The use of modern materials allows artists to manipulate artistic mediums like never before, bringing a refreshing take on traditional media and at the same time, challenging traditional approaches to conservation.  Conservation does not focus solely on the restoration of ‘old master’ paintings. As a field specialising in the understanding of artists’ materials and techniques, conservation is now more relevant than ever in the preservation of contemporary works of art. Through case studies of Jane Lee’s artworks, this informative talk demonstrates how conservation is extended in the various steps of art production –  from its materials to its safekeeping. This talk will also share some insights on how to best care for contemporary paintings in private collections, and will end with a Q&A session. 

About the speaker

Diana Tay is the director of BARC Labs, a research-driven conservation studio based in Singapore. Her conservation career started in 2009 at the Heritage Conservation Centre (HCC) Singapore where she specialised in modern and contemporary Southeast Asian paintings. Having worked closely with Jane Lee since 2010 to understand her art practices, Diana soon identified a need for new approaches for the conservation of contemporary art and headed the Contemporary Art Working Group at the HCC before furthering her studies. Since then, Diana has worked with various public institutions and private collections across Southeast Asia, TATE Britain and QAGOMA Australia. Her PhD research explored the use of machine learning models on technical and material analysis of paintings by Cheong Soo Pieng and Georgette Chen.