Portraits of albinistic animals have been a recurring theme within the artworks of rising local contemporary artist Sean Lean for a while now, and ‘Flesh: Blacks & Whites’, his maiden solo exhibition, is merely a continuation of his inherent fascination with flesh. The introduction of Lean’s depiction of melanistic animals in his new series adds another dimension to his works, which display the mysticism of these unique creatures.
Using his paintings as a form of soul searching, each animal on show represents a distinct facet of Lean’s personality. While the introspective ‘White Peacock: A Fowl and Some Features’ symbolises the shedding of vanity, ‘White Pig Carcass: Richly Deserved’ possesses a more surreal undertone. The stirring piece, which is reminiscent of Australian hyperrealist sculptor Ron Mueck’s disturbingly life-like representation of a slaughtered chicken hung by its feet on a hook in ‘Still Life’, is certainly not for the faint-hearted and alludes to the darkness found during the exploration of one’s self. Wong Boon Ken