Grey Shadows

This square of cotton might seem simple, even plain, at first. But look closer. You’ll start to notice nine smaller squares, each one shaped through pleats, folds and textures. Arranged in a neat three-by-three grid, the work projects a gentle and tactile sense of rhythm. Something you feel as much as you see.

Trained in textiles, the artist Eng Tow has long moved across forms and disciplines. Artist, craftsperson, designer, these aren’t separate roles for her. They are interconnected ways of engaging with the world. Her materials range from fabric, to paper, to carbon fibre and bronze. Her practice goes beyond the gallery and she has designed books, costumes and hotel interiors. But whatever the form, she remains attentive to the natural and the unseen.

Made in the 1960s, this work reflects a time of change in Singapore’s art scene. Artists were exploring new approaches. They looked beyond traditional painting and sculpture to experiment with materials like textiles, plastics or steel. For Tow, even light and space were materials that could be shaped.