It attempts to let its viewers understand this complex ancient Chinese ritual and its consequences on the unwilling participants of such an arrangement. Elements of Chinese culture and practices are incorporated, using a red ribbon to symbolise the red string with which the Chinese God of marriage used to bind couples together, while the shoes seek to portray that of young girls being forcefully wed to rich, old towkays twice their age.”

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Melvin Tan is a visual artist who doesn’t adopt any particular style. He prefers to work in collages by just combining different elements together. ” I feel that art is not a talent, but an “eye” – what you see is not what someone else sees – and by seeing things differently, I do what I do today, constantly bringing out the child in me when working on my art.”

Melvin is always looking forward to paint, draw, or do something aesthetic, but he also believes he can live without making art. “Art isn’t a vital part of my existence,” he adds. “I can not do it at all, but there will always be this urge or tickle to create, craft or draw something somewhere.”

“I was approached by Noise Singapore during the Singapore Youth Festival, and was commissioned to create site-specific works and shoe designs. I have also designed posters for MOE and the Singapore Navy, published short stories in a book, designed book covers, won Gold with Honors at the Singapore Youth Festival in 2008, and I was also selected for the ASEAN/MOE Young Artists Exhibition in 2006.”