Now in its 5th year, 18@8 is Wei-Ling Gallery’s annual showcase of 18 artists selected for being those ‘who have made waves in the preceding year and will be the ones to watch out for in the upcoming one’.

This year, they teamed up with Absolut Vodka to present Absolut 18@8. Participating artists including Anurendra Jegadeva, Ivan Lam, Choy Chun Wei and Yau Bee Ling made original works based on the iconic Absolut vodka bottle.

Part of the project is Absolut 18@8 Bottles, exhibited at The Gardens Mall. I was invited to preview the bottles on the night they were being auctioned off (8 Dec 2010), with a portion of proceeds going to the SPCA. Each artist was requested to interpret the Absolut bottle in their own way, and what transpired is a plethora of highly creative art transfixed to one of my favourite substances…

Ivan Lam, Wei Ling, and Anurendra Jegadeva

Anurendra Jegadeva used icons that are prevalent in his painting for his Absolut piece.

Ivan Lam used different resins to set in the bottle. I overhead him tell a reporter it took roughly 8 hours per layer to set!

By Chee Way

Cheng Yen Pheng created a porcelain version of the iconic Absolut bottle.

By Yau Bee Ling


By Choy Chun Wei

By Yim Yen Sum

One of my favourites is this bottle in a bottle by Wong Chee Meng.

I find this quite scary… cos it’s made of hair!  By Gan Tee Sheng

Chee Eng Hong painted his bottle from the INSIDE. I can’t imagine how difficult that must’ve been!

By Cheong Tuck Wai

By Chin Kong Yee

If you’d like to view the Absolut bottles in person, the exhibition will be held at the concourse of The Gardens Mall till 3rd January 2011.

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This post originally appeared on Kinky Blue Fairy.

Joyce Wong is best known as the inimitable blogger Kinky Blue Fairy. She is also former Managing Editor of fashion site Tongue In Chic. She has worked in media for the past five years, contributing to publications such as the Malay Mail, Faces, New Man, KLue and many more.  On the side, she throws a random party night called Cat Got Your Tongue and spins (or rather, selects songs) with Sarah Chan under the pseudo DJ name SalahWrong.