Dancing in Unison (2021) / Singapore

Sam Lo is a non-binary visual artist whose work revolves around daily observations intertwined with research into the sociopolitical climate. They use the streets as canvases to narrate these investigations, especially focusing on how our actions are interdependent on each other.

They use the streets as canvases to narrate these investigations, especially focusing on how our actions are interdependent on each other.

Born and raised in the village of Patangarh in Madhya Pradesh, which is known to be the home for the Gond Pradhan indigenous tribe, Shyam is one of the primary living exponents of Gond art. He began his practice by filling colours in the works of his uncle, Jangarh Singh Shyam, one of the pioneers of Gond.

Over the years, he has developed a unique style, mixing traditional folklore to stories from his travels, giving shape to a new and contemporary aesthetic for Gond Art. In 2018, he was awarded a Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award given by the Republic of India every year.

Starting as a tradition of decorating walls of homes with relief work during festivals, the art form usually draws extensively from the community's intimate relationship with their natural surroundings. 

According to the Gond belief system, each element whether a hill, a river, or a tree is inhabited by a spirit and, consequently, is sacred. All natural elements are said to have healing properties, extending to their artistic representation and it is believed that everything in the world is interconnected in inherent ways.

The theme of ARTWALK 2021 is – “In Spite Of”, where artists overcome limitations and geographical boundaries to come together to realise their creations, made possible by their passions and hope for harmony for the future.

Dancing in Unison aptly resonates with this theme. In spite of the distance and the unprecedented moment the artists found themselves in, they explored new ways of creating and collaborating in the digital realm. Executed solely by Sam, this work bears the fruit of months of planning, and a back and forth of ideas and sketches. Together, Shyam and Lo transcended limitations and allowed individual elements to come together holistically. 

The mural sets itself as a symphony of traditional and contemporary visions where India, one of the oldest cultures of the world and Singapore, a modern city-state, come together under a discourse around nature, as a metaphor of what links us all together.  

Establishing a marriage between the old and new, the mural embodies the idea that respect of the environment at large is what will guarantee our co-existence. 

Through the mural, the artists lyrically investigate the value of nature and our relationship with it, by bringing together their perspectives, to reveal that despite varying histories and cultures, we all are interconnected.