The Big Picture

With the opening of a new gallery, Livingwith Art Singapore founder Zak Lo continues his quest to make quality artworks attainable by all

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“He who strays discovers new paths”, declared 19th-century Norwegian playwright Nils Kjær, alluding to people’s chance encounters with unforeseen circumstances as they navigate life. These detours sometimes lead to the most gratifying outcomes, as Zak Lo, founder and principal art consultant at LivingwithArt Singapore and Gallery 1819, discovered when he had a transformative experience with art about two decades ago.

The affable Lo was involved in painting a wall mural commissioned by a school. Perched on a three-story-high scaffolding, the ex-banker illustrated a dolphin at the top of the wall as part of an underwater scene; it would prove a life-changing occurrence that inspired his enduring love of art. “I felt so liberated and happy with the experience,” he recalls.

Lo capitalised on this pivotal incident to feed his new passion, working with young local artists on projects and consigning their works to stores in town so they might reach a wider audience. He elevated his efforts by launching his own gallery, LivingwithArt Singapore, at Tan Boon Liat Building in 2017. The 4,500 sq ft space offers a plethora of artworks and sculptures, and also houses Gallery 1819, a premium section featuring prominent artists such as Thomas Yeo, a Cultural Medallion recipient famous for his landscape paintings.

PALETTE OF DREAMS