Monday, 17 March 2025
Colin Huang
TEMU 6 RAFFLES QUAY, #14-06, SINGAPORE (Postal 048580)
Luke Foster
Dear Huang,
I am an avid TEMU customer and regularly use your materials and products in my art installations. For example: in my last solo exhibition at Kirra Hill Community Centre in Australia called: Competing to be the World’s Greatest Grandmother I used as part of the show two black TEMU trolleys and six TEMU neon’s with text such as altruism, happiness and forever. The text in the neon’s are affirmations I often use in my art to try to create a positive atmosphere.
Along with this letter is a box of drawings with portraits mainly with text on the back of brown paper bags from Woolworths and two USB sticks with two photos and three short videos.
The installation I have devised for you is called: When I was growing up, I loved watching Monkey Magic. I think there was a Chinese version and a Japanese version of the show and it was the first I had ever learned about Buddhism and Chinese culture.
The installation is mainly designed with TEMU products that I found on the Internet.
Installation part 1.
The first part is two portable TEMU wood grain folding tables-stainless steel with three FHD smart projectors 4k Portable home theatre smart projectors. The first table has two projectors as in the diagram and the first a video of me drawing with a yellow Forever neon in front of me from TEMU and I am wearing a TEMU straw hat. I am drawing intuitively affirmations but I feel it’s the neon that’s important and when I do my ten drawings a day project, I draw the word forever in yellow as I think if we work together as a local and global community then we can save this beautiful blue planet forever. The second projection on this table titled Happiness is about how much more we can achieve together if we choose to be happy and includes a white happiness TEMU neon. I feel these two videos would be better if they were silent but that’s up to you.
On the second table is a silent video titled: Competing to be the Worlds Greatest Grandmother. Its rationale is as follows:
“Stop drawing yourself and use colour.”
My mum Maria
The DVD is a mix up of my best beach performances mainly over the last few years. There is also a simple video of a small plaster building being washed over by waves. The video is silent.
“Find happiness in making others happy.”
Mary MacKillop
I try to keep a sense of humour in my art mixed with serious issues so I hope my art makes others happy.
“All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.”
St. Francis Of Assisi,
In conclusion for this video as I always write one should choose one’s role models carefully as that is how one becomes. I try to have an equal mixture of female and male role models.
Installation part 2.
This part has four of the included drawings on cut up paper bags to be chosen by you Colin in white box frames with the text above them in white TEMU neon’s: Compassion, Altruism, Happiness and Kindness.
Installation part 3.
There is a black TEMU trolley with twenty TEMU men’s straw hats in it and six TEMU yellow neon’s with the word Forever. I am not sure what this means however I think at the back of my mind that strong trade links in the world particularly between America and China and Australia and China makes for a peaceful world and generates the capital needed to fund the enormous project of saving this beautiful blue planet forever.
Installation part 4.
This part has one TEMU Portable wood folding table with a pile of twenty TEMU pairs of different size BAGE Vintage sports low tops sneakers for men and women. On top of this a big green TEMU neon with the word Laughter. I am not sure again about the meaning of this but I feel that one can achieve a great deal more by having a sense of humour and laughing a lot and that will take us places.
Installation part 5.
This is an image file on a USB titled TEMU Trolley and would look best blown up two meters tall in a white frame. It is titled If We Put all Our Differences Aside and Work as a Global Community, we can Save This Beautiful Blue Planet for Forever. Its rationale is as follows:
“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I made a sculpture prop to go in a beach performance and this Martin Luther King quote was in the back of my mind when I was making it. It’s sort of a simple plaster staircase with, a doorway in one side. I thought of this quote as I think as a local and global community the first four steps in our future are apparent but after that we need to have commitment and faith in a local and global community to save this planet for forever.
The sculpture sat on four pillows in white pillow cases and sit in a black TEMU cart.
I feel that this idea of saving the environment for future generations is the key for not just the short-term fate of the planet and all humanity as well but so we as a global community can put differences aside to save this beautiful blue planet for forever. I think it shall take decades to figure out realistically and it shall be the most difficult and most expensive project facing humanity and the environment as we humans are the custodians of the earth.
“Be eager in your desires but humbly patient in their accomplishment.”
Mary MacKillop
As I always write in my essays I try to have equal number of male and female role models and Australia’s late pious female saint Mary MacKillop is spot on with this quote on how to achieve personal and big picture goals.
“Obviously, my Indigenous culture is very special to me. “
Jessica Mauboy
I’m a big fan of Australian indigenous singer Jessica Mauboy and I feel that not only in Australia but in the international community if we have strong women role models then there shall be more of a balance of male and female energy and the future of the planet shall be more secure.
I feel that we can save this beautiful blue planet for forever if we put our differences aside in the local and global community.
Installation part 6.
Photo image title TEMU hat. This is a still photo that looks good blown up big 2m tall in a white frame but I made it with an accompanying video. The rationale of both are as follows:
“A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just. “
Pope Francis
I love this quote by Pope Francis and I feel I need more mercy and kindness.
The most complex shot was on the beach when I was dropping my ten drawings a day from a cardboard box I was holding into a black box on the sand and the drawings were on brown woollies bags that hold my groceries. The bags had one-word affirmations on them like compassion and altruism. There is kind of a bridge in the world peace game and they metaphorically feed me food and I cut up the ideas and rephased them in simple single words sometimes. Also, sometimes I think inside and outside the box with drawings and text of gratitude. While I was doing this, I was wearing my favourite hat a TEMU straw hat.
Installation part 7.
This is a small room made of plaster board or gyprock as we call it in Australia. The dimensions are on the diagram. I want my drawings I have sent you put up randomly not in straight rows and stuck up with masking tape in the corners as the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara does.
In conclusion I hope you enjoy my art and I shall be a life long customer for TEMU particularly for props and materials for my art work.
Cheers Luke Foster