President Halimah Yacob and Tanoto Foundation's Anderson Tanoto at the unveiling of the sculpture in Cloud Forest. Also present were Minister for National Development, Mr Desmond Lee (extreme left), and Board Member of Gardens by the Bay, Mr John Tan (extreme right).

A blown-glass masterpiece, each element of Ethereal White Persians is unique and bears its own signature due to Dale Chihuly's production technique of utilising gravity and centrifugal force to let molten glass find its shape in its own organic way.

The decision to make Ethereal White Persians a permanent feature was influenced by the overwhelming response to Chihuly's Glass in Bloom exhibition, which was held in Singapore last year at the Gardens. With this permanent art sculpture at the Cloud Forest, Singaporeans can now experience one of Dale Chihuly's most famous art pieces anytime.

Anderson added, "At nine feet tall and an assembly of 97 individual glass pieces, the Ethereal White Persians by Dale Chihuly is awe-inspiring. It is also a vision of hope, a testament to human resilience and perseverance. He has stayed true to his pursuit of pushing something as fragile as glass to new forms, creating ambitious and stunning installations in prominent landmarks across the globe. The Persian series is a culmination of a year's experimentation by Dale Chihuly – it signifies perseverance, the pursuit of excellence, and reflects the positive spirit of constantly pushing boundaries to open new horizons. We hope this art piece can inspire many Singaporeans."

Leslie Chihuly, President & CEO, Chihuly Studio, said, "Last year, we had the incredible opportunity of mounting Dale's first major garden exhibition in Asia, at Gardens by the Bay. We are honoured that this installation will remain in the Gardens for all to enjoy, and we are grateful to the Tanoto Foundation for making this possible."

References

1. ^{^} Media OutReach (www.media-outreach.com)